1 Kings 11:14-40 “Solomon’s Adversaries” 1 Kings 11:9–10 9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. Where were the Prophets David had? • To warn Solomon of his descent into paganism. • To warn Solomon of how he was breaking the heart of the Lord. o Do you have friends that care enough about you to tell you when you are backsliding against the Lord? o No one in the Electronic church to challenge you, to pray for you, to care for you. All of these pagan women he married (for political reasons?) were of no benefit. • Nations surrounding Israel still hated Solomon • Atheism, Agnostics, Gnostics, Paganism, and Legalisms are never satisfied until you are dead – and then it turns to kill your children and grandchildren. Exodus 20:4–6 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. • But now Solomon’s system would start to fall apart, for the Lord raised up “adversaries” against Solomon (vv. 14, 23, 25) and used them to discipline the rebellious king. 1 14 Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. 23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. 1 Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Responsible, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2002), 81. 1 Kings 11.14-40 1 • ADVERSARY— (Hebrew: satan), an opponent or foe (1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25; Luke 13:17); one that speaks against another, a complainant (Matt. 5:25; Luke 12:58); an enemy (Luke 18:3), and specially the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).2 o HADAD—Adod, brave(?), the name of a Syrian god. (1.) An Edomite king who defeated the Midianites (Gen. 36:35; 1 Chr. 1:46). 3 § Additional Information: Hadad = “mighty”. 4 o REZON—prince, son of Eliadah. Abandoning the service of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, on the occasion of his being defeated by David, he became the “captain over a band” of marauders, and took Damascus, and became king of Syria (1 Kings 11:23–25; 2 Sam. 8:3–8). For centuries after this the Syrians were the foes of 5 Israel. He “became an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon.” 14 Now the LORD raised up an adversary (satan) against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. • Note here that it was The Lord that raised up the adversary o Ishmael’s son § The outcome of Abraham’s sinful relationship with Hagar. § Solomon will have to deal with the outcome of his own sin and his descendant’s sins which he has inherited. 15 For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom 16 (because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. 18 Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. 19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. • Your enemies will always find people that will join against you, if you live for Christ. 20 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.” 2 M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893). 3 M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893). 4 James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001). 5 M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893). • Is it possible, God knowing what would be the extent of Solomon’s sin, that The Lord was preparing adversaries against Solomon? o People with old bitterness that have not dealt with their sin. o This is right about the time Solomon married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. 23 And God raised up another adversary (satan) against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary (satan) of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. • People will abhor you simply because the Lord gives you some degree of success. • People will hate your peace, your smile, your calm hope in Jesus. 26 Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. • Septuagint says “a harlot”? o The LXX text adds three new details lacking in the Masoretic manuscript: that Rehoboam "sixteen years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 12 years" (24a), the name of Jeroboam's mother was "Sarisa, a prostitute" (24b) and " Shishak gave Jeroboam Ano the elder sister of Tahpenes his own wife to him for a wife" (24e). 6 Tsâruwʿah /tser·oo·aw/] n pr f. Pass part of 6879; GK 7654; AV] צ◌ְ רוּעָה o 6871 translates as “Zeruah” once. 1 wife of Nebat and mother of king Jeroboam I of the northern kingdom of Israel. Additional Information: Zeruah = “full breasted”. 7 • JEROBOAM — “increase of the people.” (1.) The son of Nebat (1 Kings 11:26–39), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B.C. 976–945). 8 27 And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. 29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite (from Shiloh) met him on the way; and he (Jeroboam) had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 6 http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-sheshonq-I-shoshenq-shishak-shishaq-bubastite-karnak-conquest-campaign- canaan-battle-relief-topographical-list-187-cities-conquered-name-rings-926bc.htm 7 James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995). 8 M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893). 1 Kings 11.14-40 3 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him (Jeroboam), and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe (Judah & Benjamin) for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 7 times in Judges: Judges 10:6 Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.