1 Kings 12:25

1 Kings 12:25 says, Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.  Jeroboam began to build or fortify Shechem in Ephraim and Penuel in Gad, on the other side of the Jordan since he was not to rule out of Jerusalem.  He was including all of the tribes left for him to rule over.  God may call us to go and build a work in other places today, but that doesn't mean that He is not still at work where we have left.  Verse twenty-six adds, And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:  After this, Jeroboam asked rhetorically if the kingdom would now return to the house of David.  Matthew Henry says he was jealous of the people doing so and that building up these cities should encourage them to support him as king.  We can never build God's kingdom based on jealousy of others who are doing His work and still hope to be effective.  We must all work together.  Verse twenty-seven continues, If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.  Since the temple was in Jerusalem and Rehoboam was the ruler there, Jeroboam was afraid that when the people went to Jerusalem to worship God that they would follow Rehoboam and kill him.  He did not put a lot of faith in God and the fact that He had anointed him king over the ten tribes.  As followers of Christ, we should never be worried about those that God has placed us in a place of leadership over turning away to worship somewhere else.  If we are all following God's leadership, everything will be as God intends it to be.  Verse twenty-eight states, Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  I am not sure who Jeroboam took council from, but it was bad advice.  Since he was worried about the people going to Jerusalem to the temple to worship, he made two golden calves and proclaimed them the be the gods that had brought them out of Egypt.  Not only was he making idols, but he was attributing God's work in the past to them.  We as Christians can never allow anything other than God to be what we worship, and we certainly should never attempt to attribute what God has done to some false god.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.  He put one of the golden calves in Bethel and the other in Dan.  He did not have much faith in the people or in God, and he should have also known that God was not confined to one place.  Instead of creating false gods. he could have built places to worship the true God other than the temple.  We should never believe that God is confined to one particular place.  Verse thirty continues, And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.  These idols became a source of sin for the people as they started to worship them.  It is surprising how easily God's people were led to worship false gods.  As followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that He alone can bring salvation to us, and if anyone attempts to teach anything else, we must reject their teachings.  Verse thirty-one says, And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.  Jeroboam then made a house of worship in the high places, and ordained his own priests, who were not Levites and were called the lowest of people.  We cannot afford to place people in positions of leadership in the church today who have not been called by God to serve in that position.  Verse thirty-two adds, And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.  Jeroboam then made a feast that would be like the one in Judah, except without God's blessing and put his priests, who were not God's priests, in charge of the sacrifices.   Our worship services must be in accordance with God's will, and we can never allow false leaders to lead us away from worshipping Him alone.  Verse thirty-three continues, So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.  Jeroboam led the people in worshipping what he himself had created.  Again, we can never allow manmade things to become a part of our worship service, but as Christians, we must always keep God at the center of our worship services.

1 Kings 12:21

1 Kings 12:21 says, And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.  One-hundred-eighty thousand men of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin assembled to go to war against the rest of the people of Israel and bring them back under Rehoboam's rule.  They may have believed that it was God's will that they do so since Rehoboam was Solomon's son, but he was not willing to listen to the people.  Just because someone is the descendant of a leader in the church today doesn't make them automatically a replacement for them when they are old or die, especially if they are more concerned for themselves than they are for those they would be over.  Verse twenty-two adds, But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,  While they were assembled, God's word came to Shemaiah, a prophet of God.  The word did not come to Rehoboam himself, probably because he wasn't looking to God for direction.  As Christians, we should really never need someone else to come to us and tell us what God has to say.  Verse twenty-three continues, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,  God told Shemaiah to speak to Rehoboam and all the people of Judah and Benjamin.  Though we as Christians are told to go into all the world and share the gospel, at times God may give us a message for a specific group of people if they are about to do something outside of His will.  Still, it will always be consistent with His word if He does.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.  Shemaiah told them that God said they were not to go fight against their brethren, the people of Israel.  We as followers of Christ should never be fighting against our fellow believers, even if we do have different believes about who should be in charge in the church, as long as it is not inconsistent with God's word.  The people listened to God's word and went back home.  They had to believe in God and that Shemaiah was speaking His word to them.  If we listen to someone's direction today, we need to believe that they are speaking the truth of God, and to do that, we must first acknowledge God by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.     

