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1 Kings 16:18-19 "And when Zimri saw the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house, and burned the king's house over him with fire, and died, because of his sins which he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin."

 

Zimri had murdered the king of Israel, Elah, and reigned only seven days in his stead. (1 Kings 16:10, 15). When the army became aware of Zimri's coup, they besieged the city of Tirzah, where Zimri remained in the king's house. When he saw that the city was taken, Zimri killed himself by burning the house around him, rather than face the avenging army.

 

I had not remembered hearing of Zimri before I read this. Maybe that's not surprising, since his reign only lasted seven days, and his story is told in just a few paragraphs, but it amazes me how I can always find something new in the Bible! Even when it's something I have heard many times, there is always something more to glean from it. It really is the living Word!

 

Getting back to Zimri, he had a very short path from murder and kingship, to despair and suicide. Most stories of wicked men in the Bible have a much longer story arc. This short story really condenses the issue, though. When we sin, we may gain fleetingly, but it is a false, ill-gotten gain. Justice will eventually call us to task for it. When it does, we can and should choose to repent, give up the gain (as it is not good for us and we cannot be saved if we hang on to it), and face justice. If we are not willing to repent, we are at great risk of falling into despair. In that state, we cling to our sins and their fruits, thinking they are all we have left, but justice comes anyway. We end up destroying ourselves, and often the things we gained, as well.

 

In the seven days between his murder of the king and his own suicide, Zimri faced this choice and made it, taking his own life and the the king's house with him rather than face justice. If we are fortunate enough to have been given more time to repent of our misdeeds, we should learn a lesson from Zimri about the fate of those who choose not to repent.