The
Book of first kings
Chapter 16
[1] Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of
Hanani against Baasha, saying,
[2] Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my
people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my
people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;
[3] Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his
house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
[4] Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth
of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.
[5] Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
[6] So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his
son reigned in his stead.
[7] And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of
the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he
did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his
hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.
1)
Reign Rebuked (Vs 1-7)
There has long been a civil war in Israel and now the nation is divided
(S Kingdom Judah & N Kingdom Israel)
Judah had wicked kings Rehoboam (17yr), Abijah (3yr) and
a good king Asa (41yr)
Israel had wicked
kings Jeroboam (22yr), Nadab (2yr) & now we learn more of Baasha who
assassinated Nadab
God says “them that honor me will I honor and they that despise me
shall be lightly esteemed (1 Sam 2:30)
God allowed Baasha to be king and he reigned 24 yrs (1 K
15:33)
Baasha assassinated
Nadab (1K15:27) and killed all of Jeroboams family according to Gods
Word(1K14:10)
But Baasha lived wickedly and God sent His prophet Jehu
with the message of God
Baasha is reminded
God raised him from dust and allowed him to be king of “my people” Israel
Baasha has provoked the Lord to anger and God is slow to
anger (Ps 103:8)
Now Baasha will face the same judgment as Jeroboam (whom
Baasha executed judgment on)
Baasha’s whole family will be destroyed, disgraced and
desecrated
Baasha died
[8] In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of
Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
[9] And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him,
as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his
house in Tirzah.
[10] And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh
year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
2) Reign of Revelry (Vs 8-10)
After the death of Baasha, God allowed Baasha’s son Elah
to reign in his stead and he reigned 2 yrs
He was a wicked king, like his father and lived a
lifestyle of pleasure
One night the king got drunk, as was usual, and his
servant Zimri murdered the king
Zimri took to the throne from the family of Baasha and
Elah
[11] And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as
soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him
not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his
friends.
[12] Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of
the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
[13] For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they
sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of
Israel to anger with their vanities.
[14] Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
[15] In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven
days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged
to the Philistines.
[16] And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and
hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the
host, king over Israel that day in the camp.
[17] And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they
besieged Tirzah.
[18] And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went
into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with
fire, and died,
[19] For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in
walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to
sin.
[20] Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
3)
Reign of Rebellion (Vs 11-20)
Zimri slew or massacred all of the royal
family of Baasha and Elah
This fulfilled the words of the prophet Jehu
In fact Zimri even killed all of the friends
of the family so there would be no avengers
Zimri thus took and seized the throne and
kingdom of Israel
Zimri only reigned 7 days
The people made Omri, the captain of the
host, king and refused Zimri as their king
Omri and the people surrounded Zimri and his
palace
Zimri in seeing he was surrounded and
unwilling to surrender burnt the palace and killed himself
This was the last resort of a man who would
not stand and face life
[21] Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people
followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.
[22] But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that
followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
[23] In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over
Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.
[24] And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and
built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the
name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.
[25] But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that
were before him.
[26] For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin
wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger
with their vanities.
[27] Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he
shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
[28] So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his
son reigned in his stead.
4)
Reign of Revolt & Rivalry (Vs
21-28)
Israel was divided into 2 parties
Half followed Tibni and made kim king and the other half
followed Omri who was already king
Omri and his followers eventually prevailed and Tibni was
killed
Omri was an evil king and reigned a total of 12 years
He would build the city of Samaria and make it the new
capitol city of the N Kingdom
Omri would provoke
the Lord even more than his forefathers as he forced Israel into false worship
Omri died
[29] And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in
Samaria twenty and two years.
[30] And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that
were before him.
[31] And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in
the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the
daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and
worshipped him.
[32] And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had
built in Samaria.
[33] And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel
to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
[34] In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation
thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest
son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son
of Nun.
5) Reign of Revulsion (Vs
29-34)
After the death of Omri, God allowed Omri’s son Ahab to
reign in his stead and he reigned 22 yrs
Ahab was more wicked than all the kings before him
Ahab married Jezebel “means unmarried” strong willed
& most wicked woman in history
She was the daughter of a king who was priest of Baal
worship
Wicked couples
“Herod & Herodias” PhilipI of Spain & Bloody Mary, Louis XV & Mary
Antoinette
Provoked the Lord
*Jeroboam intended for Israel to worship the Lord and
worship false images (golden calves)
*Ahab wanted to forsake the Lord and serve Baal
Presumption
Challenged the Word of God by rebuilding the city of
Jericho (Josh 6:26) (Heil was an Bethelite)
Ahab had his builder Heil rebuild and the builders
children died in fulfillment to Gods Word
Jeroboam(22yr) Nadab (2yr) Baasha (24yr) Elah (2yr) Zimri (7days)
Omri (12yr) Ahab (22yr) all evil kings of Israel