The Verses
1-7 Baasha’s evil reign lasted for 24 years.
8-14 Elah his son succeeded him but reigned only 2 years. Zimri, a captain, slew Elah while he was drunk.
15-20 Zimri destroyed every male member of the house of Baasha. He reigned only 7 days, for Omri, captain of the host of Israel, besieged Tirzah and captured it. Zimri committed suicide by burning down the house in which he was.
21-28 The northern kingdom was divided between Omri and Tibni for 4 years. Tibni died and Omri reigned alone for 8 years. Omri built Samaria and made it the capital of the northern kingdom. He plunged Israel into the depths of evil (v. 25). His pattern was Jeroboam (v. 26).
29-34 Ahab, son of Omri, succeeded him (v. 28). He was worse than his father; he was the worst king of all (v. 30). He compounded evil by marrying Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians and high priest of Baal
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 had forbidden marriage with people from the surrounding nations. However, Solomon had openly and thoroughly violated that command of God.
No individual in Israel's history, male or female, was as aggressive in promoting Baal worship and persecuting Yahweh worship as Jezebel. Ahab did a previously unthinkable sin by "marrying the baalist daughter of a baalist king." Phoenicia was the center of Baal worship at that time, and Ahab's wife brought an evangelistic zeal for Baal with her.
What evil designs Ahab did not think of, Jezebel did.
Let’s look at what’s going on here.
The Jews were God’s chosen people. Why did God choose the Jews? Was it because of their goodness? Was it because He knew that they would always obey Him?
No, it was because He is God and He gets to choose. He could have chosen anybody. He chose the Jews.
What did He choose Israel to do? Did He choose them to show the world how to behave and how to faithfully serve God? Did He choose them because they were good writers and could “write the Old Testament for Him?”
No, He chose them to bring His plan of salvation to the world through Jesus, His Son, Messiah.
He gave them that honor, and when His plan of salvation entered the world, they rejected Him, ridiculed Him, attacked Him at every possible moment and had Rome crucify Him.
Other nations have remained jealous of Israel to this day, even though they don’t always know why. It is because they were not chosen, and they have not enjoyed the attention God afforded Israel.
Remember that there were not supposed to be any kings (I Samuel 8:4-22). But the people insisted, and it was all down hill from there.
Make no mistake, sin is a serious thing, whether you are saved or not.
Sin began in the Garden of Eden and its “spiritual DNA” has been passed from generation to generation.
Its result is eternal separation from God in Hell. Only Jesus can save you from that fate.
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