1Ki 16: "The terrible apostasy of the northern nation is
revealed in the history recorded of the house of Jeroboam. Intrigue and
wickedness permeate the whole scene, and bring the wisdom of Yahweh into
disrepute: [1] Jehu the prophet pronounces doom against the House of Baal: vv
1-4. [2] The Death of Baasha: vv 5-7. [3] Elah the drunkard is murdered by his
servant Zimri: vv 8-10. [4] Zimri's seven days' reign of terror: vv 11-14. [5]
The army revolts against Zimri. It champions the cause of Omri: vv 15-20. [6]
Zimri commits suicide: vv 18-20. [7] Tibni challenges Omri: vv 21,22. [8] Omri:
prince of evil men: vv 23-28. [9] Ahab's vile reign (1Ki 16-22). & Notice
the constant reference to the wickedness of the leaders of the nation: vv
2,13,19,26,30. The ch concludes with disaster at Jericho, and reflects on the
circumstances that involved Joshua at the beginning of the nation's occupation
in the Land. A grim warning is given that the word of Yahweh should be heeded.
The forgotten curse on Jericho claimed its victims, but in what way is not
revealed" (GEM).
1Ki 16: "Next [in the line of Israel's kings] came Elah, a
drunkard, who in turn was a murderer (1Ki 16:8,9). His successor, Zimri, was
guilty of 'treason' (1Ki 16:20). He was followed by a military adventurer of the
name of Omri, and of him we are told, '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' (1Ki
16:25,26).
"The evil cycle was completed by Omri's son, for he was even
more vile than those who had preceded him. 'And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in
the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. 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' (1Ki
16:30,31).
"This marriage of Ahab to a heathen princess was, as might
fully be expected (for we cannot trample God's Law beneath our feet with
impunity), fraught with the most frightful consequences. In a short time all
trace of the pure worship of Jehovah vanished from the land and gross idolatry
became rampant. The golden calves were worshipped at Dan and Bethel, a temple
had been erected to Baal in Samaria, the 'groves' of Baal appeared on every
side, and the priests of Baal took full charge of the religious life of
Israel.
"It was openly declared that Baal lived and that Jehovah
ceased to be. What a shocking state of things had come to pass is clear from,
'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' (1Ki 16:33).
"Defiance of the Lord God and blatant wickedness had now
reached their culminating point. This is made still further evident by, 'in his
days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho' (v 34). Awful effrontery was this,
for of old it had been recorded, 'Joshua adjured them at that time, saying,
Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city
Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn and in his
youngest son shall be set up the gates of it' (Josh 6:26). The rebuilding of the
accursed Jericho was open defiance of God. Now it was in the midst of this
spiritual darkness and degradation that there appeared on the stage of public
action, with dramatic suddenness, a solitary but striking witness to and for the
living God" (Pink).
1Ki 16:23
THE THIRTY-FIRST YEAR: Cp vv 10,15: the first 5 years
(Asa's 27th through 31st) Omni was engaged in civil war with Tibni (v
21).
1Ki 16:31
Ahab seeks friendly alliance with Zidon by marrying daughter
of king.
JEZEBEL: "She dwell not" (ie, with Yahweh). Those who
follow other gods, or teach other gospel, are not my "spouse", says Yahweh. Cp
Rev 2:20n.
ETHBAAL: A "king" and a "priest", per
Josephus.
1Ki 16:32
HE SET UP AN ALTAR FOR BAAL: Baal worship implemented
as state religion. The catalyst to an organized, state-wide persecution of
worshipers of Yahweh (1Ki 18:4; 2Ki 9:7).