And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.
The stirring up of an adversary came after Solomon had turned from God into complete apostasy and hardness of heart in transgression, erecting altars to heathen gods. Hadad the Edomite, the adversary thus raised, was of Edom's royal family, of the king's seed in Edom. God removed His protecting care and permitted adversaries, including Hadad, to harass and weaken the kingdom. Raising up Hadad was part of the announced judgment that Solomon's prosperity would end and he would no longer rule as Israel's universal monarch.
By this reproof and severe judgment, this terrible judgment and stern rebuke, God sought to arouse the king to realize the sinfulness of his course and of sin itself and to lead him to repentance. In infinite mercy God had not forsaken Solomon and had not utterly rejected him, even after such apostasy. The message of judgment awakened Solomon to his folly and gave him hope that God was ready to deliver him from the bondage of sin from which he could not free himself.
The stirring up of an adversary came after Solomon had turned from God into complete apostasy and hardness of heart in transgression, erecting altars to heathen gods. Hadad the Edomite, the adversary thus raised, was of Edom's royal family, of the king's seed in Edom. God removed His protecting care and permitted adversaries, including Hadad, to harass and weaken the kingdom. Raising up Hadad was part of the announced judgment that Solomon's prosperity would end and he would no longer rule as Israel's universal monarch.
By this reproof and severe judgment, this terrible judgment and stern rebuke, God sought to arouse the king to realize the sinfulness of his course and of sin itself and to lead him to repentance. In infinite mercy God had not forsaken Solomon and had not utterly rejected him, even after such apostasy. The message of judgment awakened Solomon to his folly and gave him hope that God was ready to deliver him from the bondage of sin from which he could not free himself.