12. ELAH
ELAH
"Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him; and he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was the steward of his house in Tirzah; and Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him."
H ow tragic! King Elah indulging his fleshly desires, drinking himself drunk! His steward Arza contributing to his master’s delinquency! All this while the people were encamped against the Philistine city of Gibbethon ! No wonder one of his top military officers takes advantage of this to assassinate him! Wrong as this was and ever is, we tend to sympathize with Zimri rather than with drunken Elah. Nor can we forget that the wrath of man shall praise the Lord, and the remainder He will restrain (Psa 76:10). Thus God’s judgment overtook the house of Baasha.
Self-indulgence is a vice common to man. Whether we look at the long list of works of the flesh in Gal 5:1-26 or the depravity characterizing men in the difficult times of the last days in 2Ti 3:1-17 - times in which we live - self-indulgence is plainly evident and is accompanied by many a kindred sin.
What a contrast we have in the Lord Jesus. "For the Christ also did not please Himself," we read in Rom 15:3. He alone could say, "I do always the things that are pleasing to Him [that has sent Me]" (John 8:29). No one could challenge this, but rather, "As He spoke these things many believed on Him" (v. 30). Self-control is also one of the fruit of the Spirit’s nine delicious flavors in Gal 5:1-26. "Against such things there is no law."
David (2Sa 11:1-27), Belshazzar (Dan 5:1-31) and Elah all indulged their fleshly appetites while their people were at war. For each of them and for many others like them the results proved tragic.