Zimri King of Isra’el
First Kings 16: 15-20
Zimri king of Isra’el DIG: What positions did Zimri and Omri hold in the army? What does Zimri do during his week as king? Did Zimri overestimate his popularity with the military, or did he launch a coup knowing the military wouldn’t back him? Is the writer fair to Zimri?
REFLECT: Is popularity important to you? Why or why not? Were you ever shocked to find you weren’t as well-liked as you thought? Is hope a dangerous thing? Where does your hope lie? Physically? Spiritually? Emotionally? Do you have a lite touch on the things of this world? Is it a sin to commit suicide?
The Lord wants us to know the power of His grace to help us through the troubles of this life.
The background of the king: When we last met Zimri, life seemed to be going rather well for him. His conspiracy having worked to perfection, he was free to sit on Isra’el’s throne. But unfortunately for Zimri, his kingship didn’t last very long. It was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah that Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirzah, which means his only claim to fame is that he ruled the shortest period of time in Israelite history (First Kings 16:15a).
The significance of his reign: At that time, the army was besieging Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. The troops in their camp heard it said that Zimri had plotted and killed king Elah (to see link click Dq – Elah King of Isra’el), whereupon that same day, there in the camp, all Isra’el made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Isra’el. Then, Omri and all Isra’el with him withdrew from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah (First Kings 16:15b-17). This set the stage for a dramatic scene at his palace.
The death of the king: Then Zimri’s fiery ambitions went up in flames. Not numbered among the righteous of the TaNaKh, when he realized that he was surrounded and deposed, he committed suicide by torching the royal place around him. When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over him, so that he died (First Kings 16:18). How the mighty had fallen! One day Zimri was on top of the world. Enthroned by his own ambitions, he had taken what he wanted out of life. But just a few days later, he died in absolute despair, going in one short week from murder to suicide. Sadly, his story is not unique. Many people spend their whole lives trying to reach the top, but never truly seeking God. In the end, any success they have will prove to be fleeting. They will have to leave everything behind, as Zimri did, and like him, they may well die in despair.
Are we living for what lasts, or will it all turn to ashes?
Zimri’s fiery death also gives us an opportunity to consider what the Bible teaches about suicide. It is always a cause for great sadness, but what people often wonder is whether it is an unforgivable sin. It is a sin, of course, as every murder is. To commit suicide is to declare lordship over one’s own life. It is to claim the right to number one’s days – a right that belongs only to God. It is to betray the love of family and friends. It is to refuse to serve the Kingdom of God. In short, suicide is a sin of self-murder.
We need to know this so that we recognize what is at stake whenever we, or others, are tempted to commit suicide. It is not a sin to be tempted to commit suicide (or to commit any other sin, for that matter). Sooner or later, nearly everyone entertains at least fleeting thoughts of ending their earthly existence, including some of the people we meet in the Bible. “What would happen if . . .” we wonder. But for some people, suicidal thoughts become a preoccupation. We should recognize these thoughts for what they are; a temptation that comes from hell itself. Speaking of Satan himself, Yeshua tells us that the thief comes only to steal and kill and to destroy (John 10:10a). Messiah does not want us to die, but to live, saying: but I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10b). The Lord wants us to know the power of His grace to help us through the troubles of this life. While there is life, there is always hope in Yeshua. So if we are ever tempted to take our own lives, we should fight that temptation with everything we have. We should not fight it alone, however. Instead, we should talk about our struggle with a trusted mature believer – someone who can care for us with the life-preserving love of God. The hope of Yeshua can be found if you look for it.
Granted suicide is a sin, we still need to ask whether or not it is a forgivable sin. First of all, if a person is not saved, they have rejected the wooing of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh and if they commit suicide, they will end up where all the lost go . . . to hell. For example, Judas was not saved and committed suicide by hanging (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lm – Judas Hangs Himself). So, Judas is in hell, just as Zimri is in hell. But what about the saved person? Do they also go to hell? Heaven forbid! Believers are eternally secure (see The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). There is only one unforgivable sin, the rejection of the Spirit of God. Yeshua Himself said: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven (for believers), but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit (and therefore not saved) will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin (see The Life of Christ Em – Whoever Blasphemes Against the Holy Spirit Will Never Be Forgiven). Praise God that there is forgiveness for all of our sins in Yeshua!
More important than the details about Zimri is the emergence of Omri in the narrative. He was a leader and a fighter. He faced several challenges. First, there was the ongoing conflicts with Judah and Philistia. Second, Tirzah, the capital city, had been besieged from without and within. Third, Isra’el had suffered for some time from political instability due to rapid turnover of leadership. Finally, civil war followed Zimri’s death and Omri had a rival to the throne. How would he solve those social and political problems? Would he have any interest in solving Isra’el’s religious woes (see Ds – Omri King of Isra’el)?396
The summary of his reign: Zimri was the most spectacularly unsuccessful king of all. Not only did he fail to put a son on the throne of Isra’el (however briefly), he himself failed to reign more than one week! This came about because of the sins he committed in doing what was evil from ADONAI’s perspective, in living as Jeroboam had lived, and in sinning by making Isra’el sin (see Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel). This was an act of God’s judgment. At the human level, Zimri took his own life. But under the mighty will of a sovereign God, his death was also an act of divine judgment. Zimri was on the throne for only a single week, yet seven days were enough for him to follow in the footsteps of Jeroboam and sin against God. So the Word of God ruled against him, and Zimri died in his sins. Other activities of Zimri and his conspiracy are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el (First Kings 16:19-20).
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your merciful love! How important it is to make wise eternal choices with our time, money and most of all with whom we love the most- ourselves or You. It is not so important how much money we stored up, but where is it stored? The man who stores up much on earth for himself but leaves little for others, is so foolish. But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight, your soul is being demanded back from you! And what you have prepared, whose will that be?” So, it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich in God (Luke 12:20-21).
For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is. If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss – he himself will be saved, but as through fire (First Corinthians 3:11-15). Just as Zimri’s work was burned up by fire when he died, so will any work we do that is not from a pure and loving heart. We want to honor You and serve You will a loving and grateful heart. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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