1 Kings 16:21-28: a reflection

21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. 24He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. 25Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. 26For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. 27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

In the succession of kings over Israel, the account of Omri notes soberly that he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and dealt more wickedly than all who were before him, walking in the sins of Jeroboam; and that his son Ahab, who reigned after him, would go further still into evil. The account traces a downward slide: each king walking in the sins of those before him and adding to them, evil escalating from one generation to the next, Omri worse than those before, Ahab worse than Omri. Evil was not static; it escalated, each step going further into wickedness than the last. This is a sobering pattern to notice: how evil can escalate, each step going further, one generation's sin becoming the starting point for worse. Evil escalated from Omri to Ahab, each going further. Sin can escalate, each step going further than the last. Evil is not static; it can escalate generation by generation. Each step into evil can become the starting point for worse.

Notice the downward escalation the account traces. Omri did evil, more than all before him; he walked in the sins of Jeroboam and added to them. And his son Ahab, taking up where his father left off, would go further still, becoming worse than all before him in turn. Evil did not stay in one place; it escalated, each king starting from the sins of the last and going further. This reveals something about the nature of sin and evil: that they tend to escalate, that each step further in makes the next step easier, that one generation's or one person's wickedness becomes the starting point from which worse can grow. Sin left unchecked does not stay static; it deepens and escalates. This is why it matters to guard against the downward slide, to resist evil before it escalates, to turn back rather than take the next step further in. We do well to be watchful of the direction we are heading, aware that evil tends to escalate, and to turn back rather than go further. Evil tends to escalate, each step making the next easier. Guarding against the downward slide means turning back before evil deepens. Sin unchecked deepens; better to turn back than take the next step. Watch the direction you are heading, for evil escalates.

That is worth taking to heart, for evil tends to escalate, each step going further than the last, and we do well to guard against the downward slide and turn back rather than go further. We can take a step into wrong and think it will stop there; but the account of Israel's kings traces evil escalating from Omri to Ahab, each going further than the one before, one generation's sin becoming the starting point for worse. Sin unchecked does not stay static; it deepens. Watch the direction you are heading, and turn back before evil escalates further, rather than taking the next step down. Guard against the downward slide of evil, which tends to escalate each step going further than the last, as the account of Israel's kings traces Omri doing evil more than all before him and his son Ahab going further still; for we can take a step into wrong and imagine it will stop there, but sin and evil left unchecked do not stay static, they deepen and escalate, each step further in making the next easier and one person's or generation's wickedness becoming the starting point from which worse can grow, so that we do well to be watchful of the direction we are heading, to resist evil before it escalates, and to turn back rather than take the next step further down the downward slide.

Lord, in the succession of kings over Israel, the account of Omri notes soberly that he did evil in your sight, and dealt more wickedly than all who were before him, walking in the sins of Jeroboam; and that his son Ahab, who reigned after him, would go further still into evil. The account traces a downward slide: each king walking in the sins of those before him and adding to them, evil escalating from one generation to the next, Omri worse than those before, Ahab worse than Omri. Evil was not static; it escalated, each step going further into wickedness than the last. This is a sobering pattern to notice: how evil can escalate, each step going further, one generation's sin becoming the starting point for worse. Show me the downward escalation the account traces. Omri did evil, more than all before him; and his son Ahab, taking up where his father left off, would go further still. Evil did not stay in one place; it escalated, each king starting from the sins of the last and going further. This reveals something about the nature of sin: that it tends to escalate, that each step further in makes the next step easier, that one person's wickedness becomes the starting point from which worse can grow. Sin left unchecked does not stay static; it deepens. This is why it matters to guard against the downward slide, to resist evil before it escalates, to turn back rather than take the next step further in. Take that to my heart, for evil tends to escalate, each step going further than the last. Help me watch the direction I am heading, Lord, aware that evil tends to escalate, and turn back before it deepens further, rather than taking the next step down the downward slide, resisting evil before it escalates and turning back rather than going further.