I Kings 16:15-16- 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.
When the people heard that their king and his family were dead, they anointed the man who was leading them in battle to be their king- Omri.
Omri then took his army to fight against Zimri.
I Kings 16:17-20- 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?
Zimri was a coward. He knew he couldn't win a battle against an army captain, so he went into the king's house and killed himself and destroyed the house.
Now, the kingdom was divided. Some of the people wanted to make their army captain king, while others wanted to make another man king.
I kings 16:21-24- 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.
After it was all said and done, Omri won the throne. He bought a hill called Samaria and built his captiol on it. This would be the capitol city of Israel until the Lord destroyed their country.
Omri was a wicked king. He was worse than Jeroboam and Baasha, and his son would bring the most destruction to his kingdom than it had ever had before!
I kings 16:25-28- 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.
Ahab would be the most wicked king Israel would ever have. And he would have the most wicked wife that would be remembered throughout history! Does anyone know her name?
I kings 16:29-33- 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. 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. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 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.
That's right, Jezebel was King Ahab's wicked wife. She was the daughter of the king of the Zidonians. They were the people who enslaved Israel way back during the time of the Judges. The Zidonians were known for worshiping two specific false gods, Baal and Ashtoreth. These two idols would be a stumbling block for Israel for hundreds of years!
Because of his widkedness, God was going to send a certain prophet to curse Israel for 3 1/2 years!
I Kings 17:1- And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
God was going to stop sending rain to water the ground. Do you know what happens when it doesn't rain for a long time? First, the plants start to die- and that includes all the food. Then, the water that's in the rivers starts to dry up. Then, people get very hungry and very thirsty!
That means all the people weren't going to have food and water. But, God was going to take care of His prophet.
I Kings 17:2-5- And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
God sent Elijah to live by a small river, called a brook. He could drink water from that brook. And for food, God told the birds to feed him!
I Kings 17:6- And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
God has promised us that He will provide our needs. Elijah needed food and water, so the Lord provided meat and bread to eat and water to drink. Do you think Elijah may have wanted something else to eat every now and again? Yes. But, the Lord never promised to give us our wants. He promised to provide our needs!
Philippians 4:19- But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God made sure that Elijah had exactly what he needed. And, when the water of the brook dried up because of the rain, God was going to make sure that his needs were still provided.
