Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 16:15–28, “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. 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. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 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, 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. 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? 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. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 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. 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. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. 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. 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? So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.”
Zimri killed his king and took the kingdom but he only reigned a short time because he was treasonous. Omri was another general in Elah’s army and he felt that a general shouldn’t rebel against his own king. Omri’s supporters decided to support him for the crown. Omri went to Tirzah and defeated the city. Zimri and burnt his own house down while he was still in it rather than be defeated in battle. Part of Israel’s army decided to follow Omri and the rest followed another man called Tibni but Omri won that contest. Omri had a relatively long and successful reign and was known as an important king in the region. He bought a hill from a man called Shemer and established his own city there, he called the city Samaria. Even though Omri carried out the Lord’s judgment on Zimri because Zimri didn’t restore Israel to the Lord, Omri refused to take the nation back to the Lord. Omri was an evil king in the Lord’s eyes and he didn’t pay an important part in the history of redemption. Omri was replaced by his son Ahab.
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