1 Kings 11:14-25 ESV
14 And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom. 15 For when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he struck down every male in Edom 16 (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom). 17 But Hadad fled to Egypt, together with certain Edomites of his father's servants, Hadad still being a little child. 18 They set out from Midian and came to Paran and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him an allowance of food and gave him land. 19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. 20 And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept 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 But Pharaoh said to him, “What have you lacked with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?” And he said to him, “Only let me depart.”

23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria.

THE ADVERSARIES.
Hadad from Edom and Rezon from Syria were adversaries to King Solomon and his kingdom. They sought to disrupt the peace that Solomon had established in his kingdom at all times.

God had ‘raised the adversary up.’ That is, God had permitted them to vex Solomon. Although, evils are tolerated in this world but they will be finally judged someday. As the psalmist wrote, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.”[Psa 76:10]
Hadad as a little child had escaped to Egypt, where he grew. Having found favor with Pharaoh, he was given by Pharaoh’s wife Tahpenes to become his wife. In other words, he had gained power in Pharaoh with time. The time came that David passed away and he requested to go back to his own country, Edom.

Both Hadad and Rezon was kept at bay because of David. However, they surfaced after David’s demise. Like Hadad, our flesh would jump in when the Spirit is not in control. There is no vaccuum. The dynamics of this tug-of-war is articulated by Paul, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” [Gal 5:16-17]

And as Rezon with his marauding band, conducted ambushes, our ‘adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.’[1 Pet 5:8] Let’s not be slack therefore, for he is lurking to jump at us at our unguarded moments. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.”[Eph 5:15]

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