1 Kings 11:14-25 “God Raises Adversaries?”
“Then the LORD raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal line in Edom.” (14) We should note this adversary did not come from the devil or his team. At times God raises up adversaries to deal with His people. We will learn more about the why in our next segment, but here we are given details regarding the adversaries. David had completely wiped out Edom, but Hadad fled South to Egypt [symbol of the ungodly world] where he received favor, relationship [allied by marriage] and abundant provision. No doubt deep bitterness and hatred resided in him over his great loss in war with Israel. When he heard David had passed, he asked Pharoah to return to his own country. God raised up another adversary named Rezon who had fled from his Lord in Zobah. He became the leader of a raiding band who lived to the North of Israel [symbolizes compromised religion]. “So he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the evil that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram.” (25) Both these men with intense anger and hatred toward Israel, God had raised up to discipline Solomon for his drift from devotion to God. We need to distinguish adversaries that come from God lest we confuse the activities of God with our real enemies!
