Ahab son of Omri
did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him (1 Kings 16:30).
The Omrides (Omri
and his descendants) were the most evil royal family in the history of
Israel. You could say they put the nasty
in dynasty. Omri had been the commander of Israel’s army when
Zimri assassinated King Elah. Zimri only lasted seven days before Omri and his
troops besieged the city and surrounded the palace. When Zimri saw he was
surrounded, and that Omri was supported by the military, he set fire to his
palace, forfeiting his own life.
The changing of the
guard was not uncontested, but Omri’s supporters were stronger than those of
his opponent. After four years of civil war Tibni, the contender for the
throne, was executed and Omri was crowned king. Thus begins the dynasty.
After Omri’s death,
his son Ahab became king in his place. Ahab’s wife Jezebel was the
Baal-worshiping princess of Sidon. The couple set out on a literal reign of
terror during which time the prophets of the Lord feared for their lives. There
were no more feared Old Testament names than Ahab and Jezebel. Even after their
deaths, their evil would infect Israel’s sister nation of Judah for generations
to come, but that’s a story for another time... a story that begins with Omri.
Evil starts
somewhere. So does redemption.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Who do you have to thank,
good or bad, for the road you’re on today? What direction are you setting for
generations to come?
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