Anytime people get the chance to choose between tyranny and freedom, they choose freedom.
It seems there were always two job openings in the kingdom of Israel: bold prophets to
speak for God and executioners of God’s judgment on wicked kings. But the trend continues
throughout history: the deliverer from tyranny is soon wearing the robes of the despot.
Ahijah speaks against Jeroboam’s family (1 Ki 14:10) and Jeroboam’s house is eradicated by
Baasha. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani, against Baasha” (16:1),
and “Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He
spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet” (v 12). Now surely Zimri will connect the dots. But
no. He claimed the throne after killing Elah, Baasha’s son, but determined to reign as he had
already been living, “because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the
Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel
sin” (v 19). This must have been his lifestyle before he ascended the throne, because “Zimri
…reigned in Tirzah seven days” (v 15). King for a week! But a week was more than enough
for the people. How can you trust a king who begins his reign with treason and murder? “So
all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day” (v 16). This time
there was no need to dispatch the conspirator. Seeing the hopelessness of his situation,
“Zimri…went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house down upon himself
with fire, and died” (v 18). Zimri means “my music,” and we can almost hear the strains of “I
Did It My Way” as the palace burns. Godlessness and hopelessness are traveling companions
on the road into darkness (see Eph 2:12), where we all would be without the Savior.