Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 11:9-13

There was a Quote From a Very Famous Movie about Batman, Called:

The Dark Knight

There was a Character in the Movie Who was a Great, Stand-Up Guy

But Some Terrible Things Happen to Him…

Which Leads Him to Choose the Path of Evil

The Quote Comes From Him After He Becomes a Bad Guy

“You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Villain”

Now, that Statement is Not Absolute

People can Remain Good, Righteous, and Faithful Over a Lifetime

But that Statement Sure Does have a Lot of Evidence to Back it Up

There’s Hardly a Better Example Than David

Had He Died Young, He would have Died a Hero

But Over Time, He Became More and More Like a Villain

The Only Person Who Surpasses David in that Area is His Son Solomon

Under His Reign, Israel was Heaven on Earth/Paradise

But Over Time, He Became a Horrible Villain

And that’s What Our Text is Going to Show Us Tonight

1 Kings 11:9-43

Last Time, We Saw Solomon Go Off the Deep End into Sin

Every Single Thing God Commanded the Kings of His People Not to Do…

Solomon Did

Now God is Going to Tear the Kingdom Away From Him

Solomon will Remain King Over All of Israel for His Lifetime…

But When He Dies, the Kingdom will Be Divided

David’s Lineage will No Longer Rule Over All of Israel

The Rest of Chapter 11 is So Interesting

Because of Solomon’s Sin…

God is Going to Raise Up 3 Adversaries Against Solomon

The Reason that’s Interesting is Because…

The Stories of These 3 Adversaries…

Are Going to Sound Very Familiar to Us

And that’s Exactly What the Author Wants Us to Notice

We Noticed Last Week that Solomon and Israel…

Were Beginning to Look More Like Pharaoh and Egypt

God’s People (the Heroes) have Become the Villains

That Same Idea is Made Loud and Clear in this Passage

We’re Going to Start Reading in Verse 14

1 Kings 11:14–22 (NASB95)

14 Then the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal line in Edom. 15 For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck down every male in Edom 16 (for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, while Hadad was a young boy.

18 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 and assigned him food and gave him land. 19 Now Hadad found great favor before Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore his son Genubath, 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, “Send me away, that I may go to my own country.” 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you are seeking to go to your own country?” And he answered, “Nothing; nevertheless you must surely let me go.”

The 1st Adversary God Raised Up Against Solomon was:

Hadad the Edomite

Did You Notice Any Familiar Information About Hadad?

His Life Mirrored Israel’s History

What God was Doing with Hadad…

He had Already Done with Israel

Hadad Fled to Egypt While He was a Young Boy…

To Escape Annihilation at the Hands of David and Joab

Jacob and His Whole Family Escaped Annihilation By a Famine…

By “Fleeing” to Egypt

Pharaoh Took in Hadad and Provided for Him

Joseph and Baby Moses were Taken in By Pharaoh and Provided for

Because of Joseph, Pharaoh Gave Israel Food and Their Own Land

Hadad Found Favor is Pharaoh’s Sight…

And Married the Sister of Pharaoh’s Wife

Joseph Found Favor in Pharaoh’s Sight…

And Married an Egyptian as Well

Hadad’s Son would Grow Up in Pharaoh’s Household

Moses Grew Up in Pharaoh’s Household

Once Hadad Learns of David and Joab’s Deaths…

He Asked Pharaoh to Let Him Go and Return to His Own Land…

Where He will Be an Adversary to Israel

Moses Asked Pharaoh to Let the People of Israel Go…

So They could Go Take the Land From the Canaanites

Everything God is Causing Hadad to Experience…

Is What God has Already Caused Israel to Experience

Why?

Because the Author Wants Us to See Hadad…

As the New Moses/Israel

And that Means Solomon/Israel…

Are the New Wicked Canaanites in Need of Judgment

1 Kings 11:23–25 (NASB95)

23 God also raised up another adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 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.

The 2nd Adversary God Raised Up Against Solomon was:

Rezon

Did You Notice Any Familiar Information About Rezon?

His Life Mirrored the Early Life of David

He Fled From His Master, the King…

Like David Fled From Saul

While on the Run, He Gathers an Army of Outcasts…

Like David Did While He was on the Run

Then He Eventually Becomes King in Damascus, Syria…

Where He Became an Adversary to King Solomon

Again, the Author is Comparing Rezon to the Faithful King David…

And He Wants Us to See Solomon as the Enemy of the David-Figure

Again, Solomon/Israel are Viewed as the Bad Guys

1 Kings 11:26–40 (NASB95)

26 Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. 27 Now this was the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of his father David.

28 Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29 It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field.

30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 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 give you ten tribes 32 (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.

34 ‘Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. 36 ‘But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. 37 ‘I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel.

38 ‘Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 ‘Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.’ ” 40 Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

The 3rd Adversary God Raised Up Against Solomon was:

Jeroboam

Did You Notice Any Familiar Information About Jeroboam?

His Rise to Power Mirrored David’s Rise to Power

Jeroboam Served Under Solomon…

Just as David Served Under Saul

Ahijah the Prophet Meets with Jeroboam and Tells Him He will Be King…

Just Like Samuel Met with David and Anointed Him as King

Ahijah the Prophet Symbolizes the Rise of Jeroboam…

By Ripping a Part of His Robe in 12 Pieces

Samuel Told Saul that the Kingdom was Being Ripped From Him…

It was Symbolized By the Ripping of Samuel’s Robe

Once Solomon Learns that Jeroboam was Designated to Be King Over Israel…

Solomon Tried to Kill Jeroboam

When Saul Found Out that David had Been Anointed as the Next King…

Saul Tried to Kill David

God Promises Jeroboam that He will Build Him a House/Dynasty…

Where His Descendants will Remain on the Throne of Israel…

If He will Remain Faithful

God Made this Same Promise to David

Again, the Author Wants Us to View Jeroboam as David…

And Solomon as Saul

The Author Wants Us to See that the Great, Righteous, and Wise King Solomon…

Has Now Become the Wicked and Evil Villain of the Story

And God is Raising Up Unlikely Heroes to Oppose Him

We’ve Seen the Amazing Rise of Solomon

And Now We’re Seeing His Terrible Fall

The Chapter Ends with Solomon’s Death…

And His Son Rehoboam Taking His Place on the Throne

Application

“You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Villain”

That Statement Proved Absolutely True for Solomon

But it Doesn’t have to Prove True for Us

Jesus has Shown Us a Better Way

Life-Long Faithful Obedience to Him is Possible

But We have to Keep Our Eyes on Him

He was/is Our Hero

He’s Shown Us the Way

All We Must Do is Follow His Lead

Study and Grow in the Knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus

Get Familiar with His Teachings and Commit Yourself to Them

If You Mess Up, Fall Down, Commit Sin…

That’s Okay!

Get Up and Keep Striving

His Grace is Abundant as Long as We’re Trying to Grow in Our Obedience/Faithfulness

Don’t Worry About Dying a Hero

Jesus is the One and Only Hero

But Don’t Allow Yourself to Become the Villain

The Longer We Live shouldn’t Negatively Impact Our Faithfulness

The Longer We Live, the More Faithful We should Become

With Each Passing Day…

Our Love for and Faith in Him should Grow

But that isn’t Going to Happen By Accident