1 Kings 12:16

1 Kings 12:16 says, So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.  When Rehoboam wouldn't listen to the people, they asked what did they have to do with the house of David. They said they had no inheritance with him.   Matthew Henry said they acted rashly in rejecting David, their great benefactor, as being no more than any other man and not God's anointed king whose descendants were to rule over them forever.  Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that promise, yet too many people see Him as just another man that they see no need to follow.  They left Rehoboam's rule.  Verse seventeen adds, But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.  Not all the people rejected Rehoboam, and the people of Judah followed him.  Jesus Christ will still divide people today, but He will never be a cruel Ruler, but will always want what is spiritually best for His followers.  Verse eighteen continues, Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam sent Adoram to collect the tribute, or taxes, and the people stoned him to death, so Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam was a descendant of David, but he wasn't following God's guidance, so he did not have God's protection.  We may be the descendant of some great man of God, but that does not mean that we are saved.  We must accept Jesus Christ in order to be saved, and then we should seek and follow His will for our life.  Verse nineteen states, So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  The people of Israel, ten tribes, rebelled against Rehoboam.  When things don't go as they want, too many people rebel against God today.  Even though at times we may not be certain which earthly ruler to endorse, we can always be certain that we should follow Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty adds, And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.  Matthew Henry points out that the people of Israel did not call on Jeroboam to be king until Rehoboam fled.  He says had Rehoboam been willing to listen to the people and treat them with respect that they would likely have accepted him as king, but he didn't.  He ran away instead, in spite of his talk of ruling even more harshly than Solomon had.  When Jesus Christ calls us to follow Him, we can be certain that He will always want what is best for us, and He will never desert us.

1 Kings 12:1

1 Kings 12:1 says, And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.  Rehoboam went to Shechem and all the people went there as well to make him king.  Evidently, the fact that God had chosen Jeroboam to be king of most of Israel was not a well-known fact.  When we select leaders in the church today, we need to make sure that they are the person that God has chosen.  Who their parents were should not be a determining factor.  Verse two adds, And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)  Jeroboam heard that Rehoboam was to be anointed king while he was still in Egypt.  We need to know what is being done in God's name today wherever we may be.  Verse three continues, That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,  The people of Israel, or at least most of them, went with Jeroboam to speak to Rehoboam.  They didn't just come and say they weren't going to follow him but presented him with an option if they were going to.  If someone is going to be placed in a position of authority in the church today, I believe that we need to make sure that they are following God's will and doing what is best for the church as a whole and not just looking for a position of power and self-glorification.  Verse four continues, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.  They told Rehoboam that Solomon had made their yoke heavy and asked that he make it lighter if they were going to serve him as their king.  I believe that those in power today should be working to make the burdens of Christians lighter and not heavier.  Verse five concludes, And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.  Rehoboam told them to go away for three days and then he would give them his answer.  At least he was taking the time to consider what he was going to do.  We today should always take the time to consider our actions before we take them, and as Christians, we should always seek God's guidance before we take any action.  Verse six states, And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?  Though we aren't told that Rehoboam prayed about the situation, he did consult with the old men who had served Solomon about what he should do.  Of course, as Christians, the first thing we should do if we have a decision to make, whether about a personal issue or an issue with the church, is to pray about it, but then we would also be wise to consult with those who are older Christians and ask their advice.  Verse seven adds, And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.  These older men told Rehoboam that if he would be a servant to the people of Israel and would treat them fairly that they would be his servants forever.  As followers of Christ, He is our King and we can be certain that He will always do what is best for us spiritually as long as we are following Him, so we should always serve Him faithfully.  Verse eight continues, But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:  Rehoboam did not listen to the old men because they didn't tell him what he wanted to hear.  Some people in power today are not going to listen to anyone who tells them that they are there to serve the people and not to enrich or glorify themselves.  Verse nine says, And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?  He then asked what the young men would advise him to tell the people who said that he needed to lighten the yoke that Solomon his father had put on them.  Leaders in the church today should not put a heavy burden on the people that they are supposed to serve in order to support a luxurious lifestyle or even to support a luxurious building that really should not be there just as a showplace.  Verse ten adds, And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.  The young men who grew up with Rehoboam then joined in, telling him to tell the people that the yoke Solomon had placed on them was going to be light compared to what he was going to do.  We may get advice from younger people that is not consistent with what the church is supposed to be about.  This is not to say that younger people are always wrong, but sometimes they can be more self-centered.  Verse eleven continues, And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  The young men continued to tell Rehoboam to tell the people that he was going to be even more oppressive to them than Solomon had been.  At least they were advising him to be honest about his intentions.  He would have had better success by promising them that he would ease their burden and then increasing it after he was established in power.  Sometimes, would be leaders today will promise us that things are going to be better for us if they are in power than they are now, but they really aren't concerned as much about all the people as they are about themself and their friends.  So, the people of Israel should at least be thankful that Rehoboam was advised to be truthful with them.  Verse twelve states, So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.  After three days, Jeroboam and the people of Israel came to Rehoboam again for his answer.  We need to remember that Jeroboam had already been anointed by God to be the king of ten tribes of Israel, but he didn't come making that claim to power.  Like David with Saul, he was not just assuming the position that God had appointed him to without any respect for Rehoboam who could have believed that he was the rightful king.  Still, if God has called us to a position, we need to fill that position as soon as He tells us to, and God had already told Jeroboam that the majority of the kingdom was being taken away from Rehoboam and given to him.  Verse thirteen adds, And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;  Rehoboam answered the people roughly while rejecting the advice of the old men.  I believe he was acting out of arrogance and self-pride, and we still encounter leaders and would be leaders who act the same way today.  Verse fourteen continues, And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  Rehoboam followed the advice of the young men, once again we should notice without seeking God's guidance in the matter.  We as Christians can never afford to act without seeking God's guidance first.  Verse fifteen concludes, Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  Though God was credited with Rehoboam's answer to fulfill a prophesy, I believe that He just knew what was in Rehoboam's heart or nature.  I don't believe that God ever causes people to act outside His will, but He will always allow them to do so.  

