1 Kings 16:21

1 Kings 16:21 says, Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.  The people of Israel became even further divided, half following Omri and half following Tibni, but Israel and Judah were all a part of God's chosen people even if they had two different kings, and now Israel was divided under two kings, or rulers.  We cannot afford to be divided as Christians, God's people today, yet we are too often divided into different denominations who don't get along with each other that well.  Verse twenty-two adds, But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.  After several years, those following Omri defeated those following Tibni, and Tibni died.  We as Christians should come together because we are following God's will, and we are not told that either Omri or Tibni were, and not because one group is more powerful and defeats the other.  Verse twenty-three continues, In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.  Asa was in his thirty-first year of ruling in Judah by this time.  The people of Israel continued to change rulers, but none of them called on the people to return to following God.  People of the world will continue to have new leaders, but as followers of Christ, we need to pray that those who are our leaders are committed to following God and live under His leadership.  Verse twenty-four states, And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.  Omri bought a hill in Samaria and built a city there, which he called Samaria.  This would be the royal city of the kings of Israel.  Of course, Jerusalem was still God's chosen city for the king of Israel to rule from then and heaven is the chosen place for the eternal King, Jesus Christ, to rule from today.  Verse twenty-five adds, But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.  Omri was even worse in God's sight than all those who came before him.  It would seem that the rulers of many nations today become even worse than those who were before them, though in some cases it would be hard for them to be.  Of course, if they are not committed to following God's law, then the rest really is of no importance from an everlasting perspective.  Verse twenty-six continues, For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities.  Like Jeroboam, Omri followed false gods and led the people to do so also.  This provoked the anger of God.  If we are not following Jesus Christ and especially if we are leading others away from Him, one day we will face God's judgment.  Verse twenty-seven says, Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?  Like the other kings of Israel, we are told that the acts of Omri were written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.  Verse twenty-eight adds, So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.  Omri died and was buried in Samaria and not where the other kings had been buried.  Ahab then began to rule in his place.  Rulers come and go today, and where they are buried really doesn't matter.  All that matters with them, and everyone is their relationship with God through their accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.