1 Kings 16 Elah

With the death of Baasha, his son Elah takes the throne. Elah follows his father in the ways of worshiping idols. He reigns for two years before being assonated.

I’m wishing AGAIN that we had the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. I want to know more about Elah’s reign. I have SO MANY questions. Was he habitually drunk? What was his practice in war? What made Zimri decide that he needed to die? Was he a ‘people friendly’ king? What was he like as a man?

I can glean very little from the few verses we have. He did fight wars; at least with the Philistines at Gibbethon. That area had been contested for a LONG time. Nadab was struck down when attacking at that very same battle field. He probably warred against Judah as it was part of Asa’s judgment. He was known to drink to excess. It may have been only with certain people, but Zimri knew what would happen when Elah was in Arza’s house. Something interesting here is that Arza was the ‘manager’ of the king’s house in Tirzah. So, Elah was drinking himself drunk in his servant’s home. Not something a king would normally do, if I understand society norms correctly. Was this a place where Elah could go to privately drink himself into oblivion? He and Arza had to be ‘blotto’ in order for Zimri to walk in and kill him. More questions than answers. Let’s step into the little bit of the story that we do know and see where the Spirit takes us.

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King Baasha is dead. Elah calls for the kingdom of Israel to mourn him. Elah spends that mourning time trying to figure out where he is supposed to go next. His Abba had taught him some of the duties of a ruler. He as even made a prince over one of the provinces, but Elah never felt comfortable in a position of power. He always felt like a ‘pretender’. Now he is in the most powerful place in all of Israel. “I hope I don’t blow it” is the thought running through his head and strangling his heart.

Elah decides that his safest route is to do the same things his Abba did. 1) Continue to press Judah. Not all out war, but border skirmishes. 2) Continue to press the Philistines in Gibbethon. The son of Jeroboam started this campaign. Elah hopes to end it. 3) Don’t fall apart in public! When struggling, go somewhere private to let it out.

Every day, the people bring their matters before the king, asking him to judge between them. Day after day, Elah does his best to rule fairly in their affairs, but his lack of self-confidence colors his rulings. By the end of each day, Elah is drained. He climbs in bed each night wishing that tomorrow wouldn’t come.

One evening, the servant over his entire house brings him something to settle his nerves.

“Here my king. This will settle your nerves” says Arza as he hands him a cup on special wine.

Elah takes it from his hand and smells it. “What is it?”

“It is my own tonic my king. It calms the nerves and gives courage.”

Elah takes sip and finds its flavor pleasing. He slowly drinks the entire cup. With each sip, he feels a warmth spreading through his body. The nervousness is ebbing from his mind and body. Elah feels more confident than he ever has before. He feels he can face the morning. And he can sleep tonight.

In the morning, Elah feels more rested than he has in as long as he can remember. He is ready to face whatever the day brings. “I am going to have to do this every night” he tells himself.

The day begins to wear on him as the hours pass and by nightfall, he is ready to ask Arza for another cup of his special wine. Arza could already see it in his master as the day went along, He is ready and waiting when Elah reaches his bed chambers.

This becomes a daily ritual and carries Elah through his days for several months before the calming effect no longer reaches the zenith it once did.

“Arza, it’s not working anymore” groans Elah.

“Maybe just a little bit more this time” suggests Arza.

Elah takes a second cup of the healing elixir and drinks it slowly. By the end of the second cup, he can feel it’s calm flowing through him. “Thank you, Arza. I will be alright now.”

Another month goes by before Elah decides he needs to increase his ‘dosage’ again. “Have you nothing stronger Arza? I am still weary to death by the end of the day.”

“I can try and distill something a little stronger but I advise caution my king. You don’t want to become so drunk on wine that you cannot function the next day.”

Elah agrees with Arza’s caution, but he needs this to help him face each morning.

Arza is able to add just a little more strength to his elixir and it is even more relaxing to the king. The king is also taking more of it each night until one night, Elah commands Arza to “Leave the bottle.”

What was once helping the king is now enslaving him. Elah still manages to rouse himself for his morning sessions with the people and even to discuss issues of war with Omri, the commander of his forces, but his days are becoming shorter and he is turning to his tonic much sooner each evening.

Zimri, the captain of the king’s chariots has been watching this deterioration. He spends his days in the throne room, waiting on the king’s commands for his chariot. Lately, Elah has been so wrapped up in his tonic that he seldom leaves the palace.

Arza is getting concerned too. He is seeing the king actually drunk in the evenings. Enough that he is passing out in his chambers. Worry really ratchets up when Arza realizes that the king’s tonic is in the cup that his cupbearer is holding in the throne room.

Arza goes to the king one evening. “My lord and king, you cannot appear before the people or even your own servants drunk! I’m sorry I ever introduced you to my elixir. Maybe I should stop making it.”

“NO!” Pleads Elah. “I cannot function without it. It gives me the strength I need to get through the day, and to sleep at night.”

“Then we have to find a safe place for you to use your tonic that your servants won’t see you in an inebriated state.”

“I will go to your house on the nights when I need the most relief. That way the servants won’t see their king undone.”