1 Kings 11:34

1 Kings 11:34 says, Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:  After God told Jeroboam that He was going to give him ten tribes to rule over, He then said that He was not going to take the whole kingdom from Solomon's descendants because they were descendants of David also and David had remained true to Him.  Of course, we cannot be saved because of our parent's faithfulness to God.  Verse thirty-five adds, But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.  Even though God wasn't going to take the whole kingdom from Solomon's descendants, He was going to give the majority to Jeroboam.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never have our place in His kingdom taken away from us, but if we allow sin back into our life, we may have the gifts that He was going to bless us with in this world taken away and given to someone who is obedient to Him.  Verse thirty-six continues, And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.  God also said that He was going to give Solomon's descendants one tribe that included Jerusalem, because David was to always have a descendant on the throne.  This promise was fulfilled with Jesus Christ and the promise is no longer about a physical location but is about the attitude of a person toward Jesus Christ.  We can either accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, or we will forever be outside the Kingdom of God.  Verse thirty-seven states, And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.  God promised Jeroboam that He would make him the king over most of Israel and he would reign according to his heart's desire.  I believe this meant in accordance with Jeroboam's covenant relationship with God, which should have led him to desire what God wanted for Jeroboam himself and the people of Israel.  I do know that once we become a Christian that we are not promised whatever we may selfishly desire but are only promised what we need to accomplish God's work.  I don't believe that God is ever going to just give us whatever we want just to fulfill our own desires, though some people may preach and teach that.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.  We have the "if" that comes with God's promises quite often.  In order for God to make Israel great under Jeroboam as it was under David, he had to be obedient to God.  If God is going to make us a great Christian or a great Christian nation, we must be obedient to His commandments.  We are not saved by keeping His commandments, but once we are saved, that does not mean that we can ignore them.  God's Laws will last forever.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.  God also said that He would afflict the descendants of David, but not forever.  Even though the earthly kingdom may never have been totally restored to a descendant of David, God's promise to him that one of his descendants would always rule over Israel, God's chosen people, was fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, will rule forever over God's chosen people, which includes everyone who puts their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse forty says, Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.  Much like Saul with David, when Solomon became aware that Jeroboam had been chosen to be the next king, he attempted to kill him.  Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live had not only started worshipping other gods, but he was attempting to defy God's plan for Israel.  We may have all the wisdom in the world, but if we do not come to Jesus Christ by faith, we are the dumbest of people.  Also, like David with Saul, Jeroboam had to flee until Solomon died.  Like David, Jeroboam didn't just immediately attempt to claim the throne.  We as followers of Christ are called on to spread the gospel to the world, but that doesn't mean that people of the world will always welcome us.  As a matter of fact, they may attempt to kill us to silence us forever.  Still, we must continue to live by faith in God no matter what.  Verse forty-one adds, And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?  Evidently, there was a book written about all the acts of Solomon that we do not have.  I believe this is because this book likely focused on Solomon and not God's work through Solomon.  I also believe that the things we do that are not for God's glory will also never be remembered.  Verse forty-two continues, And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.  Solomon had ruled for forty years, during which time Israel was basically at peace and prosperous, but for all his wisdom, Solomon had strayed away from God and started worshipping other gods.  Even if we were to be in a time of peace and prosperity today, we must never stray away from God and start worshipping other gods. which can be anything that becomes more important to us than God.  Verse forty-three concludes, And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.  Solomon died and was buried with David, and his son Rehoboam ruled in his place.  Once again, as with Saul and David, we would have a man appointed king, Rehoboam, and a God appointed king, Jeroboam.  Today, as Christians, we can have only one King, and that is Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 11:26

