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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.
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