Omri Reigns in Israel

 

1 Kings 16:21-28

 

July 3, 2021

 

Omri Reigns in Israel

Then the people of Israel were 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 who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.   In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah.   He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him.   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.   Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?   And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

 

We come a long way from the time of kings, in fact, you may recall, something called the Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773.  The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor.  This act of a few people brought about, On April 19, 1775, local militiamen clashed with British soldiers in the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, marking the “shot heard round the world” that signified the start of the Revolutionary War. 

 

This action was about the right to live free, as a free people, to form a government of the people by the people.  To have the freedom to worship, not to seek government approval to buy and own property, and so much more.  Did this freedom come at a cost, yes?  56 men signed the Declaration of Independence, and they were men of integrity, of wealth, and many of them lost not only their wealth but the loss of family, home, and lives.

 

They were not for or against a man, they were not choosing between two men as were the people of Israel, but a new concept, one that they believed God gave men freedom, a government of the people for the people, and many of the men were strong Christian such as John Hart. 

 

What can you and I learn from this as Followers of Jesus Christ?  The first and most important is not to put our trust in a man, we have seen too many leaders in the Christian Church bring shame on the name of our Lord.  At one time in my life, I was such a man, but I would rather be dead than bring shame again on my Lord and Savior.

 

We would be wise to know that the Church is not a denomination, denominations are man-made, but God’s Church has only one purpose, to be Christ's witness to a sinful world., yes, to be a light, yes a witness of our freedom in Christ.  That Jesus, so loves the sinners that He pays their price by dying on a cross for them.  It matters not how big is your sin, it was covered on the cross.  And He has promised if you confess your sins, He will forgive you.  What does that mean, confession is agreeing with God you have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.  Confession and repentance, mean you are in full agreement with God that He only is good, and all people have sinned and need the redeeming blood of Jesus.  Hebrews 9:22, tells us; “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  That is why Jesus had to meet the requirement of Law given to Moses, by God.  He loves you so much that He allowed His Son, His only Son to take your place, Jesus took the full wrath of God for your sins.

 

 

 From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice