Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
Ch. 1Ki 10:1-13. The Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon (2Ch 9:1-12)
1. Now when the queen of Sheba heard ] The ‘Sheba’, of which the queen is here mentioned, was that part of Arabia spoken of in the note on the last verse of the preceding chapter. It embraced the greater part of Arabia Felix. Josephus and many Jewish writers represent her as the queen of Egypt and Ethiopia, making ( Sheba) the same as ( Seba), and this tradition is firmly rooted among the Abyssinians (i.e. Ethiopians), but there is no ground at all for identifying Sheba with the Ethiopian kingdom of Seba. Moreover the presents which the queen brought with her bespeak the land from which she came. They are Arabian, certainly not African.
concerning the name of the Lord ] From the expressions so frequent in chap. 8. about ‘a house built for the name of the Lord God of Israel’ (see 1Ki 8:17-20; 1Ki 8:29 ; 1Ki 8:35; 1Ki 8:43-44; 1Ki 8:48) we may be sure that wherever the grand building was mentioned, there would be heard something about the name of Him to whose honour it was built. In like manner, at an earlier date, the people of Israel were known among other nations ‘because of the name of the Lord.’ See Jos 9:9, where the Gibeonites say ‘we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt.’ Through caravans travelling hither and thither there can be little doubt that knowledge of Solomon’s works was widely spread, and communication with the Sabans was a matter of no great difficulty. In the parallel passage (2Ch 9:1) there is nothing said about ‘the name of the Lord’; the LXX. has ‘she had heard the name of Solomon and the name of the Lord.’
Some interpreters take the expression ‘concerning the name of the Lord’ to signify that the wisdom which Solomon had was derived from the Lord, and this made him famous. Some countenance is given to this opinion by the questions wherewith the queen essayed to test his wisdom, but it does not so well connect itself with ‘the name.’
she came to prove him with hard questions ] Josephus ( Ant. viii. 6. 5) says ‘she could not trust to hearsay, for the report might have been built upon false judgement, and might change, as it depended solely upon the persons who brought it.’ The ‘proving with hard questions’ recalls the story of Samson’s riddle (Jdg 14:12). The giving of such riddles was not an uncommon pastime among the ancients, and we have specimens among the Greeks, who called them . Cf. Aristoph. Vesp. 20, and especially Athenus 10. 69 78, where the author gives an account of the various kinds of riddles, and later in chap. 83 gives specimens of them. The Arabs were specially given to this kind of amusement, and we find in Josephus ( Ant. viii. 5. 3) an account of a contest of wit of this nature between Hiram and Solomon, and he reports, on the authority of Dios, that a reason for Hiram’s large payments to Solomon was that he had been beaten in the encounter and unable to solve the riddles propounded. The queen of Sheba came prepared with a series of such difficulties. Josephus says she came , which would indicate more than mere subtle questions among the inquiries which she made. It does not follow, however, that her difficulties were of a religious character, though this has been inferred from Mat 12:42.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Doubt has arisen whether the queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian or an Arabian princess. Both countries profess to have traditions on the subject connecting the queen of Sheba with their history; and in both countries, curiously enough, government by queens was common. But the claims of Arabia decidedly preponderate. The Arabian Sheba was the great spice country of the ancient world; whereas Ethiopia furnished no spices. The Arabian Sheba was an important kingdom. Sheba in Ethiopia was a mere town, subject to Meroe. And it may be doubted whether the Cushite Sheba of Scripture Gen 10:7 is not rather to be sought on the shores of the Persian Gulf (Gen 10:7 note), from where no one supposes the queen of Sheba to have come. If Ophir be placed in Arabia, there will be an additional reason for regarding Sheba as in the same quarter, because then Solomons trade with that place will account for his fame having reached the Sabaean princess.
The fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, has been variously explained, and is confessedly very obscure. May it not mean what we should call his religious fame, as distinct from his artistic, literary, military, or political fame – his fame with respect to God and the things of God – or, in other words, his moral and religious wisdom? (compare 1Ki 10:6).
Hard questions – Or riddles Jdg 14:12, though not exactly riddles in our sense. The Orientals have always been fond of playing with words and testing each others wit and intelligence by verbal puzzles of various kinds. This spirit seems to have been particularly rife in Solomons time, for Josephus records other encounters with Hiram of Tyre and another Tyrian called Abdemonus.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Ki 10:1-13
When the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba
In this history, there are various points of view wherein the Queen of Sheba appears as a type and representation of the Church, as we know that Solomon is in many respects a striking type of Christ. We have illustrations of Gods dealings with His people, and of the workings of Divine grace, in the following particulars relating to the Queen of Sheba.
I. The sovereignty of Gods election, and the freeness of His covenant mercy and grace, are set forth in her being brought to the knowledge of the truth and being taught and led by the Spirit of God. The calling of God is not confined to any time or place or people. Rahab of Jericho, Ruth the Moabitess, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, the King of Nineveh, and other interesting characters may be cited, along with this Queen of Sheba, to whom God came in the sovereignty and freeness of His grace.
II. We see in this history how the purposes of God are sure to be accomplished and fulfilled. In the lives of saints and holy men of old, whether in the Scriptures or in private biographies, many such wonderful leadings of Providence can be admired. Every child of God can tell of such in his own experience.
III. We observe in the experience of the Queen of Sheba the ordinary workings of the spirit of God in the heart. Hard questions arise when the mind thinks at all about spiritual things, and recur all through the Christians experience.
IV. The conduct of the Queen of Sheba is what ought to be the conduct of every soul in regard to Divine things.
V. As it was with the Queen of Sheba, so it is with every spirit-taught and spirit-led soul, as to the knowledge and adoration, and worship of Christ. (J. Macaulay, M. A.)
The Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba was an earnest inquirer. She was not content with the reports which she had heard in her own land. She thought she knew something which even he could not answer. She would have her own questions put in her own way. That is what every earnest inquirer must insist upon. No man can ask another mans questions. The inquiry is never the same; in substance it may be identical, but in spirit, in tone, in quality, there is always a critical point and measure of difference, which every man realises for himself, and must insist upon making clear to the person to whom his inquiries are addressed. The Queen of Sheba was herein a model inquirer. She came a long way to see Solomon. She travelled northward, mile by mile, day by day; and the miles seemed nothing, and the days flew away, because her heart was full of a great hope that at last she would receive solutions to problems which had filled her with the spirit of unrest. She put herself to trouble on her own spiritual account. Therefore she became a prepared listener. Persons who do not put themselves to trouble in order to have their case stated and considered are not in a fit position to receive communications from heaven. We must not be mere receivers; we must be suppliants intensely interested in our own prayers, and so enriched with patience and with the grace of rational expectation, that God may see us in a waiting posture, and know that we are tarrying until the door open, or the answer in some way come. The Queen of Sheba represented the common desire of the world. The interview with the king was long-continued and marked by supreme confidence.
She communed with him of all that was in her heart (verse 2). We nowadays cannot get at peoples hearts. Civilisation has lent new resources to hypocrisy. We now put questions merely for the sake of putting them, and to such questions kind heaven is dumb. Jesus Christ answered some people never a word. He looked dumb. They were not speaking of what was in their hearts. Given a hearer who will tell the speaker all that is in his heart, and behold Jesus Himself will draw nigh, and, beginning at Moses, He will pursue His way through prophets and minstrels and all writers, until the listening heart glows with a warmth hitherto unknown. The great questions are in the heart. Let the heart speak its doubts and fears, tell its tale of perverseness, selfishness, littleness, relate all that is in its secret places, and force itself to put into words things that shame the heavens; then we shall see whether the gospel leaves unanswered the great questions of the soul. The Queen of Sheba saw with a trained eye that the accessories were in keeping with the central dignity: And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomons wisdom, etc. (verses 4, 5). This was fair reasoning. We may reason from within. Some cannot begin from the point that is within: for they have no experience that would warrant their assuming the right to reason from such an origin; but the open Bible is accessible to all men–namely, the open Bible of nature, life, and the whole scheme of providence. Jesus Christ often trained His disciples to reason Item the point that was external. The reasoning remains the same to-day in all its broadest effects. How very vividly the Queen of Sheba represented faith as overtaxed–Howbeit I believed not the words (verse 7). No wonder. And herein we should be gentle to those who on hearing the gospel, say, How can these things be? Whence hath this man this wisdom? Never man spake like this Man! But the Queen of Sheba also showed that imagination was overborne by fact: Behold, said she, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard (verse 7). Here is truth again. This woman is true from the beginning of the interview unto the end. And all that Christ asks of us is to be true, and in our own way to say what we have seen Him do, and especially what we have seen Him do for ourselves. Nor could the Queen of Sheba limit her commendation and ecstasy to the king himself. Said she, Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom (verse 8). And is the servant of Christ unblessed? Are they who are humblest and lowliest in all the Church without benefaction? Nay, do they not all live in the sunshine and eat at the hospitable table of Gods own summer? Is there a servant of Christ who has not a heaven of his own? We should be happier if we knew our privileges more. It is an awful thing to have outlived Christian privilege. What use did Jesus Christ make of this incident of the visit of the Queen of Sheba? We find an answer in Mat 12:42 :–The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. A greater than Solomon He answers greater questions, He distributes greater blessings, He reigns in more glorious state. (J. Parker, D. D.)
The Queen of Sheba
I. That we should diligently seek the highest and the holiest, and not be content with anything lower.
II. That difficulties and dangers should not keep us from the reception of truth.
III. That as we should diligently, and in spite of all difficulties, seek Divine truth, so should we admire it when we have found it. The Queen of Sheba does not attempt enviously to find fault with or to depreciate any of the endowments of King Solomon. She admires heartily his wisdom, his knowledge, his power, his riches, his grandeur. A useful example for the present age–an age especially given to criticise, rather than to admire; an age that laughs at romance, ignores mystery, and ridicules the idea of the supernatural. We know that romance and reality ,are one, that life is itself a mystery, and that without the supernatural there could not be any natural. The credulity of early ages may have been excessive; but it was likely to be productive of more noble deeds than the scepticism and indifference of to-day.
IV. That in matters that concern our eternal welfare it behoves us to act on evidence a little less than certainty. It has sometimes been objected to the Christian creed, that if God had sent it as revelation of His will to man, it ought to have been universally diffused and supported by irrefragable evidence. This argument, however, if carried out to its logical consequence, would go to prove that God ought to have dispensed with the necessity of a revelation to man at all, either by keeping him free from sin, or by supplying him with such an additional faculty as would have enabled him to intuitively grasp spiritual truths. All these suggestions, however, are the presumptions of ignorance. God chose to act in His dealings with men in a certain way; and what is man, that he should question the ways of God?
V. That those who are in the presence of perfect wisdom must be happy. Happy, says the Queen of Sheba, are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. With God is wisdom; and those therefore who, whether on earth or in heaven, feel themselves to be perpetually in His presence or watched over by His care, are indeed truly happy.
VI. That as the possession of the wisdom that is from above can alone make us truly happy, we ought to be prepared for it to offer the best gifts that we have. The Queen of Sheba pours forth before Solomon her most valuable presents. The best of our life, of our labour, of our talents, of our riches, should we give to God, for from Him we obtained all that we have, and all our blessings we hold at His will.
VII. That the possession of heavenly wisdom, which is the true riches, more than compensates for the loss of any unrighteous mammon. Not merely is the man who has reached to the appreciation and enjoyment of Divine truth happy, he is also rich–rich in treasures that moth and rust cannot corrupt and that thieves cannot break through to steal. (R. Young, M. A.)
A queens example
Mudie has no more interesting story with which to beguile the waiting hours of tired and lonesome women than this old tale of a womans perplexities and how she solved them. She lived in the uttermost parts of the earth, and in a far-away time, but we recognise our sister all the same. She had her difficulties and her dreams as we have to-day. She had all a womans longings to do the right, and to become strong and wise, and able efficiently to discharge her important duties. She was a queen, and had therefore an earnest desire to be the mother of her people. She was, we think, anxious to secure their love, which was, perhaps, not very difficult; and she longed to possess their reverence, which was, possibly, almost more than she could achieve. She had an intuitive comprehension of what real greatness was. And there is no doubt that she felt the need of some one wiser, stronger, better than herself, who should gently, firmly, and unhesitatingly tell her what to do and how to do it. She had, too, the womans wish to know, which is generally described by the word curiosity, but to which might often be applied the nobler term aspiration. She did not like secrets, probably could not keep her own, and took a little trouble to fathom those of other people. But the world was full of secrets which she could not understand. She wanted to know the meaning of everything; but all earths books were written in strange characters which she could not decipher. It was God whom she wished to hear of–God whom she wished to know–God whom she longed to worship and obey. The queen was much more earnest than curious. Of course she was wearied with her journey. Equally of course there were many enticing things to see in this great, grand place at which she had arrived. But she had come to Jerusalem with one dominant, overpowering intention, and nothing might put her aside from it. First of all, before she looked about her, or even took rest, she must have a long, close talk with the king. And when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart. But what if she should be disappointed? She was not the first woman, and she most certainly was not the last, who has come to a king among men, with trembling hopefulness that her ignorance might be instructed, and her doubts set at rest. What if he should prove but little better than other men, and she should discover that the greatness of his wisdom was only pretence, and that his superiority lay only upon the surface? Alas for the queen if this should be! for then she would wearily return to her own country, and there hopelessly search in the darkness for that which she could never find. But we, who sympathise with her, are glad to know that it was not so. For Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king. Happy woman! She had leisure now for other things. There was, however, a good deal of honesty and candour in her even yet. She remembered her distrust of the tidings which she had heard, and could not be quite happy until she had made some honourable amends for her incredulity. There is not a woman among us but would like to have had the queens opportunity; for we, too, are trying, amid the darkness of doubt and uncertainty, to feel our way to the light. We, too, are longing to become wise by contact with wisdom, and strong by leaning upon strength. We, too, have our longings to know more, and to do better; and I think we would gladly take a journey as formidable as that of the queen to get what we want. But behold, a greater than Solomon is here. We have our Lords authority for using this narrative as an illustration of spiritual truth; and it is remarkable in how many points the Queen of Sheba resembles what we are and ought to be, and how truly Solomon is a faint image of Christ.