1 Kings 11:26 says, And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.  Not only did Solomon have enemies outside of the kingdom of Israel, but he had enemies within as well.  It is bad enough to have enemies outside the church, but we need to pray that we don't start fighting with one another as Christians.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.  Jeroboam went against Solomon because Solomon had built Millo and repaired the breaches in Jerusalem, the city of David, his father.  Since Jeroboam was of the tribe of Ephraim, he may have believed that Solomon was doing too much in other parts of the country and not in Ephraim, but Matthew Henry says that Jeroboam being in charge of the building there believed that Solomon was abusing the people of Israel for his own gain.  Whatever the reason, he began to oppose Solomon and we will see later that God endorsed this, but we as Christians cannot afford to start opposing other Christians and still be effective in doing God's work.  Of course, we could make the point that Solomon was not doing God's work by this time, and if those who profess to be God's people begin to teach and follow things against God's will, we need to oppose them.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.  Solomon saw that Jeroboam was a young man of valor, so he put him in charge of the house of Joseph, or Ephraim and Manasseh.  Even if someone is young and a hard worker today, it may not mean that they are the best person to put in charge in the church.  Sometimes, they may think that they are more important than the people who appoint them.  Of course, this doesn't mean that Jeroboam felt that way.  Verse twenty-nine states, And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:  When Jeroboam was out of Jerusalem, Ahijah from Shiloh found him, and they were alone in a field.  Matthew Henry says that the people of Shiloh had not deserted God and He had raised up a prophet from there.  God will never be without those who follow Him as long as this world stands.  Verse thirty adds, And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:  Ahijah took Rehoboam's new garment and tore it in twelve pieces.  I don't know how Rehoboam felt about this, but if God destroys something we own today to get our attention, I wonder if we would be upset about it or if we would look to God to see what He is telling us.  Verse thirty-one continues, And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:  Ahijah told Jeroboam to take ten take pieces, and that represented God taking ten tribes from Solomon and giving them to him.  So, we see that Jeroboam was not just acting out of his own self-will, but was appointed by God, as hopefully new people who take over God's work in the church today will be.  Verse thirty-two says, (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)  Ahijah said that God was going to leave Solomon with one tribe for David's sake.  God never went back on His promise to David, and He will never go back on His promises to us today as long as we fulfill our part of the covenant with Him and always put our faith in following Jesus Christ, Who is the fulfillment of God's promise to David.  Verse thirty-three adds, Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.  God said He was doing this because the people of Israel had not remained true to Him under Solomon's reign, but they had started following other gods.  We cannot be a follower of Christ and follow after other gods at the same time.  

