No 7

(The Queen of Sheba)

When Solomon reigned over the whole of Israel, royalty from other countries came to witness, for themselves, the vast wisdom of this son of David. One of the many visitors that came to see God’s chosen king was the Queen of Sheba. Sheba or Seba was located in Southern Arabia and had become a monarchy before the days of Solomon; they were Semites and they carried on trade in spices. The Bible says in 1 Kings 10:1 “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.” and in 2 Chronicles 9:9 “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”. She was very impressed at Solomon’s wisdom and his ability to apply this wisdom to life. Some commentators say that she was no different than other dignitaries who came seeking trade and military alliance with this powerful Jewish king. I believe that we should look further than this in her visit for two good reasons: 1) Of all the visitors Solomon received, she is the only one that is mentioned in the Bible 2) Jesus spoke of her also; He called her “the queen of the South”. In Matthew 12:42b, Jesus was chastising the Pharisees because they requested a sign from Him and He said to them “for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” The queen of Sheba was astounded at Solomon’s wisdom but she also realized that this wisdom came from the God of Israel because she said in 1 Kings 10:9 “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.” When she returned to her country she undoubtedly told her countrymen of the God of Solomon. The Queen of Sheba’s visit is a clear picture of what Israel’s position will be like when Messiah rules on the throne of David. One day, Israel will be the head, not the tail. “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:3