1. But our duty is plainly taught us by this queens example. We shall never know more of Him unless we go and see; and, if we are sensible women, that is exactly what we shall do. We need have no more fear than had this queen as to the reception that awaits us. Indeed, we know beforehand. We are not told that an invitation was sent from Judaea to Sheba, but Christ has most distinctly and pressingly invited us. Come unto Me, and I will give you rest, is the message which He has forwarded to us. Nay, He has done more, much more than this. He has not waited for us to go to Him, but He has come to us. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. This is our opportunity. Shall we let it go, or shall we thankfully avail ourselves of it? Oh, my sisters, do not let this Queen of the South rise up in judgment against you and condemn you, but be equally resolute in mind and prompt in action, and at once come to Jesus.
2. When we have taken this first decided step we may follow the queens example in another particular. When she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And we may do the same when we have come to our King. Let us make the most of our privileges. Why are any of us weak and miserable, and full of sin, seeing that Jesus is able to make us–even us–great and good, useful and happy?
3. But when we have proved Him to, be all that we have heard, let us be honest and say so.
4. But neither He nor ourselves need be satisfied with words. There must be a mutual exchange of gifts. Who can describe the greatness of His royal bounty?
The love of Jesus, what it is
None but His loved ones know.
Nor can any one beside tell the precious things which He gives to His beloved.
5. There is yet one other particular in which we are like the Queen of Sheba. She turned, and went to her own country; and we have to go back to the world after seeing our King, and to dwell among our own people. But we ought to be very much better than when we first came to Him. (Marianne Farningham.)
The wisdom of Solomon
In considering the interview between these two royal personages, we note–
I. The visited king. On every side were untold accumulations of wealth. The country was at peace, with a dominion extending from Thapsacus, on the Euphrates, to Gaza, on the Mediterranean. The kings popularity was unbounded. He listened equally to the meanest of his subjects and those of courtly bearing, and gave judgment to each in accordance with that skill which was his without measure.
II. The visiting queen. Her lineage is not certain, nor the exact place of her sway. Probably she was a descendant from Abraham by Keturah, with a kingdom occupying the greater part of Arabia Felix, between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. This Sabean kingdom, whose capital was Sheba, was the richest among the Arabians, and would naturally be visited by the fleets of Solomon.
III. The visit.
1. Its motive. It is not difficult to find reasons prompting the Sabean queen with desire to stand in such a presence. It were easy to imagine her as urged by curiosity or by thoughts of rivalry. Hers was an empire of exceeding richness. Did the kings really surpass it? She could bear presents to him indicating resources vast and varied. Could he lay at her feet those denoting wider imports or an ampler revenue? Doubtless, however, worthier reasons moved her. Could he solve the deep, perplexing problems of her soul? Hers was a deeper want, a profounder longing. Like the patriarch Job, her soul was stirred with profoundest questions of life, death, and immortality.
II. The visits disclosure.
III. The visits result. Among the lessons suggested by the passage, note–
1. Wealth and piety are not necessarily opposed. The time of this visit marks the climax of Israels strength and prosperity. Never before and never after did the kingdom take its place among the great monarchies of the East, able to cope with Egypt and Assyria. To-day as never before the duty of the Church is to make wealth the handmaid of religion.
2. Nothing but God satisfies. Neither the wealth of her own realm nor the glory of Solomons could satisfy the queen. In her heart was a void which nothing but the knowledge of God could fill. Augustines words are ever true, Thou, O Lord, madest us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they repose on Thee.
3. There is no safety but in a right heart. It is sad that to one like Solomon a decline should come. This favoured ruler fell because he was unfaithful to Him who had made him both wise and prosperous. His life departed from what his lips proclaimed. There is always danger when obedience to God keeps not pace with knowledge of God; when the head has more understanding than the heart has love. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (Monday Club Sermons.)
The Queen of Sheba
I. The time of the tale. The time is that of Israels grandeur. Politically, his star is at its zenith; his rose is full blown. In Sauls days a department for foreign affairs would have been a sinecure. Israel was not recognised as having any place in the comity of the great powers of the time. What Italy was in Europe previous to 1859, that–less than that–was Israel in the then Mediterranean world, under the Judges and even under Saul. But all this is now changed. Solomon takes his place among the potentates of the time. The extension of his empire towards the east brings him into touch with the nascent nations of the Euphrates Valley; towards the north magnificent Tyre–at once the London and the Paris of the age–is his ally, and her king is his friend; towards the south the old national oppressor Egypt is reconciled into a fatal friendship, and the royal houses have met in an ill-omened alliance.
II. The hero of the tale. It is somewhat curious that, although we have a fuller account of Solomons reign than of that of any other monarch mentioned in Scripture, we know comparatively little about himself. His personality stands by no means clearly out in relief against his time. The very blaze of his magnificence dazzles the eye and obscures the vision. His reign has been called the Augustan Age of the Jewish nation. Dean Stanley, with characteristic felicity, calls attention to the fact, that Solomon was not only its Augustus but its Aristotle. Might he not have added, and its Alexander and its Timon, too! But as he is at the point of time of which we now treat, he is in the full sheen of his noonday glory, with no forecast of the clouds of the sunset. To him thus, and to his capital which his genius and his wealth have made to be the joy of the whole earth, a visitor comes. And so we reach–
III. The heroine of the tale. Like her royal host, she, too, can be but vaguely seen. Her very name is unknown. She has a title given but no name; she is a queen, and as a queen rather than as a woman can she be known by us. And yet the motive of her visit is essentially feminine. It is curiosity, alike of the higher and the lower kind combined. And not only was the motive thoroughly feminine; it was also characteristically national. For, though tradition assigns her a different origin, there can be little doubt she was an Arab, and the Arabs are, of all peoples, notoriously the most addicted to gossip and curiosity. The tradition to which I have referred represents her as queen of that city, on an island in the Nile, which, for so many centuries, either as tributary to Egypt or as independent, was one of the mighty cities of the ancient world, Meroe. Thus influenced in her mind–excited on the lower side by the lower curiosity and on the higher side by the higher, uniting and elevating the natural curiosity with the spiritual aspiration–the plan of a personal visit and the establishment of a personal friendship and communion takes shape and grows within her, till it becomes an imperative and mastering demand. It is a meeting most picturesque and full of interest–the heathen queen in the presence of Jehovahs anointed king; natural piety seeking revelations light. As the motives which brought her to Jerusalem were of two orders, of a higher and a lower level, so would be the subjects on which they communed when they met. The Arab traditions, preserving the materials that were akin to Arab tastes, are full of stories of quaint enigmas and riddles propounded and of ingenious answers given, such as those in which the sportive fancy of the East has always delighted, and by which Solomon and Hiram had long corresponded, had stimulated their intellectual activities and relieved their cares of state. The queen, according to these traditions, tested the royal wit and ingenuity by such devices as the following: artificial and natural flowers to be recognised and marked by the use of sight alone; boys and girls, dressed alike, to be detected and distinguished; and a cup to be filled with water from neither earth nor cloud. Solomon read the first riddle by letting bees loose upon the flowers; the second, by setting the young people to wash their hands; and the third, by causing a slave to gallop furiously upon a wild horse and filling the cup from the flowing perspiration! In such playful manoeuvres the wit of the one was exercised and the curiosity of the other was satisfied. But we cannot doubt but that these were the relaxations not the substance of their communion, the relief not the satisfaction of the spirit of the Sabsean queen. But all the same we must conclude that the higher subjects that were, in measure, congenial to the better nature of both obtained a place in their fellowship, and that in the queen the king secured not only an ardent admirer of himself but a devout worshipper of his God, a reverent pupil in religion as well as a fascinated partaker in trifling. And so she passes off the Jerusalem stage, out of sight, and we see her no more. The traditions which tell of her marriage with Solomon, and of the three months which he spent with her every year at Saba, and of her burial at Tadmor, are utterly worthless. She lingers and figures in these legends, but they are void of credit and value. (G. M. Grant, B. D.)
The Queen of Shebas visit
I. Christianity challenges the greatest of the world to investigate its bold claims for supremacy as the one religion for the human soul. It was not mere curiosity which brought this Queen of the South to see Solomon. A question was raised; it could be settled by nothing except rigid experiment. Christ has represented Himself in Christianity; He is to be tested in the system of faith He came to proclaim. And what we insist upon is, that every thinking soul is bound to seek, search, sift, and examine what this Son of God, who was the Son of Man, has to say. This revelation from heaven for mens salvation is either everything or nothing to each immortal being going to Gods judgment. For it claims to be all that any one needs for the final redemption of his soul.
II. Sceptics might as well pause in uttering their decisions of personal rejection of Christ till they have fully understood Him. It is not every one that is competent even to disbelieve. It requires much thought to dispose of Christianity thoroughly. It is a system that stands very determinately upon conduct; and it insists that, before any intelligent investigator shall come to a fixed conclusion, he shall follow up what he already knows by working it into his life. And then he will, quite possibly, be surprised by further disclosures which he did not previously suspect. There is a great pertinence just here in the splendid figure of the traveller Humboldt; he says: At the limits of exact knowledge, as from a lofty island shore, ones eye loves to glance towards the distant regions. The images that it sees may be illusive; but, like the illusive images that people imagined they had seen from the Canaries, or the Azores, long before the time of Columbus, these may also lead to the discovery of a new world. There is no field of study of which this remark is truer than that which religious investigation offers.
III. Religious inquirers should not hesitate in coming to Jesus Christ for a satisfying answer to all the soul perplexities which beset them. If there were only the revelations of God in nature for a direction and a comfort, there would be no small gain over what the heathen have in their poems and dreams; for what would come to us would be at least trustworthy, because it would be true. The best minds have often found solace in the mute world around them. Chaucer used to say that walking in the meadows, at dawn of day, to see the blossoms spread against the sun, was a blissful sight which softened all his sorrows. Henry Martyn, lonely and sad, in his far-away mission-field, exclaimed, Even a leaf is good company. And Ruskin writes in his essay: What a fine thought that was, when God Almighty earliest thought of a tree! Even with this for our Bible, our Lord would excel Ecclesiastes: Consider the lilies, etc. But the living Word and the written Word are better for a man, immortal and sensitively intelligent, than all this friendly communing with nature only, for he is pondering questions in his heart. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
Beauty attracting
A scientific writer of wide experience and observation declares that all nectar-gathering insects, such as the common honey-bee, manifest a strong preference for the finest flowers. The more perfect in form, colour, and fragrance, the more are they attracted to it, as they seem to know by instinct that there they will find the richest supply of honey. It is from the characters and lives of those who are most like Him who is the altogether lovely that the souls of others can gather the most sweetness of Gods love and grace. To be Christlike is to be winsome; to grow in grace, to grow in divine attractiveness. (Helps to Speakers.)
She came to prove him with hard questions.—
Consulting with Jesus
I. Admire this queens mode of procedure when she came to Solomon. We are told, in the text, that she came to prove him with hard questions.
1. She wanted to prove whether he was as wise as she had been led to believe, and her mode of proving it was by endeavouring to learn from him; and if you want to ascertain what the wisdom of Christ is, the way to know it is to come and sit at His feet, and learn of Him. He has Himself said, Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
2. The Queen of Sheba is also to be admired in that, wishing to learn from Solomon, she asked him many questions;–not simply one or two, but many. If you want to know the wisdom of Christ, you must ask Him many questions.
3. The Queen of Sheba proved Solomon with hard questions.
II. Let us imitate her example, in reference to Christ, who is greater than Solomon. Let us prove Him with hard questions.
1. Here is the first hard question. How can a man be just with God?
2. Here is another hard question: How can God be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly?
3. The next question is one which has puzzled many: How can a man be saved by faith alone without works, and yet no man can be saved by a faith that is without works?
4. Here is another hard question: How can a man be born when he is old? At first sight, it seems as if that were unanswerable; but Jesus Christ has said, Behold, I make all things new.
5. Here is another hard question: How can God, who sees all things, no longer see any sin in believers? That is a puzzle which many cannot understand.
6. Here is another hard question: How can a man see the invisible God? Yet Christ said, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God; and the angel said to John: His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face.
7. Moving upward in Christian experience, here is another hard question: How can it be true that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, yet men who are born of God do sin?
8. This helps also to answer another hard question: How can a man be a new man, and yet be constantly sighing because he finds in himself so much of the old man?
9. Here is one more of these hard questions: How can a man be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing?
10. I have one more hard question: How can a mans life be in heaven while he still lives on earth?
III. Let us answer certain questions of a practical character.
1. Answer first, this question–How can we come to Christ?
2. Well, says one, supposing that is done, how can we ask Christ hard questions? You may ask anything of Him just the same as if you could see Him.
3. But, you say, if I ask of Him, how will He answer me? Do not expect that He will answer you in a dream, or by any vocal sound. He has spoken all you need to know in this Book. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Questions answered
What were these questions? They may have been riddles like the one which the story of Samson recalls. Asking riddles was a common pastime amongst the ancients, especially the Arabs. Still, it is hardly likely that a sensible queen would have journeyed all the way from Arabia to Judaea merely to have a game of conundrums. More probably she did so in order to get a solution of mental and moral difficulties of what we call the enigmas of life. A thoughtful, earnest woman she was, no doubt; perplexed by the problems of her day, as some of us are with those of ours, and she felt that it would be a relief to talk them over with one wiser than herself. There is a greater than Solomon, whom we can prove with hard questions, with whom we can commune of all that is in our hearts. Have we done so? If not, we cannot say that our doubts are unanswerable. A correspondent wrote to Canon Liddon: The only thing that now attaches me at all to Christianity is that it alone of the systems of thought with which I come into contact seems to give a working answer to two questions: Whence am I? and Whither am I going? All else is dark, all else at least uncertain. Many of us are attached to Christianity for the same reason. We have proved its Founder with hard questions, and our creed has simplified itself into some such form as this: About God, the soul, a future life, the sin and sorrow of the world–about such matters as these I know little, but Christ knows much, and any conclusion that was good enough for Him in reference to them is good enough for me. The German philosopher, Kant, tells us that there are three questions which mankind has always been asking: What can I know? What shall I do? and For what may I hope? What answer does He who called Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life give to these questions? Some persons, says Bishop Butler, upon pretence of the light of nature, avowedly reject all revelation as in its very nature incredible. Things have changed since Butlers day. Few now think that the light of nature is sufficient; with most of us it is Christ or nothing. We have come to see that the objections made to Christianity may be urged with equal force against natural religion–that the difficulty, for instance, of accounting on the supposition of a good Creator for the origin and continuance of evil in the world ought to be felt by the Deist far more than by the Christian because the latter has a theory of redemption to offer which at any rate professes to reconcile Gods preknowledge of evil with His wisdom, power, and goodness. This, together with the history and present condition of the Church of Christ,.makes it easier to be a Christian than a Deist or Theist. But here comes the Agnostic, and he says to humanity, with its recurring questions, Do not ask yourself or any one else what you can know about God, the soul, and a future state. These matters are unknowable, and you had better be humble, as I am, and acknowledge the fact. In reference to this state of mind it may be remarked that we can only assert the unknown to be unknowable on the assumption–surely, anything but an humble one–that we know all that can be known. If it be true that God cannot be known by man, it will be the last truth which man will ever learn. I heard lately an intelligent, sympathetic woman remark that there is no being in the Universe she so much pities as God, for if He has a heart, she said, He must feel terribly the responsibility of creating such a world as this. That God does feel for the sorrows of the world and does admit responsibility In the matter He proved when He gave His Son to die for it. What more could He have done for His vineyard? There is the pathos of a beautiful simplicity in those words in Genesis, It repented the Lord God, and grieved Him at the heart. May there not have been some contrariness in the nature of things which it was as impossible for even Him to prevent, as it would be to make two and two five instead of four? May it not be said, for instance, in all reverence, that even God could not create a virtuous being without the discipline of trial–the very idea involving a contradiction? Plutarch tells us that Alexander, King of Macedon, used to say that he loved and revered his teacher Aristotle, as much as if he had been his own father, because if to the one he owed his life to the other he owed his power of living well. What is it that we do not owe in this second respect to our Saviour? No Solomon has answered as He has the hard question, What shall we do? This is admitted even by those who do not accept the full measure of Christs teaching. John Stuart Mill, for instance, has observed that it would not be easy, even for an unbeliever, to find a better translation of virtue from the abstract to the concrete than to endeavour so to live that Christ would approve our life. In any moral difficulty we can and we should ask ourselves, What would Christ have me to do in this matter? But Christ does more than enable us to per-calve and know what things we ought to do. He gives us grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. In this He differs from merely earthly teachers. They are like a man standing on the shore showing a drowning man how the arms should be moved in swimming. Jesus Christ rescues the drowning person, or at least gives him a helping hand, as He did to Peter when that apostle began to sink. Lord Tennyson, in the biography of his father, tells us that the late Poet Laureate had a measureless admiration for the Sermon on the Mount, and for the parables; perfection beyond compare, he called them. At the same time he used to express his conviction that Christianity with its Divine morality, but without the central figure of Christ, the Son of Man, would become cold, and that it is fatal for religion to lose its warmth. The question for what may we hope when the few years of lifes fitful fever here on earth are over is answered by Christ as no mere man, though as wise as Solomon, could answer it. Apart from Christ we could not know whether death were a door or a wall; a spreading of wings to soar or the folding of pinions for ever. Before Christs coming the human body was thought of as a mere instrument made use of by the soul, and no part of mans true self. The soul was considered to be free only when at death it was disunited from it, and became the shade of ancient classical poetry. This was a very shadowy belief, and one that physical research entirely contradicts. The fuller discoveries in modern days of the action and reaction of body and soul, of the need of physical machinery, not only for act and word, but even for thought, have shown that the body is a part of mans true self. In this matter Christianity agrees with science. It teaches the resurrection of the body, or that there will be a continued existence of soul and organism, that in the next world the soul will not be unclothed, but clothed upon. Jesus Christ is the Head and Representative of our race, and by rising from the dead Himself He brought life and incorruption out of the haze of speculation into the calm, clear light of fact. (E. J. Hardy, M. A.)
How to act when perplexed
We very often puzzle ourselves, and tug and strain. Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, used to say that his mind could lie as quietly before a confessed mystery as in the presence of a discovered truth. It would be better for us if we cultivated more such serene trust as Dr. Arnolds In the nature of things there must be mystery. Certainly there is such a thing as limit to our capacity. Certainly, therefore, the action and the knowledge of a limitless God must wear frequently a misty look to us. Certainly the conjoining of revealed truth into an exact and harmonious system may be a piece of work quite beyond our simply finite powers. The truths do conjoin, but at a point so far beyond the range of our finite vision that we cannot see their marriage. What, then, are we to do? Grasp firmly both of the revealed truths, and where the point of their conjoining runs up beyond the region of our finite capacity, wait lowlily and trust steadily. ( Homiletic Review.)
Christ the revealer of truth
The greatness of the ancient world culminated in Socrates and Plato, and the greatness of Socrates and Plato culminated in their power to ask questions, and not in their power to answer them. The ancient world started problems; it remained for the new world to solve them. Herein lies one of the vital differences between the wise men of the East, and the West and the founder of Christianity; they wore mere seekers after truth–He was its revealer. (Cynddylon Jones.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER X
The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, and brings rich presents;
and tries him by hard questions, which he readily solves, 1-3.
She expresses great surprise at his wisdom, his buildings, his
court, c. and praises God for placing him on the Jewish
throne, 4-9.
She gives him rich presents, 10.
What the navy of Hiram brought from Ophir, 11, 12.
The queen of Sheba returns, 13.
Solomon’s annual revenue, 14, 15.
He makes two hundred targets and three hundred shields of
gold, 16, 17.
His magnificent ivory throne, 18-20.
His drinking vessels all of gold, 21.
What the navy of Tharshish brought every three years to Solomon,
22.
His great riches, numerous chariots, and horsemen, 23-27.
He brings chariots and horses out of Egypt, 28, 29.
NOTES ON CHAP. X
Verse 1. When the queen of Sheba heard] As our Lord calls her queen of the south, (Mt 12:42), it is likely the name should be written Saba, Azab, or Azaba, all of which signify the south. She is called Balkis by the Arabians, but by the Abyssinians Maqueda. See the account at the end of this chapter. 1Kg 10:29.
With hard questions.] bechidoth; Septuagint, , riddles. With parables and riddles, says the Arabic.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The queen of Sheba; either, first, Of Ethiopia, as that people by constant tradition from their ancestors affirm, which also was truly in the ends of the earth, whence she came, Mat 12:42. Or rather, secondly, Of that part of Arabia called Sabaea, which was at a great distance from Jerusalem, and really in the ends of the earth, and bordering upon the southern sea; for there, much more than in Ethiopia, were the commodities which she brought, 1Ki 10:2,10. Howsoever, this is there said for her commendation, that being a woman, and a queen, and living at great ease, and in such remote parts, she was willing to take so long and chargeable a journey to improve herself in knowledge, and that of Divine things, as is here implied.
Concerning the name of the Lord, i.e. concerning the great work which he had done for the name, i.e. the honour, and service, and worship, of the Lord, as it is expressed 1Ki 8:17, and elsewhere. Or, concerning God; the name of God being oft put for God, as hath been noted before; concerning his deep knowledge in the things of God. For it is very probable that she had, as also had divers other heathens, some knowledge of the true God, and an earnest desire to know more of the being, and nature, and worship of God, wherein the heathens were generally at a great loss, and which many of them desired and endeavoured to understand. Or, concerning the great things which God had done for him, especially in giving him such incomparable wisdom, and that in an extraordinary manner. With hard questions; concerning natural, and civil, and especially concerning Divine things, about which there are, and ever where, the hardest questions.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. the queen of ShebaSomethink her country was the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, of which thecapital was Saba, in Arabia-Felix; others, that it was in AfricanEthiopia, that is, Abyssinia, towards the south of the Red Sea. Theopinions preponderate in favor of the former. This view harmonizeswith the language of our Lord, as Yemen means “South”; andthis country, extending to the shores of the Indian ocean, might inancient times be considered “the uttermost parts of the earth.”
heard of the fame ofSolomondoubtless by the Ophir fleet.
concerning the name of theLordmeaning either his great knowledge of God, or theextraordinary things which God had done for him.
hard questionsenigmasor riddles. The Orientals delight in this species of intellectualexercise and test wisdom by the power and readiness to solve them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon,…. Josephus u calls her a queen of Egypt and Ethiopia; but Sheba was in the southern part of Arabia Felix; her name with the Ethiopians is Maqueda w, and with the Arabic geographer x Belequis. Some y think that Sheba, or Saba, is not the name of a country, but of the queen herself; and that she is the same with Sabbe the sibyl mentioned by Pausanias z; but no doubt Sheba or Saba, the metropolis of Arabia Felix, as Philostorgius a calls it, is here meant; which Benjamin of Tudela says b is called the country of Al Yeman, or the south; and the name of Queen Teiman, given to this queen by an Arabic writer c, seems to be the same as the queen of the south, [See comments on Mt 12:42]. The fame of Solomon’s greatness and goodness, of his wealth and riches, and especially of his wisdom, had reached her ears; perhaps by means of the ambassadors of princes that had been at Solomon’s court, and attended her’s. According to an Ethiopic writer d it was by Tamerinus, a merchant of her’s, she came to hear of him: particularly she heard of his fame
concerning the name of the Lord; his knowledge of the true God, the favour he was in with him, the excellent wisdom he had received from him, and what he had done for his honour and glory:
she came to prove him with hard questions; in things natural, civil, and divine; to try whether he had such a share of knowledge and wisdom it was said he had, she posed him with enigmas, riddles, dark and intricate sayings, to unravel and tell the meaning of. She might be an emblem of the Gentiles, seeking unto Christ, having heard of him, Isa 11:10. In Mt 12:42 she is said to come from the “uttermost parts of the earth”; wherefore some fetch her from Sumatra in the East Indies, where in an old map no other name is put but Sheba e.
u Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 2, 5. w Ludolf. Ethiop. Hist. l. 2. c. 3. x Clim 1. par. 6. y Vid. Coryli Disser. de Reg. Austral. c. l. sect. 1, 2. z Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 631. a Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 4. b Itinerar. p. 82. c Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 54. d Tellezius apud Ludolf. Ethiop. Hist. l. 2. c. 3. e Dampier’s Voyages, vol. 2. p. 139.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Visit of the Queen of Saba (cf. 2Ch 9:1-12). – When the fame of Solomon’s great wisdom came to the ears of the queen of Saba, probably through the Ophir voyages, she undertook a journey to Jerusalem, to convince herself of the truth of the report which had reached her, by putting it to the test by means of enigmas. , , is not Ethiopia or Mero, as Josephus ( Ant. viii. 6, 5), who confounds with , and the Abyssinian Christians suppose (vid., Ludolfi hist. Aeth. ii. 3), but the kingdom of the Sabaeans, who were celebrated for their trade in incense, gold, and precious stones, and who dwelt in Arabia Felix, with the capital Saba, or the of the Greeks. This queen, who is called Balkis in the Arabian legend (cf. Koran, Sur. 27, and Pococke, Specim. hist. Arab. p. 60), heard the fame of Solomon ; i.e., not “at the naming of the name of Jehovah” (Bttcher), nor “in respect of the glory of the Lord, with regard to that which Solomon had instituted for the glory of the Lord” (Thenius); nor even “serving to the glorification of God” (de Wette and Maurer); but literally, “belonging to the name of the Lord:” in other words, the fame which Solomon had acquired through the name of the Lord, or through the fact that the Lord had so glorified Himself in him (Ewald and Dietrich in Ges. Lex. s.v. ). “She came to try him with riddles,” i.e., to put his wisdom to the test by carrying on a conversation with him in riddles. The love of the Arabs for riddles, and their superiority in this jeu d’esprit, is sufficiently well known from the immense extent to which the Arabic literature abounds in Mashals. We have only to think of the large collections of proverbs made by Ali ben Abi Taleb and Meidani, or the Makamen of Hariri, which have been made accessible to all by F. Rckert’s masterly translation into German, and which are distinguished by an amazing fulness of word-play and riddles. , a riddle, is a pointed saying which merely hints at the deeper truth and leaves it to be guessed.
1Ki 10:2-3 As the queen of a wealthy country, she came with a very large retinue. does not mean a military force or an armed escort (Thenius), but riches, property; namely, her numerous retinue of men ( , 1Ki 10:13), and camels laden with valuable treasures. The words … are an explanatory circumstantial clause, both here and also in the Chronicles, where the cop. Vav stands before (cf. Ewald, 341, a., b.). “And spake to Solomon all that she had upon her heart,” i.e., in this connection, whatever riddles she had it in her mind to lay before him; “and Solomon told her all her sayings,” i.e., was able to solve all her riddles. There is no ground for thinking of sayings of a religious nature, as the earlier commentators supposed, but simply of sayings the meaning of which was concealed, and the understanding of which indicated very deep wisdom.
