Observation: Omri seems to be a transition point for the northern nation of Israel, from which they will descend even further and never recover. Their kings to this this point have been terrible, all worshipping Ashera and conducting their worship to the Lord by way of two golden calves (perhaps now only one in Bethel, since the other may have been captured). Then, in seven days, Zimri kills King Elah and with him the entire family of Baasha, then Zimri kills himself when the army decides Omri should be king. Omri defeats another rival, becomes king, and will do two things that change Israel forever.
First, Omri builds a new capital city. He names is Samaria, and eventually that becomes the name of his entire country (as foreign invaders take more and more of Israel until it no longer represents the promised-land nation). This name - Samaria - will become notorious, first as a land that falls into the worship of false gods to the point of committing child sacrifices to other gods, then as a location depopulated by foreign invasion, then eventually becoming a name for a people-group that live in the area, whom the Jews hate partially due to their twisting of how they worship Yahweh.
Second, Omri fathers and raises Ahab, the true villain in Israel's history, who will take the northern kingdom from a people who are worshipping the Lord improperly, and turn them into true pagans who reject the Lord.
Looking for an indication predicting Omri as this pivotal point, there is something. All other kings - even the seven-day reign of Zimri - include a reference that they were either chosen by the Lord, or their actions were in response to the Lord's will in some manner, even if they then subsequently chose a wrong path. This is not so for Omri. Omri becomes king first by the actions of a military division under his command, then by a group that back him over another candidate (Tibni). Verses 16-23 are about Omri's rise, and none of them mention that any action performed by Omri, the army, or the populous were in alignment to the Lord's direction or will.
Yes, Israel was committing evil, but they hadn't fully turned away from the Lord. Then, in the form of Omri, they enter a time when they are fully and completely ignoring the Lord, which pivots them. They will soon enter a time when their identity is changed, and they even become antagonistic toward Yahweh. Again, that begins when they first completely ignore the Lord's will.
Application: This is a key idea I believe. There is a line between failing to honor, respect, and obey the Lord, and fully dismissing and ignoring him. The former is sinful. The latter is rebellious and truly lost. At one time in my life, I almost crossed that line, and the Lord brought me back from it.
However, I look around today, and I see a lot of people who are so far across that line, their response to this discussion would be to dismiss the very concept of rebelling against God because they don't believe any such being exists or matters, and that true evil resides in the minds of those who embrace such ideas. I know I live in modern-day Samaria, with local leaders who are truly evil.
And this is the final confirmation of that knowledge ... they no longer reject God, they ignore him. There is no longer a debate, there is only a one-sided anger-filled speech.
I am fully willing to serve the Lord where he would put me, for as long as he wants, but I would rather not be in Samaria when it gets destroyed, and I now know we have passed the pivot-point.
Prayer: Lord, as I just said, thy will be done in my life. We are here where you have placed us, serving your will and being your light in this dark place, and we will do so as long as you tell us to. If that is my entire earthly life, so be it, and if so then please continue to give us your protection in this evil land. Amen.
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