After that, it becomes Elah’s habit to have Zimri take him to Arza’s home on his hardest nights. These are usually days when there will be no work to address the next morning, as Elah has difficulty rousing after such nights. Zimri always sneaks him back into the palace after such encounters.

As the days and months march on, so does Elah’s reliance on his elixir. Zimri is disgusted with the state of his king. Omri is off leading the battles for Israel, and the appointment times with the king have become seriously limited. The king’s advisors have taken on the task of judging between the people.

As Elah deteriorates, Zimri begins planting ‘seeds’ in the ears of the king’s guards. They too have seen the king’s downward slide. “When the time is right, I’m going to need help carrying out the prophecy of the Lord.”

“What prophecy are you talking about?”

“The Lord told Baasha, through the prophet Jehu that his line would be cut off. I cannot do it alone, but we all know that this must happen. Just look at the state of the king.” Zimri spits after speaking the word “king” as if he as tasted something foul.

“We will back you. Let us know when you act.”

One day, Zimri has had enough. “He is no king. He is a fallen down drunk who has no business on the throne. I would make a better king” he says to himself as he watches Elah reach for his drink again in the throne room and lose his focus on the matter before him; not for the first time.

That night, Zimri is called upon to take the king to the home of Arza. Zimri knows exactly what goes on in Arza’s home. The king gets so drunk he passes out. “Tonight, I’m going to end this” Zimri thinks to himself. “I will wait until he is good and drunk, then I will fall on him. This is the LAST night I carry that drunken fool around!” Before setting off with the king, Zimri signals the guards that are loyal to him. He knows that they will be ready to carry out the Lord’s judgment after he completes his tasks.

Zimri waits until the right moment to put his plan in motion. Arza will be the first to feel his blade. If not, Zimri feared that Arza might fall on him as he ended Elah’s reign.

Zimri quietly enters Arza’s home and softly makes his way to Arza’s bed. Arza starts to stir but Zimri clamps a hand over his mouth and expertly slits his throat. Zimri holds his hand over Arza’s mouth until he sees the life drain from his eyes.

Zimri is grateful that Arza is not married. As the sole occupant of this house, he is the only ‘innocent’ one to die this night. Thinking about this, Zimri decides that Arza isn’t really innocent, as he is the one who introduced the king to his ‘special wine’ and supplied it to him every night.

Zimri silently walks to where the king lays, sprawled beside the table. He has fallen off of his chair and his drink stains his tunic and the floor. “You disgust me” Zimri thinks. He is not going to let the king die as easily as Arza did. He wants him to know who wields the blade and why.

Zimri clamps his hand over the king’s mouth and nose and waits for his eyes to flutter open. When they go wide in the struggle for air, Zimri smiles down at him and plunges his dagger into the king’s stomach. He twists the blade, then slices upward, spilling the king’s entrails. “This is for you, you drunken fool!”

Elah tries to cry out in pain but Zimri’s hand prevents it. Tears fill his eyes and begin to fall down the sides of his face. Zimri easily traps the king’s drunken hands from pushing him away and watches as his face turns blue and then ashen. When he is certain that the king is dead, he releases his hand from Elah’s mouth, wipes his dagger on the king’s robe, and rises. With one last look around the room, Zimri leaves the home of Arza and bars the door.

Zimri quickly returns to the palace and sends the guards that are loyal to him out into the night. Before morning, every male of Baasha’s house and all male friends loyal to Baasha’s house will breathe their last.

Zimri takes the throne in the morning. There is shock on many of the servant’s faces as they enter the throne room, but none dare challenge him. He sits on the throne with his hand on his dagger and madness in his eyes.

Zimri’s first order is to bar the gates of the city. He has to gain the loyalty of the people before he deals with the military. “They will love me, or they will die” he vows.

(to be continued)

I made Zimri a little on the ‘mad’ side because how he handles his defeat soon after. I’m sorry if his actions in the end were a bit graphic, but I wanted us to feel his hatred and unhinged mind.

Alcohol has a way of gradually building its hold in a person’s life. Especially for those who turn to it for relief in the beginning. That is something else I felt impressed to highlight. ALL sin is this way too. Something that seems so small in the beginning can eventually take us over, if we don’t do something to stop it. The most important thing is turning it over to the Lord. I will NOT guarantee an over night release. But the Spirit will walk with us out of the darkness when we allow Him to. I know this to be true, for He has walked me out of the depths of my own despair. He WILL do it for ANYONE who gives themselves into His hands and allows Him to do His work on our heart.

Father God, THANK YOU for all the places You have rescued me from! Thank You for walking with me every step of the way. If not for You, I would be dead by now. You pulled me out of suicidal depression and reminded me of all You have blessed me with. You are still working with me on my battle with food. I have a feeling that this battle is one that will last a lifetime. Each day, I get to choose where to place my focus and hope. Today, at least, my ONLY hope is in You. I know in my heart that EVERY DAY You are my ONLY hope too. It’s just that, sometimes, I get distracted and look elsewhere. THANK YOU for sustaining me during this time in my life too.