1Ki 10:4-5 She saw , i.e., Solomon’s palace, not the temple, and “the food of his table,” i.e., both the great variety of food that was placed upon the king’s table (1Ki 5:2-3), and also the costly furniture of the table (1Ki 10:21), and “the seat of his retainers and the standing of his servants,” i.e., the places in the palace assigned to the ministers and servants of the king, which were contrived with wisdom and arranged in a splendid manner. are the chief officers of the king, viz., ministers, counsellors, and aides de camp; , the court servants; , the rooms of the courtiers in attendance; , the standing-place, i.e., the rooms of the inferior servants, “and their clothing,” which they received from the king; and , not his cup-bearers (lxx, Vulg.), but as in Gen 40:21, the drink, i.e., probably the whole of the drinking arrangements; , and his ascent, by which he was accustomed to go into the house of Jehovah. does not mean burnt-offering here, as the older translators have rendered it, but ascent, as in Eze 40:26, and as the Chronicles have correctly explained it by . For burnt-offering is not to be thought of in this connection, because the queen had nothing to see or to be astonished at in the presentation of such an offering. is most likely “the king’s outer entrance” into the temple, mentioned in 2Ki 16:18; and the passage before us would lead us to suppose that this was a work of art, or an artistic arrangement. , “and there was no more spirit in her:” she was beside herself with amazement, as in Jos 5:1; Jos 2:11.
1Ki 10:6-9 She then said with astonishment to Solomon, that of what her eyes now saw she had not heard the half, through the report which had reached her of his affairs and of his wisdom, and which had hitherto appeared incredible to her; and not only congratulated his servants, who stood continually near him and could hear his wisdom, but also praised Jehovah his God, that out of His eternal love to His people Israel He had given them a king to do justice and righteousness. The earlier theologians inferred from this praising of Jehovah, which involved faith in the true God, when taken in connection with Mat 12:42, that this queen had been converted to the true God, and conversed with Solomon on religious matters. But, as we have already observed at 1Ki 5:7, an acknowledgment of Jehovah as the God of Israel was reconcilable with polytheism. And the fact that nothing is said about her offering sacrifice in the temple, shows that the conversion of the queen is not to be thought of here.
1Ki 10:10 She thereupon presented to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold (more than three million thalers nearly half a million sterling – Tr.]), and a very large quantity of spices and precious stones. The probably included the genuine balsam of Arabia, even if was not the specific name of the genuine balsam. “There never more came so much of such spices of Jerusalem.” Instead of … we find in the Chronicles, 1Ki 10:9, simply , “there was nothing like this balsam,” which conveys the same meaning though expressed more indefinitely, since ecni points back to the preceding words, “balsam (spices) in great quantity.”
(Note: It was this which gave rise to the legend in Josephus ( Ant. viii. 6, 6), that it was through this queen that the root of the true balsam ( Opobalsamum), which was afterwards cultivated in gardens at Jericho and Engedi, was first of all brought to Palestine (cf. Movers, Phnizier, ii. 3, p. 226ff.).
1Ki 10:11-12 The allusion to these costly presents leads the historian to introduce the remark here, that the Ophir fleet also brought, in addition to gold, a large quantity of Algummim wood (see at 1Ki 9:28) and precious stones. Of this wood Solomon had or made for the temple and palace. , from , signifies a support, and may be a later form for , a flight of steps or a staircase, so that we should have to think of steps with bannisters. This explanation is at any rate a safer one than that of “divans” (Thenius), which would have been quite out of place in the temple, or “narrow pannelled stripes on the floor” (Bertheau), which cannot in the smallest degree be deduced from , or “support = moveables, viz., tables, benches, footstools, boxes, and drawers” (Bttcher), which neither harmonizes with the temple, where there was no such furniture, nor with the of the Chronicles. “And guitars and harps for the singers,” probably for the temple singers. and are string instruments; the former resembling our guitar rather than the harp, the strings being carried over the sounding-board upon a bridge, the latter being of a pitcher shape without any sounding bridge, as in the case of the harps.
1Ki 10:13 Solomon gave the queen of Saba all that she wished and asked for, beside what he gave her “according to the hand,” i.e., the might, of the king; that is to say, in addition to the presents answering to his might and his wealth, which he was obliged to give as a king, according to the Oriental custom. In the Chronicles (1Ki 10:12) we find “beside that which she had brought ( ) to the king,” which is an abbreviated expression for “beside that which he gave her in return for what she had brought to him,” or beside the return presents corresponding to her gifts to him, as it has been already correctly paraphrased by the Targum.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Visit of the Queen of Sheba. | B. C. 990. |
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 a 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.
We have here an account of the visit which the queen of Sheba made to Solomon, no doubt when he was in the height of his piety and prosperity. Our Saviour calls her the queen of the south, for Sheba lay south of Canaan. The common opinion is that it was in Africa; and the Christians in Ethiopia, to this day, are confident that she came from their country, and that Candace was her successor, who is mentioned Acts viii. 27. But it is more probable that she came from the south part of Arabia the happy. It should seem she was a queen regent, sovereign of her country. Many a kingdom would have been deprived of its greatest blessings if a Salique law had been admitted into its constitution. Observe,
I. On what errand the queen of Sheba came–not to treat of trade or commerce, to adjust the limits of their dominions, to court his alliance for their mutual strength or his assistance against some common enemy, which are the common occasions of the congress of crowned heads and their interviews, but she came, 1. To satisfy her curiosity; for she had heard of his fame, especially for wisdom, and she came to prove him, whether he was so great a man as he was reported to be, v. 1. Solomon’s fleet sailed near the coast of her country, and probably might put in there for fresh water; perhaps it was thus that she heard of the fame of Solomon, that he excelled in wisdom all the children of the east, and nothing would serve her but she would go herself and know the truth of the report. 2. To receive instruction from him. She came to hear his wisdom, and thereby to improve her own (Matt. xii. 42), that she might be the better able to govern her own kingdom by his maxims of policy. Those whom God has called to any public employment, particularly in the magistracy and ministry, should, by all means possible, be still improving themselves in that knowledge which will more and more qualify them for it, and enable them to discharge their trust well. But, it should seem, that which she chiefly aimed at was to be instructed in the things of God. She was religiously inclined, and had heard not only of the fame of Solomon, but concerning the name of the Lord (v. 1), the great name of that God whom Solomon worshipped and from whom he received his wisdom, and with this God she desired to be better acquainted. Therefore does our Saviour mention her enquiries after God, by Solomon, as an aggravation of the stupidity of those who enquire not after God by our Lord Jesus Christ, though he, having lain in his bosom, was much better able to instruct them.
II. With what equipage she came, with a very great retinue, agreeable to her rank, intending to try Solomon’s wealth and generosity, as well as his wisdom, what entertainment he could and would give to a royal visitant, v. 2. Yet she came not as one begging, but brought enough to bear her charges, and abundantly to recompense Solomon for his attention to her, nothing mean or common, but gold, and precious stones, and spices, because she came to trade for wisdom, which she would purchase at any rate.
III. What entertainment Solomon gave her. He despised not the weakness of her sex, blamed her not for leaving her own business at home to come so long a journey, and put herself and him to so much trouble and expense merely to satisfy her curiosity; but he made her welcome and all her train, gave her liberty to put all her questions, though some perhaps were frivolous, some captious, and some over-curious; he allowed her to commune with him of all that was in her heart (v. 2) and gave her a satisfactory answer to all her questions (v. 3), whether natural, moral, political, or divine. Were they designed to try him? he gave them such turns as abundantly satisfied her of his uncommon knowledge. Were they designed for her own instruction? (as we suppose most of them were), she received abundant instruction from him, and he made things surprisingly easy which she apprehended insuperably difficult, and satisfied her that there was a divine sentence in the lips of this king. But he informed her no doubt, with particular care, concerning God, and his law and instituted worship. He had taken it for granted (ch. viii. 42) that strangers would hear of his great name, and would come thither to enquire after him; and now that so great a stranger came we may be sure he was not wanting to assist and encourage her enquiries, and give her a description of the temple, and the officers and services of it, that she might be persuaded to serve the Lord whom she now sought.
IV. How she was affected with what she saw and heard in Solomon’s court. Divers things are here mentioned which she admired, the buildings and furniture of his palace, the provision that was made very day for his table (when she saw that perhaps she wondered where there were mouths for all that meat, but when she saw the multitude of his attendants and guests she was as ready to wonder where was the meat for all those mouths), the orderly sitting of his servants, every one in his place, and the ready attendance of his ministers, without any confusion, their rich liveries, and the propriety with which his cup-bearers waited at his table. These things she admired, as adding much to his magnificence. But, above all these, the first thing mentioned (which contained all) is his wisdom (v. 4), of the transcendency of which she now had incontestable proofs: and the last thing mentioned, which crowned all, is his piety, the ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord, with what gravity and seriousness, and an air of devotion in his countenance, he appeared, when he went to the temple to worship God, with as much humility then as majesty at other times. Many of the ancient versions read it, The burnt-offerings which he offered in the house of the Lord; she observed with what a generous bounty he brought his sacrifices, and with what a pious fervour he attended the offering of them; never did she see so much goodness with so much greatness. Every thing was so surprising that there was no more spirit in her, but she stood amazed; she had never seen the like.
V. How she expressed herself upon this occasion. 1. She owned her expectation far out-done, though it was highly raised by the report she heard, 1Ki 10:6; 1Ki 10:7. She is far from repenting her journey or calling herself a fool for undertaking it, but acknowledges it was well worth her while to come so far for the sight of that which she could not believe the report of. Usually things are represented to us, both by common fame and by our own imagination, much greater than we find them when we come to examine them; but here the truth exceeded both fame and fancy. Those who, through grace, are brought to experience the delights of communion with God will say that the one-half was not told them of the pleasures of Wisdom’s ways and the advantages of her gates. Glorified saints, much more, will say that it was a true report which they heard of the happiness of heaven, but that the thousandth part was not told them, 1 Cor. ii. 9. 2. She pronounced those happy that constantly attended him, and waited on him at table: “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants (v. 8); they may improve their own wisdom by hearing thine.” She was tempted to envy them and to which herself one of them. Note, It is a great advantage to be in good families, and to have opportunity of frequent converse with those that are wise, and good, and communicative. Many have this happiness who know not how to value it. With much more reason may we say this of Christ’s servants, Blessed are those that dwell in his house, they will be still praising him. 3. She blessed God, the giver of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth, and the author of his advancement, who had made him king, (1.) In kindness to him, that he might have the larger opportunity of doing good with his wisdom: He delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, v. 9. Solomon’s preferment began in the prophet’s calling him Jedidiah, because the Lord loved him, 2 Sam. xii. 25. It more than doubles our comforts if we have reason to hope they come from God’s delight in us. It was his pleasure concerning thee (so it may be read) to set thee on the throne, not for thy merit’s sake, but because it so seemed good unto him. (2.) In kindness to the people, because the Lord loved Israel for ever, designed them a lasting bliss, long to survive him that laid the foundations of it. “He has made thee king, not that thou mayest live in pomp and pleasure, and do what thou wilt, but to do judgment and justice.” This she kindly reminded Solomon of, and no doubt he took it kindly. Both magistrates and ministers must be more solicitous to do the duty of their places than to secure the honours and profits of them. To this she attributes his prosperity, not to his wisdom, for bread is not always to the wise (Eccl. ix. 11), but whoso doeth judgment and justice, it shall be well with him, Jer. xxii. 15. Thus giving of thanks must be made for kings, for good kings, for such kings; they are what God makes them to be.
VI. How they parted. 1. She made a noble present to Solomon of gold and spices, v. 10. David had foretold concerning Solomon that to him should be given of the gold of Sheba, Ps. lxxii. 15. The present of gold and spices which the wise men of the east brought to Christ was signified by this, Matt. ii. 11. Thus she paid for the wisdom she had learned and did not think she bought it dearly. Let those that are taught of God give him their hearts, and the present will be more acceptable than this of gold and spices. Mention is made of the great abundance Solomon had of his own, notwithstanding she presented and he accepted this gold. What we present to Christ he needs not, but will have us so to express our gratitude. The almug-trees are here spoken of (1Ki 10:11; 1Ki 10:12) as extraordinary, because perhaps much admired by the queen of Sheba. 2. Solomon was not behind-hand with her: He gave her whatsoever, she asked, patterns, we may suppose, of those things that were curious, by which she might make the like; or perhaps he gave her his precepts of wisdom and piety in writing, besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty, v. 13. Thus those who apply to our Lord Jesus will find him not only greater than Solomon, and wiser, but more kind; whatsoever we ask, it shall be done for us; nay, he will, out of his divine bounty, which infinitely exceeds royal bounty, even Solomon’s, do for us more than we are able to ask or think.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
First Kings – Chapter 10 AND Second Chronicles – Chapter 9
A Royal Visitor, Commentary on 1Ki 10:1-13 AND 2Ch 9:1-12
This time the parallel accounts are very similar, in places exact. The Lord’s promise to make Solomon’s wisdom and his fame known widely had come to pass. In faraway Sheba the queen heard of the unparalleled wisdom of the king of Israel. So glowing were the reports and beyond belief the queen decided to prove it for herself by making the long journey by camel caravan to Jerusalem. She had prepared her queries to test his knowledge before she came. In honor of Solomon’s greatness she also brought very rich presents of gold and spices borne by her camels.
Solomon received the queen of Sheba and submitted to her test of his wisdom. He passed her test admirably, not one of her questions was he unable to answer. So thoroughly convinced was the queen that Solomon was the man of great wisdom of whom she had been told, it is said that the spirit went out of her. In other words, her desire to disprove the report was abandoned. The queen observed the abundance of the food prepared daily for Solomon’s servants and courtiers, the ceremony by which he went about his governance of the kingdom, the uniforms and mannerly conduct of ministers and cupbearers, and the pageantry with which he went up to worship in the temple.
