Connect 1 Kings 11:14 with other instances of God raising adversaries in Scripture. Today’s Focus Verse “Then the LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite, a royal descendant of Edom, as an adversary against Solomon.” (1 Kings 11:14) Tracing the Pattern: Other Times God “Raised Up” Opponents • Judges 2:14-15 – After Israel’s idolatry, “He handed them over to raiders who plundered them.” • Judges 3:8 – “The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-Rishathaim.” • Judges 3:12 – “The LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel.” • Judges 4:2 – “The LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan.” • 1 Kings 11:23 – “God raised up Rezon… as an adversary against Solomon.” • 2 Kings 24:1-2 – Because of Judah’s sin, “the LORD sent against him Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders.” • Isaiah 10:5-6 – “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger… I send him against a godless nation.” • Habakkuk 1:6 – “I am raising up the Chaldeans, that ruthless and impetuous nation.” • Jeremiah 25:9 – “I will summon… My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land.” Common Threads to Notice • Covenant disloyalty precedes every divinely raised adversary (Deuteronomy 28:25, 49). • God never loses control; even hostile powers are tools in His hand (Proverbs 21:1). • Each judgment has a corrective aim—driving His people back to wholehearted obedience (2 Chronicles 7:13-14). How 1 Kings 11 Fits the Pattern • Solomon’s compromise (1 Kings 11:4-8) parallels Israel’s later apostasies in Judges and Kings. • Hadad, Rezon, and ultimately Jeroboam serve as disciplinary instruments, fulfilling God’s word to tear the kingdom (1 Kings 11:11-13). • The episode previews larger exiles: what begins with localized adversaries ends generations later with Assyria and Babylon. Takeaways for Today • God’s sovereignty is comprehensive; He can raise up blessing or opposition to accomplish His will (Daniel 2:21). • Persisting in sin invites God-ordained resistance, whether personal or national (James 4:6). • Returning to wholehearted faithfulness restores fellowship and protection (Psalm 34:15-17; Zechariah 1:3). |
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