1 Kings 16 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Kings 16 Short Summary:

1 Kings 16 follows the line of kings who assumed the throne of Israel after Jeroboam and his son Nadab. Their names were Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab. All of them were wicked and under their leadership, the nation of Israel moved further and further away from God and His commandments.

1 Kings 16 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• According to the timeline we are using for this study, the kingdom of Israel and Judah divided in 975 B.C.

• The period that followed, sometimes called the period of the “Divided Kingdom,” lasted the next few centuries. Israel remained a cohesive nation until 721 B.C. (Assyrian captivity), while Judah lasted until 607 B.C. (Babylonian exile).

• All the kings mentioned in 1 Kings 16 reigned between 960-880 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Baasha – 3rd king of Israel after the nation divided.

• Elah – King of Israel after Baasha.

• Zimri – He killed Elah to become king of Israel.

• Omri – He led Israel’s military against Zimri to take the throne.

• Ahab – Omri’s son and one of Israel’s most wicked kings. He was married to Jezebel.

WHERE:

• The kings of Israel lived in Tirzah before Omri built the city of Samaria.

• The city of Jericho is briefly mentioned at the end of the chapter.

OUTLINE:

• THE REIGN OF BAASHA IN ISRAEL, CONTINUED (16:1-7):

  • Baasha was a wicked king, so God sent His prophet, Jehu, to him with a message.

  • Jehu cursed Baasha’s house with the same curse Ahijah had cursed Jeroboam’s house (14:7-11).

  • Baasha’s relatives who died in the city would be eaten by dogs, and his relatives who died in the country would be devoured by birds. God was going to totally destroy his household.

  • Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah. He reigned over Israel for 24 years (15:33).  

• THE REIGN OF ELAH IN ISRAEL (16:8-14):

  • Elah, the son of Baasha, reigned over Israel for 2 years.

  • Like his father, he made God angry by promoting idol worship.

  • He was assassinated by Zimri, one of his military commanders, who claimed the throne for himself.

  • Zimri exterminated the entire household of Baasha, just as Jehu the prophet prophesied.

• THE REIGN OF ZIMRI IN ISRAEL (16:15-20):

  • Zimri was king of Israel for just 7 days.

  • He was deposed by Omri, a rival military commander.

  • Omri besieged Zimri at Tirzah. When Zimri found out he was going to lose the battle, he committed suicide by burning the king’s house while inside.

• THE REIGN OF OMRI IN ISRAEL (16:21-28):

  • Omri was king in Israel for 12 years. He lived in Tirzah for 6 years before building the city of Samaria and living there.

  • Omri was more evil than any of the kings that came before him.

• THE REIGN OF AHAB IN ISRAEL (16:29-34):

  • Ahab, Omri’s son, was next on the throne of Israel. He reigned 22 years.

  • Ahab was even more wicked than his father.

  • He made an altar for the idol Baal in Samaria, and he led his people away from God.

  • He was married to a very wicked Sidonian woman named Jezebel.

  • In Ahab’s time, a man rebuilt the city of Jericho. The endeavor cost him his oldest and youngest son, because God had put a curse on the city (Jos 6:26).

APPLICATIONS:

• The nation of Israel is a case study in human failure and sin.

• This is important to observe when reading the Biblical story.

• God’s story in the Bible is not about how humans ascend to spiritual holiness and found nations governed by perpetual justice and righteousness. It’s not a story about how virtuous men save the world.

• It’s a record of how men’s propensity to sin ruins the world, ruins lives, ruins nations, and ruins their relationship with God.

• This is why Jesus is so necessary to the story. Jesus is the savior from sin, He is the king we need to govern us, and He is the only one who can restore our relationship with God.