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.
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.
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 kinsfolk, 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?
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 showed, 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.
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.
The book of 1 Kings is a historical account of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah, starting with the reign of King Solomon and ending with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. Chapter 16 of 1 Kings focuses on the reigns of two kings of Israel, Baasha and Elah, and their eventual downfall.
The chapter begins with the death of King Elah of Israel, who was the son of King Baasha. Elah had only ruled for two years before he was assassinated by Zimri, one of his own commanders, who then proclaimed himself king. However, Zimri's reign only lasted for seven days before he was overthrown by Omri, another commander in the army. Omri then became the king of Israel and Zimri died in the fire that he had set to his own palace.
Omri's reign was marked by evil and rebellion against God, and he continued in the ways of Jeroboam, the first king of Israel who had led the nation into idolatry. However, Omri's reign was not the focus of this chapter. Instead, the author of 1 Kings shifts the focus to the reign of King Baasha, who had been the father of Elah and the grandfather of Zimri.
Baasha had been a commander in the army of King Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, and had assassinated him to become the king of Israel. Baasha's reign was marked by violence and disobedience to God, and he continued in the ways of Jeroboam by leading the nation into idolatry. However, unlike Jeroboam, Baasha's reign was cut short by God.
As Baasha continued in his wicked ways, God sent the prophet Jehu to deliver a message to him. The Lord declared that because of Baasha's disobedience and the sins he had caused the people of Israel to commit, his entire family would be wiped out, just as the house of Jeroboam had been. This prophecy would eventually come true when Baasha's son Elah was assassinated and his entire family was killed by the new king, Zimri.
The Lord also promised to destroy Baasha's house because he had provoked God to anger with his idols. God had chosen Israel to be His people and had given them specific instructions on how to worship Him, but Baasha had led them astray and turned them away from the Lord. As a result, the Lord would bring judgment upon him and his family.
After the death of Baasha, his son Elah became the king of Israel. However, his reign would only last for two years before he was assassinated by Zimri, who then became the king. Zimri's reign, as mentioned earlier, was short-lived as he was overthrown by Omri after only seven days.
Omri's reign was characterized by violence and idolatry, just like his predecessors. However, he was able to establish a strong dynasty that would rule over Israel for many years. Omri also built the city of Samaria and made it the capital of Israel.
After the death of Omri, his son Ahab became the king of Israel. Ahab was even more wicked than his father and continued to lead the nation into idolatry and disobedience to God. He married Jezebel, a woman from Sidon who was a worshipper of Baal, and allowed her to introduce Baal worship into Israel.
Ahab's reign would be marked by a series of conflicts with the prophet Elijah, who was sent by God to bring judgment upon the king and the nation for their sins. Despite the warnings and miracles performed by Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel continued to worship Baal and reject the true God.
The main themes of 1 Kings chapter 16 revolve around the consequences of disobedience and idolatry, as well as the faithfulness and sovereignty of God. Throughout the chapter, we see the repeated pattern of kings who turn away from God and lead the nation into sin and destruction. This serves as a warning to the readers of the book to remain faithful to God and follow His commandments.
The downfall of Baasha and his family, as well as the rise of Ahab and Jezebel, also highlight the consequences of disobeying God's laws and following after false gods. Despite their power and influence, these kings were ultimately brought to ruin by their disobedience to God.
Furthermore, the prophecy against Baasha and his family reminds us of God's sovereignty and His ability to bring judgment upon those who reject Him. The Lord is not a God to be mocked and His laws are not to be taken lightly. The downfall of these kings and their families serves as a reminder that no one is above God's judgment.
Overall, 1 Kings chapter 16 serves as a warning against the dangers of idolatry and disobedience to God, as well as a reminder of His faithfulness and sovereignty. It also sets the stage for the conflicts and events that will unfold in the following chapters, leading up to the destruction of Israel and Judah.
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