1 Kings 11:14

1 Kings 11:14 says, And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.  Since Solomon was worshipping other gods, the God of Israel, the only real God that there is, stirred up enemies against him.  Matthew Henry says it was Hadad and Rezon and that they could have been no threat to Solomon as long as he remained faithful to God.  If we as followers of Christ allow false gods back into our life today, we can be certain that God is going to stop blessing us and may even allow us to suffer at the hands of our enemies.  Verse fifteen adds, For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;  We are then referred to a time in David's rule.  The things that have been done to people in the past may affect their relationship with other groups of people today, especially those who they feel they were wronged by are Christians.  Verse sixteen continues, (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)  During David's reign, Joab had gone to Edom and remained there for six months until every male was killed.  This could certainly lead to bad feelings about Israel on the part of those who remained or grew up afterward.  I know that many times in the Old Testament that the people of Israel were called on to kill all the inhabitants already in the Promised Land, but this is not our calling as to how to treat our enemies today.  We are called on to reach out to them with love and the gospel.  Verse seventeen concludes, That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.  When Joab was killing all the men of Edom, Hadad was a young child and fled to Egypt along with some of his father's servants.  We can be certain that this would have likely inspired a hatred of the people of Israel in him.  If we as Christians mistreat those of a particular group people today, we can be fairly certain that their descendants are going to dislike if not outright hate Christians.  This is one reason that we should treat all people fairly with a Godlike love.  Veres eighteen states, And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.  Hadad began to gather an army and went to Pharoah in Egypt and asked for his help, and Pharoah first gave him a place to stay and food to eat.  We also know that the enemies of God today often support other enemies of God.  Verse nineteen adds, And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.  Pharoah liked Hadad so much that he gave him his wife's sister as his wife.  This made him a brother-in-law to Pharoah.  Though we don't hear of it too often anymore if ever, there was a time when a man and a woman who were considered a part of royal families would marry to increase the strength of both families.  Of course, we cannot grow God's kingdom by marrying non-believers, no matter how important they may be in the world.  This does not keep the people of the world from seeking alliances with other groups to fight against Christians though by whatever means necessary.  Veres twenty continues, And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.  Hadad's son grew up in the household of Pharoah like one of his own sons.  There was indeed a close bond between Hadad and Pharoah, just as there are often close bonds between the enemies of God today, whether they feel like family or not.  Of course, we as followers of Christ should have that same close bond with our fellow Christians, but they will never be our children spiritually, but will be our brothers and sisters.  Verse twenty-one says, And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.  After hearing that David and Joab were dead, Hadad asked Pharoah for permission to return to his own country.  Hadad may have believed that David and Joab were the powers behind the victories of Israel, but it was God, and He certainly wasn't dead.  We need to make sure that as Christians we always let people know that God is the source of our victories, and that like Him, our faith in Him will never die.  Verse twenty-two adds, Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.  Pharoah asked Hadad what he had lacked while living in Egypt and he said nothing but asked Pharoah to let him go to his own country anyway.  People of the world may be thriving where they are but not be satisfied.  I don't believe anyone can ever be satisfied by what this world has to offer if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Of course, those who do have this personal relationship with Him should be content with whatever God blesses them with in this lifetime.  Verse twenty-three states, And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:  As stated earlier, Hadad and Rezon were both going to be used by God to punish Solomon.  We can debate whether God actually empowered them of just removed His protective hand from Solomon, and I believe the latter to be true.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.  Matthew Henry says that even though the Syrians had been defeated by David, that Solomon grew careless about dealing with them and Rezon began to rule in Damascus once more.  We may defeat sin in our lives today by the power of God, but we cannot become careless in dealing with sin in the future.  Verse twenty-five continues, And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.  Rezon was an adversary of Solomon for all of Solomon's reign besides what Hadad was doing.  Some groups of people have been adversaries of Christians their whole lives, and unless we reach them with the gospel and they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, they always will be.