So the queen of Sheba admitted to Solomon that the report of him which had reached her ears in her own country was indeed true. In fact, though she had not then believed it, she now acknowledged that the half had not been related to her. His wisdom and prosperity were of far greater fame than it was told. She assessed it a blessed privilege for his servants and his men to be in his presence daily and to hear his great words of wisdom. She blessed the Lord who loved Israel so well as to give them such a magnificent king as Solomon. Truly Israel was for once living up to the Lord’s expectation that the surrounding nations should see His blessings on Israel and magnify Him also (Gen 18:18).
The gold the queen of Sheba presented to Solomon amounted to a hundred and twenty talents (more than $120 million in modern value). The spices were so great that so much never came to Israel again. Besides all this she also brought precious stones. This great wealth was in addition to what the navy brought from Ophir in the ships of Hiram. These ships also brought the exotic wood of the almug (or algum) tree, which was used to make beautiful pillars and terraces in the palace and temple. Some of it was also used to construct musical instruments, as the harp and psaltery. It was Israel’s age of glory, for she never attained such heights of greatness again.
Solomon was not to be outdone in the matter of gifts. Not only did he make present to the queen of Sheba from the royal bounty, but also allowed her to take whatever she saw which suited her fancy. At last she returned, with her servants, to her own country. Her name is not revealed (she is usually called Sheba, which was actually the name of her country), but she has continued through the centuries well known to Bible readers and to those who do not read it. Jesus used her journey to rebuke those in Israel in His day for not believing in Him, saying, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold a greater than Solomon is here” (Lu 12:42). When the queen saw she believed; sinners see the power of Christ but refuse to believe, and are therefore condemned.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
SOLOMON AND THE SACRED TEMPLE
1 Kings 1-11.
IN previous discussions, we have called attention to the chronology of the Old Testament, and have shown that the Books are correctly placed from the standpoint of history. Certainly the Books of the Kings belong where found in the Sacred Canon. David has held the field of view in the Books of Samuel, and I Kings opens with a record of his age, infirmity and approaching death.
The Books of Biblical history make up, for the most part, an unbroken series. The events reported as attending the kings death are at once natural, in keeping with the times and customs of that far-off century. The scramble between the sons as to succession in office and the inheritance of riches and honor, are easily believable because they belong to every century, and abate not. The methods of Adonijah, amounting to merely a repetition of Absoloms abortive attempt, reveal the mental inability and moral and political incapacity of that ambitious boy. His neglect to take Nathan, the Prophet, into counsel, or to seek advice from Benaiah and other mighty men, or even regard his brother Solomons claims, reveal the fact that he knew himself to be indulging a political plot that could succeed only in shadows and secrecy.
The opening chapter makes clear the fact that the Prophet of God is a capital statesman, for it was Nathan who brought this whole matter to the attention of Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon; and through her, reached the king and settled the question, and seated Bathshebas son on the throne.
An interesting study is excited by those verses in this same first chapter which reveal two things; first, that the dying man is far more interested in things eternal than in things temporal (1kings 1:29); more deeply concerned in permanent Israel than in his own passing throne (1 Kings 1:30); more alive to the moral and spiritual interests of his country than to its material and political supremacy; and in proportion to that interest, anxious to be succeeded in office by the one man to whom he could intrust both Gods people and Gods truth (1Ki 2:2 fol.).
With this introduction, we come naturally to three themes that compass somewhat clearly the chapters of our text: Solomons Succession to the Throne; Solomons Greatest Single Achievement; The Secrets of Solomons Signal Failure.
SOLOMONS SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly (1Ki 2:12).
In coming to this office, he came as his fathers favorite. In the establishment of Israel, Isaac desired the line through Esau, and Rebecca contrived to secure it through her favorite, Jacob; but in this instance, father and mother agree as to the son who shall stand in the fathers stead. It is not at all likely that this choice was wholly a result of the certain influence exerted over the king by the beautiful Bathsheba. That impulse was doubtless present, but the controlling sentiment of the matter rested upon a firmer foundation. A father knows his own children. He knows their weaknesses and their strength; their abilities and their disabilities; their traits of dependableness and their habits of deceit. As between Adonijah and Solomon, David did not need to debate. From the days when as infants they lay in his arms until now, he had studied them, and doubtless often with this very hour in view; and his judgment was already made and had been communicated to both Bathsheba and the Prophet. It is difficult for children to imagine that their parents understand them, properly estimate them, justly judge them; but practically every family furnishes a positive proof that the best judges of character are the very people who have sought to control conduct and direct endeavor. The after history of Solomon is not all the Christian reader could wish. Had David lived on for two-score more years, feeble, infirm, having surrendered the reigns of rule into Solomons hands, he would have seen much come to pass that would have grieved his aged soul; but in spite of all that, he still would have gone to his grave, convinced beyond debate that Adonijah would have fallen shorter still, and Israels interests suffered more deeply in his hands.
These facts are the basis of a second reason why the rulership went to Solomon.
He was the Lords chosen. Men easily make mistakes in judging their fellows. Fathers even fall short in truly estimating the worth or worthlessness of their own, but God, who looketh on the heart rather than on the outward appearance, and who knows what is in man, as against what man imagines and announces himself to be, makes no such mistake. With the discernment of an infinite wisdom, Jehovah saw in Solomon mental traits, moral convictions, spiritual aspirations, that led Him, as He was led in the case of David, the father, to elect this man from among many sons.
The reaction in my mind, on reading the first chapters of I Kings, was a revolt. In my haste I came near questioning the wisdom of God to set such a man as Solomon on the throne, or to lend His approval to his methods of government. That grew out of the slaughters recorded in chapter 2. My soul sickened when he sent his servant Benaiah to slay his brother, and he fell upon him that he died (1Ki 2:25); when Joab was taken from the horns of the altar and slain without mercy (1Ki 2:30-34); when Shimei perished at Benaiahs hands and by the kings command (1Ki 2:39-41), I confess I came to the phrase, And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, with a sickening sense, asking myself, Can one cement the foundations of a true throne with the blood of his brothers, and be under a Divine benediction?
But I am glad for further study. Our judgments are often immature; our speech is often hasty, and when we take issue with the Divine will, our way is always mistaken. I had overlooked for the time that each of these men had not only courted death, but practically compelled it, and had compelled it by the violation of the Law of the Lord. For instance, the one of them to whom the readers sympathy goes out most quickly is Joab, the warrior, the man who had once favored David and fought for him; but alas, when one reviews the history of Joab, he consents to the justice of his fate. How many he had slain, and with what perfidy he had performed these slaughters! Guile had been his brutal instrument. He took Abner aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died (2Sa 3:27). He concealed his sword while whispering in Amasas ear and yet ripped him until his bowels fell to the ground (2Sa 20:10). The Law of the Lord was, If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die (Exo 21:14); and the Law of the Lord is living still and Solomons servant is merely executing the same.
Slaughter is horrible; battle and death wound and offend our spirits; but battle and death and slaughter are not, when all are combined, the undermining factors of civilization, the fiends of successful rebellion against all moral worth, that disregard of Divine law and disobedience to the same, surely effect. It is important, I grant you, that men shall live their natural days, but far more important is it that the law of God shall live. In the last analysis, death is the natural incident of disobedience, so that the brutal features of Solomons reign are features intended to end the shedding of blood. It was a war against war; it was a just judgment against unjust judgments; it was a capital punishment of most capital crimes.
Solomon also became the choice of the people.
And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them (1Ki 1:39-40).
It is a great sequence when the public acclaims the will of the Lord. The government chosen of God and clearly accepted by the people has magnificent promise, and holds momentous prospects. It is fairly evident from the whole text that Solomon had those personal traits that rendered Absalom popular in his daythe traits of physical beauty and prowess; but in Solomons case, intellectual acumen and even a certain spiritual power added to his acceptance with the people. It may be true that the designing politician easily deceives the public and often experiences undeserved popularity; but few uninspired sentences are more true than Abraham Lincolns, You cannot fool all the people all of the time.
We are not enamored of the notion of the old Latin proverb, Vox populi, vox Dei, for it is a rule that has more exceptions than applications! But on the other hand, the final judgment of man is compelled to conform to the judgment of God, for what God sees and understands by His infinite wisdom becomes increasingly evident by the action that makes history; and sooner or later the voice of the people will second the voice of God.
Victory ought to be comparatively easy for a young man entering upon an important office with the backing of a kingly father, an infinite Lord and the will of the people. At many points Solomon witnessed success; his rule was long continued; his material prosperity became the amazement of the age; his political powers rapidly increased, while his mental and spiritual perceptions were the envy of kings and queens.
I think, however, it is well to dwell upon
SOLOMONS GREATEST SINGLE ACHIEVEMENT
This was not his alliance with Pharaoh, nor his marriage into the kings house, nor the political supremacy to which he attained, nor the luxurious living in which he indulged himself, nor the splendors of his court! On the other hand, it was the creation of the temple of God. That achievement is as easily linked up, however, with some facts of his mental and spiritual existence as it is with his political and religious supremacy.
He laid for lifes fabric a true foundation. When God appeared to him in Gibeon in a dream at night, and said, Ask what I shall give thee (1Ki 3:5), the answer revealed the soul of the youth. Give * * Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad (1Ki 3:9). A prayer like that could result only in the Divine favor; yea, even in the Divine affection. So far as the record goes, the boy Solomon had been a beautiful lad, his life clean, his conduct upright, his character above reproach; and now to have such a prayer emanate from his lips invites both human and Divine love. We are compelled to think that the principles which compel Gods love are not wholly different from those which control human affection. When the rich young ruler, white-souled, intellectually accomplished, spiritually enthusiastic, fell at the feet of Jesus to inquire what good thing he could do to inherit eternal life, Christ looked upon him to love him. It may be true that by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God; but it is not true that God disregards the deeds of the Law, looks with contempt or indifference upon high human conduct, takes no vital concern in beautiful character. The whole Scripture seems to clearly intimate that upright conduct linked with spiritual expression is lovely in the sight of God.
Neither the Bible nor Spirit-instructed men imagine, with the author of a certain University textbook, that the human intellect is merely a brute mind greatly developed, nor do they hold with another author, compulsory upon students study in some institutions, that the soul is accounted for by the development of the social in brute life.
On the contrary, the Bible teaches that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, including intellect and spirit, his reasoning powers and his capability of receiving revelation.
If Solomon lived now and was a student in certain departments of the University, they would be teaching him that the only possible way of having wisdom is to evolve the ape intellectuality to a higher plane; but suffering the misfortune of living and dying before Darwins day, the great soul of the worlds wisest man knew no better than to look upward instead of downward for such acquisition, and pray, Give * * Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad (1Ki 3:9).
There are some of us who are perfectly willing to be regarded as belonged to Mediaeval times, if Mediaevalism takes the Scripture against the speculation of man and looks above for true wisdom instead of back, beneath, or below. If I could have my personal choice for every child born into my home, concerning the whole matter of education, I would rather have him or her begin the real battle of life begging for such a blessing and believing that God is capable of granting it, than to have him made familiar with all the sophistries and speculations of those modern text-books that turn men to believing that they are a big improvement on brute ancestors, and boasting the same. One thing is fairly clear, namely, that men who believe God and build life according to the laws of His Book, are the simple men of the centuries to which they belong, and become the inspiring examples to children born of later days.
He built not for self alone, but he remembered God. It is not difficult to believe, if one follows the personal history of this potentate, that his steps are determined by definite objectives. When all Israel had come under his sway, he appointed twelve officers, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision (1Ki 4:7). In other words, he was a man who organized government and who organized finances, and witnessed the fruits of his organization in both fields by bringing the entire people to subjection and creating a palace of such splendor and attendants as the world has seldom seen. Forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen (1Ki 4:26), sound almost as extravagant as the years of Methuselahs life, and yet there is far less doubt of the latter than of the former. That he was not a mere indolent, daddled in the lap of a daily luxury wrung from unwilling taxpayers, is everywhere apparent. He was a man among men, a prince among thinkers, a king among courtiers. His fame was in all the nations. He spake 3,000 proverbs; he wrote 1,005 songs; he made all nature to contribute in illustration, and he compelled admiration from all the kings of the earth (1Ki 4:29-34). His banqueting halls assembled the worlds elite, his wisdom astonished the worlds wise.
His alliance with King Hiram, however, was made, not that he might further extend his kingly power, nor that he might exercise a wider world influence, but in the interest of A TEMPLE OF GOD. In the realms of Hiram were the cedars of Lebanon coveted for that sanctuary. In the able-bodied men of his own kingdom were the thousands he proposed to set at the task. He laid upon these competent builders a tax of time, tithing every three months, and builders in wood and stone wrought together that the temple might rise. And what a temple it was!
That sanctuary, glorious as is this description, requires many another line to do it justice. 2 Chronicles 3, 4 tells of the same great subject. The tabernacle was the prophecy of it, and the New Jerusalem to be let down from Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, is the final substance of which this was the symbol. It arose without sound of a hammer; it excelled all the sanctuaries that the world had ever seen or has yet seen; its appointments were the most expensive and yet intended in every case to turn the mind to God, to teach the heart to pray, the feet to walk in the path of the just, and the tongue to sing.
There are some extravagances that are justified. It pays to put great sacrifice into the proper education of your child, for when the preparation days are over, life is to follow; and it pays to put thousands of dollars into a sanctuary, because when the men who sacrificed to erect it sleep in the dust, the sanctuary will live and pour upon the world streams of sacred influence.
There is, however, in the first verse of the 7th chapter a significant remark, But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. In other words, while he built for himself, he at the same time and on a vaster scale, built for God. There are people who think when they build for themselves that is all they can do. Gods house must wait until mine is finished! Divinely sacred obligations must be delayed until the domestic and secular are discharged. God cannot receive a gift until the grocer is fully paid. How strangely men reason! How quickly they forget revelation. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness?. It would be an interesting thing to investigate history to find whether Israel was impoverished by the erection of the Temple, or whether she was not enriched instead, to discover whether those were days of financial reverses or the one period of Israels material prosperity.
