1 Kings 11:14 – 25 “Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father.
Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.
There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife. And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh.
When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”
But Pharaoh asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?”
“Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go.”
And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So, Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.”
God has already warned Solomon several times to change, and Solomon has refused. Finally, God tells Solomon, “Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
Joab, the commander of David’s army was blood – thirsty, unreliable, and a diplomatic disaster. Joab was very fond of slaughtering people and evidently had engaged in wholesale carnage in Edom. Hadad was from the royal family of Edom and had escaped to Egypt as a young boy. Hadad made such an impression on Pharaoh that Pharaoh gave him his sister – in – law as a wife and wanted to keep Hadad around the court. Remember that Solomon’s first wife was Pharaoh’s daughter. Either this is the same Pharaoh or his son, and he might have become highly insulted when Solomon chose to take a huge number of wives and concubines, thereby depriving his daughter or sister of her position in court and possibly her conjugal rights. This alliance with Israel has not worked out as Pharaoh anticipated. Now Hadad is grown and learns that both David and Joab are dead. Hadad wants to return to Edom.
Rezon escaped from Zobah when David was killing the Zobaites. Collecting a band of raiders, Rezon settled in Damascus, where he took over, using Damascus as a base for his raids on Israel. Now Solomon has two vicious enemies out for revenge.
While Solomon is busy accumulating as much wealth as possible and collecting tribute, both Hadad and Rezon are harassing Israel. Things might be going smoothly for Solomon, insulated as he is in his palace; however, Israelites in border areas are suffering from repeated raids and are becoming fed up. God is trying to get Solomon’s attention, but Solomon is not heeding these warnings at all.
APPLICATION: The story of Solomon is a very sad one. Gifted beyond all measure, Solomon might have demonstrated God’s holiness, His righteousness, and His purity. Instead, Solomon has squandered God’s gifts and has even used much of this wealth to build temples to demonic gods. While God has promised Solomon that He would establish Solomon’s kingdom if Solomon would serve Him, Solomon has not kept his side of the bargain. Now God is raising up enemies who harass Solomon and Israel for the remainder of Solomon’s reign. The resentment aroused in the average Israelite is growing daily.
What can we learn from this part of Solomon’s story? Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” If Solomon was following God’s dictates, God would have kept Hadad in Egypt and Rezon would go raid somewhere else. As it is, God is already laying the groundwork for the eventual rejection of Solomon’s son Rehoboam by most of the Israelites.
Sometimes we want to blame God when things are not going well for us. But our first action should be to check our own hearts. Are we really doing what God wants us to do, or are we doing our own will in God’s name? While it is true that we might have to suffer for the sake of righteousness, we had best be certain that we are really on God’s side and not merely on our own. There is no record that Solomon repented at any point when Hadad and Rezon began harassing Israel. God had no further conversations with Solomon, nor did He send any prophets either. Solomon had chosen his own way, and God was allowing him to reap the results. May God help us so that we do not wind up like Solomon!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen carefully to Your voice and to obey, never wavering. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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