Solomon And The Queen Of Sheba

What we know from the life of Solomon is that he was very wise, thanks to God. People of all the earth went to great lengths to see and talk to him. They paid for the privilege to see Solomon. Most of them also delivered up to him much gold, spices, and other priceless gifts. Wherever he went big crowds would being to form around him, much like what happened with Jesus. Now make note of this, for if he didn’t have the wisdom of God in him, he would not have become this type of person. One such person that came to visit Solomon was the queen of Sheba. Just like the kings of the earth, she ¹“heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, 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: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, 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, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.” (1 Kings 10:1-5) This means that she was absolutely blown away. She had high hopes in Solomon and everything she thought of him was exceeded. This was all because of God working in Solomon, by giving him this abundant amount of wisdom.

It was after she had listened to Solomon that ¹“she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.” (1 Kings 10:6-10) ¹“And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.” (1 Kings 10:13) And the most important part of her entire meeting with Solomon was her coming to the Lord God. She said, ¹“blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever.” (1 Kings 10:9) Wow! This one conversion is the tipping point of this entire chapter. It is not about all the gold and what Solomon did with it, but that the queen of Sheba gained her faith in God because of her encounter with Solomon. Praise the Lord God.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that I might continue to be a light unto the world. That people will see the wisdom that You have instilled in me and desire to hear the good news of the gospel. I know that at times I have gone overboard in my way of evangelism on the streets and my style of writing and I am sorry. I know that people will never be converted and know that You are God unless I begin to speak and write with Your words flowing out of my mouth and as I type. Even my actions should be Your actions and not my own. So please instill in me a better way to reach people for the kingdom. Help me know exactly who is ready to hear the gospel and who is not as well. I know that there will be times when I am just asked to preach open air. So I pray that in these moments that at least one person will hear the gospel message of the cross and resurrection and then come to know You as their personal Savior. There is so much I wish to tell the world about the salvation that comes only from You, Jesus. You are the rock upon which I stand, even a firm foundation. Death and hell cannot take me down any longer, for You are my King and my Shepherd. I’ve heard Your voice and am ready to do Your will above anything else. Call my name and I will respond. Use me for Your hands and feet, for I am excited to help You win souls for Your kingdom. You are the way to eternal life, Lord, and I wish that more people would also come to know this. Then, they would also desire to live their lives fully for You and no longer for their own flesh. That they would repent of their sins and be converted. May Your blood cover these lost souls, that they may be forgiven. Even the people that have drifted off from the righteous path, draw them back in. Heal them through Your blood, which was shed for the sins of the world. I love You, Jesus. I glorify Your Name. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

1 Kings 10

¹1 Kings 10 (KJV)
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
21 And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.