The reign of Solomon remains forever glorious and stands as a symbol of all material success. Sacrifices for the sanctuary do not impoverishthey enrich; they do not bleedthey bless! The only man who suffers when the sanctuary is going up is the man who withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
But an equally significant thing is found in another statement from this Scripture.
Solomon knew that an elegant Temple was inadequate without God. One no sooner reads, So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord (1Ki 7:51), than he finds the same king exercising some of the wisdom that had come in answer to his prayer. That wisdom voiced itself in the decision to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. That ark of the covenant represented the Divine Presence and the expression of the Divine favor. Until it came into the Temple, the Temple itself, with all its splendid proportions and appointments, was destitute of spiritual power. There is no advantage resident in an elegant house called a church of God. There are many fanes that are cold, ceremonious, spiritually dead. In all their splendid precincts there is not the sound of an angels wing, nor the sense of a spiritual presence. The most pathetic sight in the world is the stately sanctuary out of which God has gone, or into which He has never come.
I have seen, in the Old World, cathedrals that were merely show-houses open to the eyes of American visitors; but few folk ever gathered in their spacious halls, and even those who came had not sufficient spiritual life to start one sleepy rivulet of praise, and the consequence was that a vested choir of boys were salaried to provide a substitute. They are elegant sarcophagi, enshrining the dead forms of a former faith; and we rehearse all of this to remind those who worship in this house of God and by whose splendid and heroic sacrifices these buildings are rising at this city centerhouses better adapted to Divine worship than any I have ever seen besidethat they could and would become mausoleums and empty ones at that, if out of them we lost God, or into them we failed to bring the ark of the covenant with its Shekinah glory, symbol of the Presence of God, and its typical content, Aarons rod that budded, sign of life coming out of death; the pot of manna, type of the bread from Heaven, and the tables of the Law, a faithful transcription of the Divine Word.
I say it solemnly and with the profoundest conviction that these buildings will mean to us and to our children and to our city and country and to the world, exactly as much as may be measured by the Divine presence in them, and the emanation of the Word of God from them. They are not an end in themselves, but a medium instead; and the medium of a message Divine. If God be here, and here His Word be preached and believed and practised, then the untold ages will unfold the influences of this sanctuary and the nations of the world will feel it.
SOLOMONS SECRETS OF SIGNAL FAILURE
The Bible is unique in that it as faithfully presents the secrets of failure as it does those of achievement. Its photographic effects reveal blemishes as surely as beauty, and make as evident the sins of men as they make clear the sanctity of God. Through these same chapters there runs an undertone, a minor key, a note set to sobs, and Solomon is the subject of this as well.
He started wrong by a compromise of his convictions. Life is a composite! Conduct is paradoxical! Character itself is unnatural compromise! The good and bad mix together. Successes and failures are sometimes so interwoven that the lesser is not seen in the light of the greater.
In the 3rd chapter we read, And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaohs daughter (1Ki 3:1). That is a significant step. Its original objective may have been political, but politics and morals cannot be divorced; life and religion cannot be separated. We are told that Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, but there must be added, only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places (1Ki 3:3). How significant! An unholy alliance results in disloyalty to the Divinest, and in partial departure from the plain Word of God. Thereby a question is raised, Which of these elements will conquer at last? As Joseph Parker says: There may be but a semi-colon between that one path of life and the other in the verbal record of the two, and yet that semi-colon is finally swelled to an infinity of distance and only time will tell which triumphed the statutes of the Lord or the incense of idolatry. When one leaves the incense of idolatry for the statutes of the Lord, he faces away from the morning twilight to a perfect day; but when one leaves the statutes of the Lord for the incense in high places, he is faced from the evening twilight toward utter and increasing darkness.
There is a wonderful psychology in one of Davids prayers, Who can understand his errors? cleanse Thou me from secret faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression (Psa 19:12-13). There is no doubt whatever that that very utterance describes the intimate and progressive relation between a mere error in judgment or thought, and that final sin described as the great transgression or the iniquity unpardonable.
A second secret of his failure was pride in culture and possessions. His wisdom went on exhibit (1Ki 4:34). The kings and queens of the earth came to Jerusalem (1 Kings 10), not merely to study and admire the material possessions of King Solomon, but to sit under his scintillating genius, give audience to his matchless moral maxims known as proverbs and applaud his superior and almost unnumbered songs. The most insidious temptations of modern times take those two identical forms, the exhibit of wisdom on the one side, and of wealth on the other. It is a serious question now which pride is the more arrogant, that of culture or of wealth. Through the first, men reject God and set themselves above the stars. Through the second, men neglect God and degrade themselves below demons.
Criticism is easy and men can be found who pass unsparing censure upon Solomon, but when we see the millions going down before one or the other of these temptations, why should we be surprised that Solomons feet slid under the shove of both?
Education is a great thing, but when education brings a man to be wise above what is written, it converts him into a cultured fool.
Material wealth has its advantages, but when riches result in luxuries that pander only to lust, then indeed they prove themselves the root of all evil.
I shall not stop now to elaborate on the dedication of the Temple, to remark upon the prayers made in the place, and the promises of God uttered for its good. The service of dedication, in which we now engage together, affords us further opportunity for such study.
But I want to conclude by calling your attention to the contents of the 11th chapter. It might be named The Eclipse of Solomons Sun!
Through unholy alliances he lost out with God. The chapter not only records his love of many strange women, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, Hittites, etc., but as one author has said, lays emphasis upon the fact that they were strange women, not in the ordinary sense of scarlet, but in the Bible sense, strangers to God and His Word. The alliance was not so much a personal one, with wives and concubines, as it was an irreligious one with false systems.
The Lord had warned the Children of Israel concerning the nations about, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods; and yet it is written, Solomon clave unto these in love; and again, his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel. No wonder it was said, And the Lord was angry with Solomon, nor yet further theatened concerning his kingdom, I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
Whatever the alliance is that turns one from God and His Word, that is unholy, and in the end, destined to destroy.
The 11th chapter of I Kings is pathetic in that it records the down-going of Solomon. He not only worshipped at false shrines but even consented to construct the same (1Ki 11:7). To turn from God is eventually to turn against God. To admit a false shrine into your life is to cease from worship at the true one, and who will tell the final result? With Solomon the foundations crumbled. His religion wrong, his kingdom rent; his religion wrong, his friends turned to enemies, and his lovers sought his life, and when the day broke that personal, political, fraternal and domestic disaster swept over his soul, wave upon wave, it was the same day in which he must prepare to meet his God, for the record concludes, And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead (1Ki 11:43).
It will forever remain a question as to what that sleep meant for the soul of the matchless man. Theologians will always dispute whether he was saved or lost and whether he went to his grave in calm confidence or with cringing and justifiable fear.
But human judgment is inadequate, superficial, even censorious. How blessed the circumstance that Divine judgment is after another manner! If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Personally, I believe that Solomon was a saved man, whose weaknesses, incidental to the flesh, never wholly eclipsed his faith in God, and whose disloyal acts were Divinely judged, and sentence executed even while he lived, whose soul was saved; yet so as by fire, and many of whose works were burned even before his very eyes. The pathos of his death is not in the danger that for him to be dead is to be in hell. It is in the failure to so fight the battle of life as to come to a victorious close, to a triumphant entry, to the shout of a Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day (2Ti 4:7-8).
It is worth an eternal contest against the adversary and his multiplied forms of temptation, to be able to come to the last hour as Dwight L. Moody met the last enemy, when, silencing his daughters prayers, he said, No, no, Emma; dont ask that. The earth is receding; the heavens are opening; God is calling. I am going!
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND SOLOMON
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.
1Ki. 10:1. Queen of ShebaThe Arabs and Abyssinians both claim this queen, and surround this historic visit with rival legends (comp. Stanleys Jewish Church, pp. 259262). The former name her Balkis; the latter, Maqueda. But the country here denoted is in Arabia Felix, Saba, the capital of the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, and not (with which Josephus confounds it)i.e., Mero in African Ethiopia, viz., Abyssinia. Fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LordWords difficult of interpretation: De Wette, to Jehovahs honour; Ewald, through the glory of Jehovah; Weil, by Jehovah so glorifying Himself in him; Gesenius, by Jehovahs favour; Keil, in regard to the name of the Lord. Hard questionsRiddles or enigmas.
1Ki. 10:2. Spices, very much gold, and precious stonesSaba, or , in Arabia Felix, was abundant in these valuables, and its inhabitants were celebrated among Hebrews and Greeks for extensive trade in these products.
1Ki. 10:4. Housei.e., his own palace, for things mentioned in 1Ki. 10:5 belonged to the palace.
1Ki. 10:5. His ascent by which he went up, &c.All the versions (Sept., Chald., Syr., and Vulg.) read burnt offerings which he offered up in, &c.; but Keil, Winer, Ewald, and others, retain the reading in A. V. Probably it was an arched viaduct leading from the palace to the temple (2Ki. 16:18), the remains of which have recently been discovered.
1Ki. 10:10. An hundred and twenty talents of gold = 720,000: and spices, from probably balsam.
1Ki. 10:11. Almug trees2Ch. 9:10-11, has algum wood. most probably red sandal wood.
1Ki. 10:12. Pillars. This word occurs here only, and its meaning is doubtful, though its root, , means to support, make sure. Keil and Ewald think balustrades; Jarchi and Lange, tessellated pavements.
1Ki. 10:14-15. Solomons revenue666 talents=3,996,000.
HOMILETICS OF 1Ki. 10:1-13
THE LOVE OF WISDOM
I. Exceeds the love of wealth and station. Here was a woman occupying the most illustrious position, the queen of a country so highly favoured that it was called The Happy Land, and possessing unlimited resources, as the splendour of her retinue and the richness of her presents indicated, smitten with a love of that which was to her more precious than crown or sceptre. There are wants in man which neither riches nor honours can satisfy. The deep questionings and eager longings of the heart can be met only by the solutions of a higher wisdom. It is a good thing to doubt, better to be resolved. The mind that never doubts, shall learn nothing: the mind that ever doubts, shall never profit by learning. Our doubts only serve to stir us up to seek truth: our resolutions settle us in the truth we have found. There were no pleasure in resolutions if we had not been formerly troubled with doubts. There were nothing but discomfort and disquietness in doubts, if it were not for the hope of resolution. It is not safe to suffer doubts to dwell too long upon the heart; there may be good use of them as passengers, dangerous as inmates. Happy are we if we can find a Solomon to remove them.Bp. Hall. Many sacrifice wealth, comfort, position, and even health itself, in a life-long pursuit after truth.
II. Inspires the soul with courage and enterprize in its search. Undismayed by distance or the difficulties of travel, this rich and powerful queen journeyed from the remotest South to Jerusalem, not for the purpose of merchandise or political alliance, but purely in search of wisdom. We know merchants who venture to either Indies for wealth; others we know daily to cross the seas for wanton curiosity. Some few philosophers we have known to have gone far for learning; and amongst princes it is no unusual thing to send their ambassadors to far distant kingdoms for transaction of business, either of state or commerce. But that a royal lady should in person undertake and overcome so tedious a journey, only to observe and inquire into the mysteries of nature, art, and religion, is a thing unparalleled. Why do we think any labour great, or any way long, to hear a greater than Solomon? How justly shall the Queen of the South rise up in judgment and condemn us who may hear wisdom crying in our streets, and neglect her! Man will venture everything for that which he loves. Love is the soul and strength of bravery. The love of wisdom is ennobling.
III. Gives an aptitude in acquiring its rarest treasures (1Ki. 10:1-3). The queen came as an enquirer, to prove Solomon with hard questions. Great art is required in asking questions; and it is only a passionate love for the science in which we are specially interested that guides the mind to the most important points on which light is needed. In most things love sees not with the eye, but with the mind; and its divinings are subtle and wonderfully verified. The spirit of this asking of questions and solving of dark riddles is of the very nature of the Socratic wisdom itself. To ask questions rightly, said Lord Bacon, is the half of knowledge. Life without cross-examination is no life at all, said Socrates. And of this stimulating process, of this eager enquiry, of this cross-examining of our thoughts, bringing new meanings out of old words, Solomon is the first example. When we enquire, when we question, when we are restless in our search after truth, when we seek it from unexpected quarters, we are but following in the steps of the Wise King of Judah and the Wise Queen of Sheba.Stanley. The enquiries of the royal student were fully and satisfactorily answered (1Ki. 10:3). Happy are they whose doubts are resolved, and whose hearts are set at rest.
IV. Reverently acknowledges its Divine origin (1Ki. 10:4-9). And if this great personage admire the wisdom, the buildings, the domestic order of Solomon, and chiefly his stately ascent into the House of the Lord, how should our souls be taken up with wonder at thee, O thou true Son of David, and Prince of Everlasting Peace, who receivedst the Spirit not by measure, who has built this glorious house not made with hands, even the heaven of heavens, whose infinite Providence hath sweetly disposed of all the family of thy creatures, both in heaven and earth; and who didst ascend on high and leddest captivity captive, and gavest gifts to men.Bishop Hall. True wisdom is from above, and bears the indelible impress of its heavenly origin (Jas. 3:17). A generous spirit will acknowledge and admire the genius which he finds in another: a devout spirit will trace all gifts to their Divine source, and adore the affluence and wisdom of the Giver.
LESSONS:
1. Wisdom is worthy of diligent self-denying search. 2. A saving knowledge of Christ, who is the wisdom of God, is the highest and only satisfying wisdom.
This passage may be also homiletically treated as follows:
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA, A TYPE OF THE HEATHEN SEEKING AFTER TRUTH
It was no uncommon thing in ancient times for men to travel far in search of wisdom. They would traverse seas, and deserts, and mountains to visit the spots famous for learning, and to converse with men celebrated in philosophy. The increased facilities with which the most distant countries are now reached, and the vast number of people who now travel with such variety of objects, do not admit of the career of a seeker of knowledge being so noticeable as of yore. And yet the search for increased light is not less earnest, and it is certainly more general. The cry of the dying Goethe is the cry of millions to-day, Light, more light! The Queen of Sheba is a type of the intense desire with which thousands outside the circle of Christian teaching are seeking after truth.
