When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.
1 Kings 10:1 (NIV)
Read: 1 Kings 10:1-13
Consider: Today, we read of the visit the Queen of Sheba made to Jerusalem, specifically to meet with Solomon. Back in her own country she had heard of Solomon and the talking point would have been his wisdom and knowledge, together with his wealth. You may think this was an isolated visit, but if we turn back to 1 Kings 4 we read: From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:34). We see from this that Solomon’s fame spread far and wide and this led to many people coming to Jerusalem to meet with him. Of all these visitors the Bible recounts the visit by the Queen of Sheba.
We read that the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem to: ‘… test Solomon with hard questions’ (1 Kings 10:1). This does make me wonder what ‘hard’ questions she wished to put to him. Perhaps she was interested to know how he had acquired such wisdom? When I re-read today’s passage I discovered something that I hadn’t noticed before. While the Queen of Sheba was drawn to Solomon because she had heard of his fame – his great wealth and wisdom, she had also heard of ‘… his relationship to the Lord …’ (10:1). Solomon’s fame was not just because of his wisdom and wealth, but also because of his relationship with God. You can imagine the questions she could put to Solomon about God and why he believed and trusted in him. This is the link between Solomon’s wisdom and his relationship with God. We read earlier in 1 Kings: God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt (4:29-30). Solomon would not have been reluctant to acknowledge that God was the source of his wisdom and knowledge.
Listen to what the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon: ‘The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard’ (10:6-7). Here was someone who did not just listen to the reports she had heard when in her own country, she was prepared to travel to Jerusalem to find out for herself.
Did you notice that when the Queen of Sheba was speaking about her visit, although she emphasised Solomon’s great wealth and wisdom she ended by praising the Lord? We are told: ‘Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness’ (10:9).
How would you like to be remembered? What will people say about you after you have died? Will they say that you were someone whose life was purely focused on material things, or someone whose life clearly spoke of their relationship with the Lord?
Pray: Father, we see in Solomon someone whose life spoke of wisdom and wealth, but also that he acknowledged the source of these was you. You blessed Solomon with wisdom and knowledge, that led to the Queen of Sheba visiting Jerusalem to see for herself. May our lives be built on our relationship with you and may we be remembered as people of the Lord. Amen
Every blessing
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