Up to now in our study The Kings of The Northern Kingdom of Israel starting with Jeroboam were evil and just got worse. Jeroboam was described as more evil than any king before him. (1 Kings 14:9). The Lord raised up each one, and gave each a chance to live up to who He had made them to be. But each one chose not to live up to who they could have been in God and instead chose evil.
Baasha became king after killing Jeroboam’s son Nadab in a battle and then killed every member of Jeroboam’s family. But then Baasha did evil in the sight of the Lord. So The Lord sent a prophet to warn him of what would happen. Verses 1-4 read,
“And the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
The Lord reminded Baasha who had allowed him to be king, and gave him a prophecy very similar to the one Jeroboam had received and Baasha had satisfied. But Baasha didn’t listen and the prophecy came to pass. He could have acknowledged The Lord. He could have repented for his sins and followed The Lord. But he didn’t.
After Baasha died his son Elah reigned. But he was only king two years before Zimri, the commander of half his chariots decided to kill him. Elah was given the gift of kinghood but chose to be a drunkard instead. While Elah was drunk at his servant Azra’s house, Zimri murdered him. As soon as he was king, he had every member of Baasha’s household killed as well, just as Baasha had done to Jeroboam’s house. But Zimri wouldn’t reign for long. Verses 15-19 describe it.
“In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin.”
He was king for a week but the army was disgusted by what he had done, they attacked but he took the cowards way out and killed himself. But even in that seven days he was evil enough to have caused Israel to sin.
Omri thought being king was a sure thing, but he was wrong. Half the people followed Tibni and half followed Omri. After fighting for four years, Omri’s people won and he was finally king. He bought a mountain and named it Samaria as the new seat of power for The Northern Kingdom. Verses 25-26 read,
“Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.”
When Omri died his son Ahab became king. If Omri had been bad, if Zimri, Elah or Baasha were bad, Ahab was worse. He was worse than Jeroboam and Omri who had both been worse than anyone before them. He apparently had no problem doing not just bad, not just evil, but truly abhorrent things. Even the lives of his son meant nothing to him. Verses 29-34 read,
“In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke theLord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”
These men took the throne. They stole their kingships and refused to recognize that the Lord had allowed them to be kings or that He had used them to punish their predecessors. Had they paid attention each one could have embraced the identity God had given them. Instead they chose to accept the identity the enemy encouraged them to steal.
We can choose to welcome, proclaim, and live as the Kings and Queens God has made us to be or we can believe the lies of the enemy and let him steal our nobility and live as who he accuses of being. He calls us by our old selves’ titles. He makes us doubt, feel shame, or fear.
In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we are told,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Consider each title and the privileges that go with them. The Word of God is filled with the truth of who you are, Believer. You are a child of God, adopted, predestined, and a coheir with Jesus Christ. You do not have to be a slave to sin. Romans 8:12-17 read,
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
What lie are you believing?
Are you afraid? God has given you a spirit of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7).
Are you guilt-ridden? There is no condemnation in Christ. (Disapproval, guilt, and conviction). (Romans 8:1).
Are you unable to stop being the person you were before Jesus blood covered you? You are a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Whatever the lie, God’s Word has the truth for you. You are an overcomer because you have Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. He is greater than anything in the world, He is greater than the enemy. (1 John 4:4). Live up to who you are in Jesus, rather than who than enemy says you are.