before him almost without a struggle. 2. Against Tibni. Israel was eque.lly divided, yet his life was preserved and the kingdom given to him. Men pass up to place and mesns and influence through e. pathwny which, if it is only looked be.ok upon nnd considered, is full of power to touch the heart and bow it under the will of God. Do we read the story of our past, and let it touch us with the tale of God's maITellous mercy? II. Hrs SIN. 1. Hi.s hardness of heart. Not only was he blind to God's meroy. He passed up unawed through the midst of the terriblest judgments and the most marked fulfilment of God's threatenings. Neither the goodness nor the severity of God was allowed to touch him. 2. He "did worse than all that were before hilm." He was a man of energy and worldly wisdom. Both were bent to strengthen his power. He went further than Jeroboam, who seduced Israel, for he seems to have compelled them (see the mention of Omri's statutes, Micah vi. 16) to sacr:iftce before the calves. Great talents, if joined to a selfish, hardened heart, only carry men further away from God. III. Hrs srn's FRUIT (vers. 29-84). 1. In his son's character and reign. (1) "He did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him." (2) It was possible only to an Ahab to set Jezebel-the great enemy of God and His people- upon the throne of Israel. (3) It was not enough to worship the calves of Bethel and Dan. He must tUin wholly away from the God of Israel and worship Bae.I. 2. In the people's contempt of Jehovah. Hiel's act was done in the face of Israel, yet it was not forbidden ; its commission awakened no fear. The man was left childless, yet judgments so harrowing and fulfilments of prophecy so marked he.d no effect upon his own sow. The legislation that blots out God's ordinances delivers a people over to darkness and judgment.-J. U. Vers. 23-28.-Omri's Reign. After a four years' contest with Tibni, the son of Ginath, for the crown of Israel, the followers of Omri prevailed over the adherents of his rival The issue, then, was that " Tibni died and Omri reigned." Whether Tibni died in battle, or whether, when his followers were overcome, he was taken and put to death, is not written ; but the record illustrates how in the revolutions of the wheel of fortune the fall of one makes way for the rise of another. Let us now new this new monarch- I. IN ms PALACES. 1. "Biz years reigned he in Tirzah." (1) This was once a lo,ely palace. Beautiful for its situation like Jerusalem (Ce.nt. vi. 4), and bee.utined during the reign in it of all the earlier kings of Israel. For it we.a the third and last palace built by Jeroboam, the first of these kings, to which he removed from his palace at Pennel. (2) But it was now dame.ged by fire. When Zi.mri shut himself up in it as his defences were driven in by the forces of Omri in the siege of the city, he set it on fire and perished in the con.fle.gration. Thus in a moment the labour of years was demolished. Destruction is ee.sier than construction. This principle also holds in morals. (3) Still for six years Omri held his court in this city. Whether he occupied a portion of the palace which esce.ped the flames, or resided temporarily elsewhere in the city, is not revealed. The omissions of Scrip- ture are instructive. Things of minor importance must not be allowed to divert attention from momentous things. 2. Biz years he reigned in Samaria. (1) The origin of this new capital is here recorded (ver. 24). Seven hundred pounds of .Jur money seems a 6mall price for a hill considerable enough to be the site for the capital of a kingdom (Compare 1 Chron. xxi. 26: 600 shekels of gold= £1,095.) Perhaps Shemei was animated by public spirit when he disposed of his hill for so trifilng a sum. Perhe.ps he did so to perpetuate his name. His motive is withheld from ne. Herein also is instruction. We are not judges of the motives of our fellows. God surveys the motives of all hearts. (2) Henceforth Samaria figures prominently in the history of Isre.el. It gives its na~e to the middle portion of Canaan. Tirze.h, Penuel, Shechem, are hencAforth ~1ttle heard of. Men give importance to places rather than ple,ces to men. The rmportance even of heaven will be rather that of its i.nhAbitants than of its situation. Learn the paramount value of spiritual qualities, on. xvr. 29-84.] THE FIRS'.r BOOK OF KINGS, 873
II. AT THE ALTAR, 1. "He walked in all the wa,ya of Jeroboa;m." (1) This means that he encouxaged the worship of the calves, if not that he even appeared o.t the altar as high priest (see ohs. xii. 83; xiii. 1). (2) It means fuxther that he was moved by the same state policy. He desired to keep his people from Jeru- salem lest they should repent of their revolution from the house of David. (3) Note: So.tan has his opportunities. While the pride of Israel smarted under tho insolence of Rehoboam, Jeroboam could impose his calves upon them. Had he missed that opportunity, it might have been impossible afterwards to have effected his purpose. Omri could not have done it. We should be wise as serpents, viz., in avoiding the snare of the devil, in availing ouxselves of oux opportunities for good. 2. He "did worse than all that were before him.'' (1) He "made Israel to sin" as J eroboo.m did, persuading them to halt at Bethel or visit Dan, for that Jerusalem was too far from them. Persuading them also that his calves were images of the true God (see eh. xii 28). (2) He bound them by statute to worship the calves (compare Micah vi. 16). In this he went farther than Baasha, who had set about building Ramah to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem (2 Chron; xvi 1). III. IN ms EXIT. 1. He "was buried." (1) He had a state funeral. l\Ioney might procuxe that. He left a son to succeed him on the throne who would pay this public respect to hls remains. (2) How variously is the same subject viewed by men in the flesh, and by the inhabitants of the spiritual world I The funeral of the corpse is the event upon earth ; the destiny of the spirit is the event yonder. 2. He "slept with his fathers." (1) This expression does not mean that he was buried with them in their sepulchre, for Omri was buxied in Samaria, a city which had no existence in the days of his fathers. Of Baasha also it is said that he "slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah" (ver. 6), though there is no evidence that any of his fathers were buried in Tirzah. (2) It seems to import that he died upon his bed, as the generality of mankind :fi.n.ish their course. Thls expression does not appear to be used when any die by the hand of violence as a judgment of the Lord upon their sin. (3) Yet a violent death we.a deserved by Omri, as it was also by Baasha and Jeroboam, who, like him, came peacefully to the grave. They laid up sin for their posterity (see Job xxi. 19). But are they thus to escape the punishment of their own iniquity? Surely there must be a "judgment to come I "-J, A, M.