Titus 2 Men And Women

The Queen of Sheba
By Teddi Neevel

1Kings 3:11-14, 2 Chronicles 9:1-12

Setting the scene: Solomon was anointed King to reign in David’s place. Solomon felt he was unworthy to be king…he was humbled by the thought that God had chosen him. Remember that this monarchy passing to the oldest son was new to him. Solomon was the first son to inherit the throne from his father. Solomon went and sacrificed to God until God asked him what he wanted. Then Solomon asked God for “understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad:” (1Kings 3:9)

God replied by giving Solomon wisdom. Lets read 1 Kings 3:11-14

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

There are two countries that claim the queen of Sheba was their queen. There are many legends and old tales about the Queen of Sheba and her remarkable beauty but the Bible is silent about her country and her physical attributes. So why is she mentioned at all in the Bible?

I want you to imagine what it would be like to have all the money you could possibly want. Servants to wait on you. People jumping to serve you and thanking you for the privilege. Never having to wash your own hair, wash a dish or do the laundry. Your clothes are always fresh and clean, immaculately ironed. And if you should need to have your feet rubbed, not only will there be someone available to rub your feet, they will wash them and massage them with scented oils.

You are the Queen! You are in charge of everything, in your house and in the country. Then one day your merchant caravan returns from a long journey and reports that there is a new King in Israel. This King is so smart that it is amazing. Why, they say there has never been anyone as smart as he is! A boy wonder, a genius, another Einstein, except of course in the Queen of Sheba’s day the first Einstein hadn’t been born yet.

What do these merchants know? They must be exaggerating. No one is as smart as they say this new King Solomon is. After hearing the stories from repeated merchants and travelers, the Queen makes a decision. She will load her camels with gold and spices and go to see this King Solomon.

Remember, in those days caravans were used for international commerce. A caravan took time to get together and would involve hundreds of people, camels, food, water, merchants and their personal fighting men. Caravans were constantly being attacked and robbed. Caravans needed to be equipped with not only the merchandize but also with everything they would need to sustain life as they spent months…sometimes years traveling. The queen had plenty of time to think as she made her journey. She made a mental list of all the hard questions that no one had ever been able to answer for her. The queen was determined that she would know the answers if the answers were knowable.

The queen of Sheba went to Solomon with gifts…with what she had to offer him…and with the questions she wanted him to answer. She asked serious questions and listened to the answers. She discerned that his answers were both wise and just. She also saw that accepting that wisdom and justice brought happiness and she praised God for it.

2Ch 9:1-12 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(Psalms 90:12)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
(Psalms 111:10)

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
(Psalms 19:7-10)

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he {Steven} spake.
(Acts 6:10)

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-16)

Be the Queen of Sheba!

Remember the verse we read earlier in 1 Kings?
1Ki 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

We often become overwhelmed with the day-to-day stuff of life and forget that God gave Solomon wisdom that no other man has ever had. We can be just like the Queen of Sheba…we can go to Solomon for his God given wisdom. You see Solomon’s wisdom for life is found in the Bible in the book of Proverbs. We can daily bring to the Lord the gifts we have for His use and we can ask our questions of life and living.

And he (Solomon) spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
(1 Kings 4:32)

It is interesting that there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs…one for each day of the month. I would like to encourage you this week to seek the wisdom of God as recorded by Solomon in the book of Proverbs.

Read a chapter of Proverbs each day and write a verse from the chapter that is a point of wisdom for you to claim.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
(Proverbs 1:1-8)

As we seek God’s wisdom that was given first to Solomon we must remember that education without understanding is often futile knowledge. As we read and learn the words of wisdom we need to ask the Lord for understanding to apply the wisdom properly.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
(Proverbs 4:7)

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