I. There is the admission of conscious need. The Queen of Sheba possessed everything that could minister to her temporal enjoyment. She had wealth, prosperity, rank, power; but these did not satisfy the cravings of her soul. There was a sense of something still needed in order to attain happiness. That something was the wisdom described and extolled in Pro. 3:13-18. The sense of need is the spur which goads the soul onward in its weary, painful search for rest. The sinner never seeks forgiveness till he is first conscious of his sin; he never flees for safety till he is roused to a sense of danger. Our fitness to receive the blessings of the gospel is the humble confession of our need. God delights to fill the empty, to feed the hungry, to cheer the disconsolate.
II. There is the eagerness with which the intelligence of clearer light is welcomed. The Sheban Queen heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord (1Ki. 10:1). God hath no use of the dark lanterns of secret and reserved perfections: we ourselves do not light up candles to put them under bushels. The great lights, whether of heaven or earth, are not intended to obscurity; but as to give light unto others, so to be seen themselves. Dan and Beersheba were too strait bounds for the fame of Solomon, which now had flown over lands and seas, and raised the world to an admiration of his more than human wisdom. Even so, O thou Everlasting King of Peace! Thy name is great among the Gentiles. There is no speech nor language where the report of Thee is not heard. Fame, as it is always a blab, so ofttimes a liar. The wise princess found cause to distrust so uncertain an informer, whose reports are either doubtful or fabulous, and, like winds or streams, increase in passing. This great queen would not suffer herself to be led by ears, but comes in person to examine the truth. How much more unsafe is it, in the most important businesses of our souls, to trust the opinions and reports of others! Those eyes and ears are ill bestowed that do not serve to choose and judge for their owners.Bp. Hall. The anxious enquirer hails with joy the faintest glimmer of light which will conduct him out of the dark labyrinth in which he has been so long wandering; as the inhabitant of the Polar Regions, shut up in darkness for the greater part of the year, rejoices to descry the first rosy rays of dawn kindling on the snow-clad mountain tops, which announce to him the approach of the summer, during which the sun never sets.
III. There is the willingness to seek truth wherever it may be found. And she came to Jerusalem, &c. (1Ki. 10:2). She spared neither expense nor trouble; the toils and dangers of travel did not intimidate, the scorn and contempt of the world did not trouble. The soul-hunger for the word of life, the desire to know something about the name of Jehovah, enabled her to overcome all difficulties, and brave all perils. How superior is this heathen woman to many Christians who hunger and thirst after all possible things, but never after a knowledge of truth and wisdom. The sincere seeker after truth will press through fire and water, will sunder the dearest ties of relationship, will sacrifice the most brilliant prospects in life, to attain the goal where light and rest and peace are to be found (e.g., the history of Sakya-Muni, founder of Buddhism).
IV. There is the joyous acknowledgment of the truth (1Ki. 10:4-9).
1. This acknowledgment was the result of overwhelming conviction. When the queen had seen all Solomons wisdom, &c., there was no more spirit in her (1Ki. 10:4-5). She saw, examined, and judged for herself; the evidence was ample, and the conviction irresistible. The reality of Solomons ability and greatness exceeded all she had heard. The profession of truth that is not based on clear and profound conviction will not be permanent. The true order is laid down by the apostle: We believe, and therefore speak (2Co. 4:13).
2. This acknowledgment was freely and generously rendered (1Ki. 10:6-8). An unprejudiced mind will readily and cheerfully admit the force of truth. It is weak, it is dishonest, not to act up to the deepest convictions of the soul. The martyrs and confessors bore nobly their testimony in the presence of cruelty and death.
3. This acknowledgment recognized the Divine source of truth (1Ki. 10:9). Perhaps the heathen queen was turned from her dumb idols, henceforth to worship the living and true God. This was a general belief among Jewish writers. God is the fountain of all truth; and He should be praised continually for the abundant revelations with which He has favoured the race.
V. There is the practical manifestation of a grateful heart (1Ki. 10:10). The queen brought presents of gold, of precious stones, and fragrant spices. The test of our gratitude to God is seen in what we give to him. Few give according to their ability, none in proportion to the blessings received. How should we bring unto Thee, O Thou King of Heaven, the purest gold of Thine own graces, the sweet odour of our obedience. Was not this withal a type of that homage which should be done unto Thee, O Saviour, by the heads of the nations? The kings of Tarshish and the isles bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts, yea, all kings shall worship Thee, all nations shall serve Thee (Isaiah 60). They cannot enrich themselves, but by giving unto Thee. True wisdom cannot be bought with gold, but too much gold cannot be spent in its attainment and propagation. It cannot be too dearly bought, not too far fetched.
LESSONS:
1. Great is the responsibility of that nation which possesses the light of Divine Truth.
2. A sincere seeker after Truth shall not seek in vain.
3. The eagerness with which the heathen embraces the Truth is a rebuke to the cold indifference of more highly favoured nations.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
1Ki. 10:1-13. The Queen of Sheba comes to Solomon.
1. She comes in order to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
2. She finds more than she expected.
3. She worships and praises the Lord for what she has seen and heard.
4. She returns home in peace, with rich gifts. Solomon receiving the Queen of Sheba a type of Christ (Mat. 22:42).
1. He did not reject her who sought Him, but raised her up (JJohn 6:37).
2. He solved her questions, and showed her His glory (Joh. 1:9; Joh. 1:14; Joh. 6:68). 3. He accepted her gifts, and gave her much more in return, even all that she desired and requested (Joh. 10:11; Joh. 10:28; Joh. 16:24; Joh. 4:13).
1Ki. 10:1-3. The dissolving of doubts (compared with Dan. 5:16). Doubts and questions arc the common lot and heritage of humanity. They vary in their subjects and times, but we have them always on hand. We live just now in a specially doubting age, where almost every matter of feeling is openly doubted, or, it may be, openly denied. Science puts everything in question, and literature distils the questions, making an atmosphere of them. We doubt both creation and Creator. We doubt free agency and responsibility, immortality and salvation, the utility of prayer and worship, and even of repentance for sin. And these sweeping, desolating doubts run through all grades of minds, all modes and spheres of life, as it were telegraphically, present as powers of the air to unchristen the new born thoughts of religion as fast as they arrive. The cultivated and mature have the doubts ingrown they know not how, and the younger minds encounter their subtle visitations when they do not seek them. And the more active-minded they are, and the more thoughts they have on the subject of religion, the more likely they are (unless anchored by true faith in God) to be drifted away from all the most solid and serious convictions even before they are aware of it.
Note the three principal sources and causes whence our doubts arise, and from which they get force to make their assault. They never come of truth or high discovery, but always of the want of it.
1. All the truths of religion are inherently dubitable. They are only what are called probable, never necessary truths like the truths of geometry or of numbers. In these we have the premises in our very minds themselves. In all other matters we have the premises to find. Now this field of probable truth is the whole field of religion, and of course it is competent for doubt to cover it in every part and item.
2. We begin life as unknowing creatures that have everything to learn. We grope, and groping is doubt; we handle, we question, we guess, we experiment, beginning in darkness and stumbling on towards intelligence. We are in a doom of activity, and cannot stop thinkingthinking of everythingknocking against the walls on every side; trying thus to master the problems, and about as often getting mastered by them. Yeast works in bread scarcely more blindly.
3. It is a fact that our faculty is itself in disorder. A broken or bent telescope will not see anything rightly. A filthy window will not bring in even the day as it is. So a mind wrenched from its true lines of action, or straight perception, discoloured and smirched by evil, will not see truly, but will put a blurred, misshapen look on everything. To show not how doubts may be stopped, for that is impossible, but only how they may be dissolved, or cleared away, observe:
I. Doubters never can dissolve or extirpate their doubts by inquiry, search, investigation, or any kind of speculative endeavour. They must never go after the truth to merely find it, but to practise it, and live by it. It is not enough to rally their inventiveness, doing nothing to polarize their aim. They imagine, it may be, that they are going first to settle their questions, and then, at their leisure, to act. As if they were going to get the perfect system, and complete knowledge of truth, before they move an inch in doing what they know! No, there is no fit search after truth which does not, first of all, begin to live the truth it knows.
II. There is a way for dissolving any and all doubtsa way that opens at a very small gate, but widens wonderfully after you pass. Every human soul, at a certain first point of its religious outfit, has a key given it, which is to be the open sesame of all right discovery. Using this key as it may be used, any lock is opened, any doubt dissolved. Thus every man acknowledges the distinction of right and wrong, feels the reality of that distinction, knows it by immediate consciousness even as he knows himself. Here is the key that opens everything. The true way of dissolving doubts is to begin at the beginning, and do the first thing first. Say nothing of investigation, till you have made sure of being grounded everlastingly, and with a completely whole intent, in the principle of right doing as a principle. And here it is that all unreligious men are at fault, and often without knowing, or even suspecting it. They do right things enough in the out-door, market sense of the term, and count that being right. But let them ask the question, Have I ever consented to be, and am I really now, in the right, as in principle and supreme law; to live for it, to make any sacrifice it will cost me, to believe everything it will bring me to see, to be a confessor of Christ as soon as it appears to be enjoined upon me, to go on a mission to the worlds end if due conviction sends me, to change my occupation for good conscience sake, to repair whatever wrong I have done to another, to be humbled, if I should, before my worst enemy, to do complete justice to God, and, if I could, to all worldsin a word, to be in wholly right intent, and have no mind but this for ever? Ah! how soon do they discover possibly, in this manner, that they are right only so far as they can be, and not be at all right as in principleright as doing some right things, nothing more. As certainly as the new right mind begins, it will be as if the whole heaven were bursting out in day. This is what Christ calls the single eye, and the whole body is inevitably full of light. This is the menstruum by which all doubts may be dissolved. How surely and how fast they fly away, even as fogs are burned away by the sun!
LESSONS:
1. Be never afraid of doubt.
2. Be afraid of all sophistries and tricks and strifes of disingenuous argument.
3. Have it as a fixed principle that getting into any scornful way is fatal.
4. Never settle upon anything as true because it is safer to hold it than not.
5. Have it as a law never to put force on the mind, or try to make it believe, because it spoils the minds integrity; and when that is gone, what power of advance in the truth is left?
6. Never be in a hurry to believe, never try to conquer doubts against time.Condensed from Bushnell.
1Ki. 10:4. Words must be followed by works: the beholding with her own eyes, and her very own experience, must be added to the rumours she has heard. Nathaniel, when he heard of Jesus the Messiah, spoke doubtingly at firstCan any good come out of Nazareth? But when he came and saw, he joyfully exclaimed, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel (Joh. 1:45-49). As in order to form a just conception of visible things we must see them with our own eyes, so also with invisible and Divine things: rightly to recognize them as such, we must feel and taste their strength in our own heart, and not merely hear of them from others (1Pe. 2:3; Psa. 34:9).
1Ki. 10:5. Great palaces, brilliant arrangements, &c., are objects worthy of real admiration if they are not evidently mere works to gratify the lust of the eye and the pride of life, but rather proofs of wisdom, of spiritual elevation, and of love of art. The scene here described receives very aptillustration from the Assyrian banquet scenes, where we have numerous guests sitting, dressed handsomely in fringed robes, with armlets upon their arms, and bracelets round their wrists, attendants standing behind them, and magnificent drinking cups, evidently of a costly metal, in the hands of the guests, which are filled from a great winebowl at one end of the chamber.Ancient Monarchies.
1Ki. 10:8. Not because of their fine clothes, of their high position, of their splendid possessions, did the queen regard the people and the servants of Solomon as blessed and happy; but because they could always listen to his wisdom. How much the more are those to be esteemed blessed who, sitting at His feet who Himself contains all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge, can hear the word of everlasting life from His mouth (Luk. 10:23).Lange.
1Ki. 10:9. Christ the Head and King of the church. When the Queen of Sheba came from the South to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and saw his buildings, provisions, ministers, and servants, she acknowledged and praised Jehovah, as the Author of Solomons advancement. She observes that it was an evidence of Gods special regard to him that he was set on the throne of Israel, Gods peculiar people; and she further observes that it was a token of Gods great and everlasting love to Israel that so wise and pious a prince was set over them. With much more justice may these words be applied to our Lord Jesus Christ, whom God hath set as King on His holy hill Zion; and we may say, with humble and devout praise, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which delighteth in Him to make Him Head and King of the church. Because the Lord loved mankind, and was desirous to save them for ever, therefore He made His Son King, to do judgment and justice. Let us see how the words are applicable to Christ, and what reason we have to bless God for so wise and gracious an appointment.
I. The designation or appointment of Christ to be Head and King of the church was an evident instance of Gods delight in Him. Thus a great honour was conferred upon the Son of God. It is an honour to be any way employed for God. In this view the work of Christian ministers is honourable, and it becomes them to magnify their office. It is an honour to the angels to be the ministers of God, and do his pleasure. But signal honour was conferred upon Christ, in being invested with so great authority, exalted to so extensive a dominion, and having all things put under His feet. This was an evidence that He loved righteousness and hated iniquity that God thus exalted Him. For nothing but such a disposition can give one rational being a real excellency and superiority above another. A very great trust was reposed in the Son of God; and that shows Gods approbation of Him and delight in Him, no less than recovering Gods fallen, sinful creatures to their duty and allegiance, promoting the glory of the great Lord of all, and making so considerable a part of the intelligent creation holy and happy. The Father loved His Son, and hath given all things into His hands. Again, by this appointment the glory and joy of the Redeemer were advanced. Every soul brought into subjection to Him adds to His revenue of praise and honour. He sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. This was the the joy set before Him. What superior honour can God confer on any being, than to render him an instrument of communicating great, extensive, and lasting happiness to many others? This is making such a being, in an eminent degree, like Himself. Christ hath a large sphere of service for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. There is joy in heaven whenever it prospers; and whenever the whole redeemed are presented faultless before the presence of the Divine glory, it will be to the exceeding joy of Christ Himself, and the highest evidence of Gods delight in Him.
