Introduction: Some kings in Old Testament days had very long reigns, like Uzziah (52 years), Manasseh (55 years) and Jeroboam II of the Ten Northern Tribes (Israel, 41 years). The reigns of others were sometimes very short, but nothing like the week-long reign of Zimri, one of history’s most unwanted kings.
Text: 1 Kings 16:8-20, KJV: 8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. 9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. 10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. 11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. 12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, 19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.
20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
It’s bad enough that Zimri took it on himself to basically murder Elah, king of the Ten Tribes at the time. Elah was the legitimate heir to the throne because he was apparently either the oldest or at least the chosen son of Baasha (mentioned earlier in this chapter). Even so, Zimri’s deed was really an act of treason against the reigning king!
Think of it like this: Zimri’s only claim to leadership was his command of “half (of Elah’s) chariots”, implying at the least he was an officer of high rank. Whether or not he heard the prophecy of Jehu is a matter for debate; having said that, Zimri decided to help God out, as some say, by making sure none of Baasha’s family survived.
That included Elah, whose name ironically could be translated “masculine” or, “manly”, or even “oak” according to https://biblehub.com/hebrew/425.htm. Oddly enough, Elah’s age when he became king is never given but the only clue we have is that he was old enough to get drunk!
And that, his getting drunk while the nation was at war with the Philistines (again), was maybe, for Zimri, the last straw. Of course, we’ll never know what caused Zimri to cross the line and murder the king, but he did, and he did it.
But he reigned as king for a lot less than, perhaps, he intended. Zimri only reigned as king for seven days, enough for word to reach the army and for them to make their intentions known. They left where they had been fighting and, incredibly, laid siege to their own capitol!
When Zimri saw the army, he knew his time was up. And in one of the most incredible moves ever, Zimri set fire to the king’s house and died in the fire. He, then, is one of the few suicides ever mentioned in the Bible.
Zimri was not wanted at the battle of Gibbethon because he was apparently left in charge of half the king’s chariots. He wasn’t wanted, it seems, by anyone else as there is no record of anyone supporting his decision or his deeds! And the bulk of the army didn’t want him either: why else would they retreat from the battlefield and encamp or surround their own capitol city?
We could get all kinds of lessons from this passage but there’s one thing that stands out to me: confidence in one’s own abilities is one thing, but confirmation is critical. “Well begun is half done”, goes an old saying, but there’s no record Zimri had even that.
Had Zimri remembered “if in doubt, don’t” or other advice like that, his reign and reputation might have been very different. In fact, the only other time he’s mentioned came from Jezebel, some years later, who challenged Jehu by saying, “Did Zimri find peace after he killed his master (2 Kings 9:31, paraphrased)?”
May we never commit the same sins as Zimri!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)