UNROLL
Night in a lamplit hall of a king's house at Tirzah: an empty carved wooden king's chair on a low stone dais, a plain gold circlet resting on its seat, one clay oil lamp on a stand beside it, the plastered walls and cedar beams fading into shadow.

The Book of

1 Kings 16

Five kings of Israel in one chapter: one reigns seven days, one buys a hill, and the last is the worst of all.

34 verses≈ 7 min8 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–2Solomon's throneThe kingdom made secure
  2. 3–4WisdomA discerning heart
  3. 5–8The templeA house for the LORD's Name
  4. 9–11Glory and fallSolomon's heart turns
  5. 12–16Two kingdomsThe kingdom tornChapter 16
  6. 17–19ElijahThe LORD, He is God
  7. 20–22AhabNaboth and Micaiah

Jehu’s Prophecy against Baasha

Afternoon in a plain stone hall at Tirzah: the young prophet Jehu son of Hanani, in a rough undyed cloak, stands with one hand raised before King Baasha, seated heavy and frowning on a carved wooden chair, while courtiers stand back uneasily along the wall.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying:

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“Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins.

1 Kings 16:2

So now I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat:

Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city

will be eaten by dogs,

and anyone who dies in the field

will be eaten by the birds of the air.”

Israel

Baasha’s end

  1. His acts and might recorded

    As for the rest of the acts of Baasha, along with his accomplishments and might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

  2. Buried in Tirzah; Elah reigns

    And Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah reigned in his place.

  3. did evil

    Judged for Jeroboam’s house too

    Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam.

Reflect

Out of the dust

The LORD told Baasha, “I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel.” Baasha forgot who had lifted him, and walked where Jeroboam had walked. What has God lifted you out of? Write it down, and thank Him for it this week, by name.

Elah Reigns in Israel

Night in Tirzah: the open doorway of a steward's stone house glows with lamplight; inside, a young king lounges on cushions by a low table of wine jars and cups, while in the dark lane outside a soldier in a bronze-scale coat waits in shadow, his back to us.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him.

So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place.

As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend.

So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

As for the rest of the acts of Elah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Zimri Reigns in Israel

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days.

1 Kings 16:15

Morning in Israel's siege camp on the plain before Gibbethon: soldiers crowd around the grizzled commander Omri, standing on a low rock in a bronze-scale coat and red cloak, and raise their spears high in acclaim; tents and cooking smoke behind, the small walled town far off.

Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines, and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired against the king and struck him down. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.

Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself.

So he died because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.

As for the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Question

Quick question

Zimri seized the throne in Tirzah while Israel’s army was away at Gibbethon.

How long did Zimri reign in Tirzah?

Omri Reigns in Israel

Israel

Omri of Israel · 12 years

  1. Israel split: Tibni or Omri

    At that time the people of Israel were divided: Half of the people supported Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half supported Omri.

  2. Omri’s followers prevail

    But the followers of Omri proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath.

  3. Tibni dies; Omri is king

    So Tibni died and Omri became king.

  4. Asa’s 31st year

    Twelve years, six in Tirzah

    In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.

Morning on a broad, rounded hill standing alone in a ring of green valleys: masons lay the first courses of large, finely squared pale stone on the bare summit, while nearby an old landowner watches silver weighed out on a wooden balance and King Omri stands by.

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.

0:10

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

As for the rest of the acts of Omri, along with his accomplishments and the might he exercised, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel

Late afternoon: Samaria finished, a walled city crowning its rounded hill, the royal palace of fine pale stone on the summit inside an inner wall, terraced olive slopes below and roads winding up from the green valleys.

Israel

Ahab of Israel · 22 years

  1. Asa’s 38th year

    Ahab king in Samaria

    In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.

  2. did evil

    More evil than all before him

    However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

The way of Jeroboam

his wayworse stillJeroboamthe calvesNadab2 years ·struck downBaasha24 years ·TirzahElah2 years ·struck downZimri7 daysOmri12 years ·SamariaAhab22 years ·Baal

Whiteboard

Every king of Israel in these chapters walked in the way of Jeroboam. In about fifty years two royal houses were wiped out, two kings were struck down and one burned his own palace, and the road ran downhill from golden calves to Baal. Of Ahab the verdict is the worst yet: he “did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.”

Morning at Jericho by its spring and palm groves: on the old ruin mound, masons set new foundation stones for a city wall, and workmen hang a heavy new wooden gate between stone gateposts; bare tawny hills behind.

In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.

Pray

His word stands

Jericho was rebuilt “according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun,” centuries after Joshua spoke it. Thank God that His word stands when people forget it. Ask Him for help not to walk in old sins just because others did before you. And pray for our nation’s leaders, that they would fear the LORD and lead people toward Him, not away.

You’ve experienced

1 Kings 16

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A verse to carry with you

Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins.

1 Kings 16:2

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