1 Kings 16:21-28 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Kings 16:21-28. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Kings 16:21-28 (NIV)
21 Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.
22 But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
25 But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him.
26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
27 As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
28 Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
On verses 21-28: These verses summarize the 12 year reign of Omri. From a political and military standpoint, Omri was an impressive king. Omri outlasted his opponent Tibni in a civil war (v21-22). Omri built a new capital city for Israel called Samaria. Ancient Assyrian records even refer to Israel as “the land of Omri” [1].
So from a secular perspective, Omri was a strong and successful king.
However, from a spiritual perspective, Omri was a bigger failure than any king of Israel before him. As verses 25 and 26 say, “Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam…so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.”
What can we learn from this? When measuring a person’s success, the criteria God focuses on is different from what most people focus on. God is more concerned about your character than your accomplishments. He is more concerned about your worship than your net worth. If Jesus were to assess the effectiveness of Omri as a king, he might say, “What good is it to gain the whole world, but lose your soul?” (Matthew 16:26) So when assessing others, do not just look at accomplishments, but focus on that person’s character and heart.
1 Kings 16:24 (NIV)
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
On verse 24: Why did Omri build his new capital city on a hill? It’s not just so that people could see the city from afar. Even more, it’s because being situated on a hill made it difficult for enemies below to attack the capital city (v24). The elevation wasn’t just for the view. It was for protection! So when Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, “You are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden”, He’s saying that God has placed you in a special and protected position. He has elevated you so that it is harder for the enemy to attack you, so that anyone who comes up against you is at a disadvantage.
Praise God! You are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden! So since you’re in an elevated position, there’s no need to fight your enemies on their level. You can rise above because God has placed you on a higher level where the view is also much better.
Father, I pray that I would not focus on accomplishments at the expense of character. May I seek to do right in the eyes of God even more than in the eyes of people. Thank You also that I am a city on a hill that cannot be hidden and that I am specially elevated and protected by You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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