II. The appointment of Christ to be King of the church is a remarkable instance of Gods love to man. Because He loved the world, He made Jesus Christ King to do justice and judgment. It was an evidence of Gods love to man that He appointed prophets and teachers to instruct and reclaim an ignorant, idolatrous, sinful world. But in proportion to the excellency of the persons commissioned to this work, will the Divine love and grace be apparent. It is a merciful scheme to rescue the world from ignorance, superstition, and vice, to erect a spiritual kingdom in it, to destroy the works of the devil, and to deliver men from the worst slavery. But to manifest His Son for this purpose was an astonishing instance of mercy. The perfections of His nature, and especially His moral excellencies, qualify Him for this work. His example illustrates and recommends His precepts, and He is able to bestow every blessing which we can want; to deliver us from everything that would hinder or lessen our happiness, and confer and continue everything that will promote and secure it. How pertinent and useful are such reflections as these in this connection! Did the Queen of Sheba bless the God of Israel for appointing Solomon to be king over it? And shall not I ardently praise Him for exalting a Son to be a Prince and a Saviour? I would consider from what a slavery He redeems us; from ignorance, error, and a thousand irregular lusts and passions. He redeems us to God, brings us into a state of likeness to Him and friendship with Him. He has made effectual provision that we shall not again be enslaved if we will stand fast in our liberty. I would further consider how wisely and graciously He governs us. His laws are all plain, reasonable, wholesome, excellent, enforced by the most powerful sanctions; and gracious allowances are made for our weakness and imperfection. I would consider also to what a state of glory and happiness he will raise all his faithful subjects. He will bring them to His heavenly courts, fix them beyond the reach of enemies, sorrows, and dangers, in a state of perfect holiness and never-ending joy. How affectionately and gratefully should my soul magnify the Lord for this unspeakable gift!
Reflections.When the queen of Sheba had complimented Solomon on his wisdom, prosperity, and the happiness of his servants, and praised God for making him king, she gave him much gold, spices, and precious stones. This was a token of her high veneration for him, and gratitude for the favours she had received from him. Thus, when we have been commemorating the goodness of God in exalting His Son to be the Ruler and Saviour of His people, it becomes us to offer our presents to Him. He requireth not, he needeth not gold, and silver, and precious stones. He requireth that we yield ourselves to Him; that we give Him our hearts, and testify our allegiance and subjection, not by this service only, but the obedience of our whole lives; that we submit to His government, and study to promote the interests of His kingdom. This is what we can give, what we ought to give, what alone he will accept.J. Orton.
1Ki. 10:10-13. The interchange of gifts between the queen and Solomon.
1. The queen is not content with words of praise and thanks; she testifies her gratitude by means of great and royal gifts. Of what avail are mere verbal thanks and praise, if the life be devoid of lovely deeds and of cheerful gifts, for the acknowledgment of Gods kingdom?
2. Solomon needed not the gifts; he had more than she could give him (1Ki. 10:11-12); he gave her all that heart could desire. What are all our gifts in comparison with those which we receive from the Lordthose which are immeasurably beyond what we ask and seek (Eph. 3:20), and where it is more blessed to give than to receive (Act. 20:35)!Lange.
1Ki. 10:1-13. The anxious enquirer. I. Perplexed. II. Aroused. III. Seeking. IV. Convinced. V. Satisfied.
1Ki. 10:13. With a treasure incomparable in value to gold and jewels, the queen joyfully went her way, like the eunuch of Ethiopia. How many are there who return from far journeys into distant lands, rich in gold and substance, but poor in faith and knowledge of the truth! They have lost more than they have won: the queen gained more than she lost.
The generation of the present day in comparison with the queen of Sheba. I. Its satiety and indifference. II. Its unbelief and its guilt (Mat. 12:42).Lange.
The exalted mission of a true philosophy.
1. Is to become acquainted with the highest truth.
2. To freely communicate truth to others.
3. To promote the happiness of nations by the active dissemination of truth.
4. To insist upon the imperative claims of truth.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
II. THE RECOGNITION OF SOLOMONS GLORY
(1Ki. 10:1-13)
TRANSLATION
(1) When the queen of Sheba continued to hear the report of Solomon in relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with riddles. (2) And she came to Jerusalem with a very heavy host, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came unto Solomon, she spoke unto him all which was within her heart. (3) And Solomon related to her all of her matters. Nothing was hidden from the king which he did not relate to her. (4) When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, (5) the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cup-bearers, and his ascent[270] by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit within her. (6) And she said unto the king, True was the word which I heard in my land concerning your words and your wisdom. (7) But I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes saw, and behold the half was not told me; with respect to wisdom and prosperity you have exceeded the report which I heard. (8) Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand before you continually, hearing your wisdom. (9) May the LORD your God be blessed who delighted in you to set you upon the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever and made you king to execute justice and righteousness. (1) And she gave the king a hundred twenty talents of gold and exceeding much spices and precious stones. There never came again an abundance of spices like those which the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon. (11) And also the fleet of Hiram which carried gold from Ophir brought in from Ophir very great quantities of almug trees and precious stones. (12) And the king made the almug trees into pillars for the house of the LORD and the kings house, and harps and psalteries for singers. Such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day. (13) And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire which she asked, besides that which he gave her as the hand of King Solomon. And she turned and went to her land, she and her servants.
[270] The text here literally reads his burnt offering (Heb. olatho), but Chronicles has his ascent (Heb. aliyatho).
COMMENTS
In 1Ki. 10:1-13 the author narrates one of the results produced by the wide-ranging voyages of Solomons fleet. The fame of this king and news of his great undertakings were widely diffused and stirred great wonder throughout the ancient world. Among others, an incredulous queen of Arabia came to inspect first hand the marvels of Solomons city and court. The prediction made in Solomons dedicatory prayer (1Ki. 8:42) was thereby fulfilled.
Sheba, located in southern Arabia, was one of a number of advanced states in that region contemporary with the Hebrew monarchy. These kingdoms were essentially trading empires. Costly luxury commodities from India and East Africa along with incense produced locally would move through Sheba northward via the Arabian oases of Mecca, Medina and Teima to such distribution points as Damascus in the north and Gaza in the west. More than mere curiosity moved this queen to head for Jerusalem. The visit of the queen of Sheba was probably a trade mission rendered necessary by the Hebrew control of the major land routes to the north and by the economic threat to south Arabian trade with India and East Africa posed by Solomons naval enterprise. The precise identity of the queen of Sheba has not yet been ascertained. It is known, however, that queens were quite prominent in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula, and there is absolutely no basis for thinking of the queen of Sheba as a fictional character invented by the author of Kings.[271]
[271] See Abbot, AJSL, LVIII (1946), 1ff. A South Arabian clay stamp used to seal cargo boxes has also been discovered in Palestine. This discovery would be a witness to the trade agreement between Israel and South Arabia in the days of Solomon. See Free, ABH, p. 174.
The queen of Sheba heard of Solomons fame through tradersperhaps Solomons own sailorswho had been to Jerusalem and seen the magnificence of the city. She was informed that Solomons greatness was due to his relationship with the God of Israel and part of her reason for going to Jerusalem was to test the king by means of enigmatic riddles in order to see for herself if he had supernatural wisdom (1Ki. 10:1). Such tests of practical sagacity were part of the diplomatic encounters of that time. A kings wit and poetic skill were evidence of the extent to which he was conversant with affairs and culture in the world of his day.[272] Josephus records a similar battle of wits between Solomon and Hiram.[273]
[272] Gray, OTL, p. 241.
[273] Ant., VIII, 5.3.
The journey to Jerusalem from Shebaa trip of some fifteen hundred mileswas no small undertaking in that day. The queen brought with her a very heavy force or host which included no doubt an armed escort and court attendants, as well as camels bearing spices, gold and precious stones to be bestowed upon her host. When she reached Jerusalem, the queen spoke to Solomon all that was in her heart (1Ki. 10:2), and the king was able to answer appropriately all the questions which were put to him (1Ki. 10:3). The queen was quite impressed with the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built for himself (1Ki. 10:4). She was amazed as she watched Solomons hundreds of servants gathered about the bountiful tables which the king spread for them. The rich and costly apparel of Solomons personal attendants and his cupbearers (cf. 2Ch. 9:4) particularly caught her eye. The queen also took note of the ascent or private entrance by which the king entered the Temple (cf. 2Ki. 16:18) which must have been a work of architectural magnificence.[274] The reaction of the queen to all the grandeur of Solomons court is expressed in the words and there was no more spirit in her, i.e., she was beside herself with amazement.
[274] The phrase his ascent has caused considerable speculation. Some think it may have been an arched bridge or viaduct over the Tyropoeon Valley between Mt. Zion and the western wall of the Temple area. It has been estimated that such a bridge would have been at least three hundred fifty feet long and a hundred thirty feet in altitude. Others, however, think the reference is not to some architectural achievement, but rather to the splendid retinue which accompanied Solomon on his visits to the Temple.
The queen was not reluctant to express her feelings and reactions to Solomon. All that she had heard concerning his words and wisdom had proved to be true (1Ki. 10:6). While she had been incredulous prior to making her journey to Jerusalem, she now was of the opinion that the wisdom and prosperity of Solomon far exceeded any report which had come to her ears (1Ki. 10:7). How happy must be those servants who were part of this glorious court! (1Ki. 10:8).
The queen rightly discerned that Solomons prosperity and sagacity came from the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus in 1Ki. 10:9 she directed her praise heavenward. The Lord delighted in Solomon and set him upon the throne of Israel because He loved Israel and wished a king to rule over His people who would execute justice and righteousness. Thus an interesting thought is attributed to the queen: the choice of Solomon was an indication of the extent of Gods love for Israel. On the basis of 1Ki. 10:9 and the allusion to the queen of Sheba in Mat. 12:42, it has been concluded that the queen became a convert to the religion of Israel. However, it should be noted that she speaks here of the Lord your God. Also it is noteworthy that no record is made that she gave any of her gifts to the Temple; they all were given to King Solomon. One who is polytheist may recognize the absolute authority of a god of another people in another place.
The state visit was concluded with an exchange of gifts. For her part, the queen gave Solomon a hundred twenty talents of gold,[275] a vast amount of spices, and precious stones (1Ki. 10:10). Solomon made appropriate gifts to the queen in return for her generosity and in addition gave her whatever she asked (1Ki. 10:13). This might well include a satisfactory trade agreement. Ethiopian Christians take these words as a basis for their belief that the queen bore a son by SolomonMelimelek by namefrom whom the recent monarchs of Ethiopia claimed to derive their descent.
[275] According to the Berkeley Version the value of this gold would be about $3,500,000.
The account of the gifts given to Solomon by the queen of Sheba causes the author to digress in 1Ki. 10:11-12 to relate other importations during this reign. From the fleet of Hiram,[276] Solomon received a great quantity of gold from Ophir as well as precious stones and almug trees (1Ki. 10:11). On the location of Ophir, see comments on 1Ki. 9:28. The precise identification of the almug tree depends on the view one has of the location of Ophir. From this precious wood Solomon constructed pillars (lit., props, supports) and stairs (2Ch. 9:11). Taking both the Chronicles and Kings passages into account, Keil suggests that it was a flight of steps or staircase with banisters which was constructed. Also from this precious almug wood various types of stringed musical instruments were constructed for use by the Temple singers. The Chronicler implies that these musical instruments marked an innovation. Apparently it was only during the reign of Solomon that almug wood was imported to Israel (1Ki. 10:12).
[276] It is difficult to determine whether this fleet is the same as that mentioned in 1Ki. 9:26-28. Stieglitz (MAAI, p. 151) feels they are separate fleets, although he suggests the two fleets may have sailed together on occasion (p. 154).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) The queen of Sheba.The name Sheba must be distinguished from Seba, or Saba (which begins with a different Hebrew letter), (a) The name Seba denotes a Cushite race (Gen. 10:7), connected, in Isa. 43:3; Isa. 45:14, with Egypt and Cush, and named with Sheba (the kings of Sheba and Seba)in the Psalm of Solomon (Psa. 72:10). Seba is, indeed, with great probability identified (see Jos. Ant. ii. 10, 2) with the Ethiopian city and island of Mero. It is probably from confusion between Sheba and Saba that Josephus (Ant. viii. 6, 5) represents the queen of Sheba as a queen of Egypt and Ethiopia. (b) The name Sheba is found in the ethnological lists of Gen. 10:7, among the descendants of Cush of the Hamite race, in Gen. 10:28, among the Semitic Joktanites, and in Gen. 25:3, among the Abrahamic children of Keturah. The kingdom of Sheba referred to in this passage must certainly be placed in Arabia Felix, the habitation of the Joktanite race (in which the Keturahites appear to have been merged), for the Cushite Sheba is probably to be found elsewhere on the Persian Gulf. The queen of Sheba would therefore be of Semitic race, not wholly an alien from the stock of Abraham.
The fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord.If the reading of the text be correct, the phrase concerning: the name of the Lord (to which there is nothing to correspond in 2Ch. 9:1) must refer to the constant connection of the fame of Solomonespecially in relation to his wisdom, which is here mainly referred towith the name of Jehovah, as the God to whom, in the erection of the Temple, he devoted both his treasure and himself.
Hard questionsor, riddles. The Arabian legends preserved in the Koran enumerate a list of questions and puzzles, propounded by the queen and answered by Solomon, too puerile to be worth mention. The hard questions (in which Solomon is said by Josephus to have had a contest with Hiram also) must surely have been rather those enigmatic and metaphorical sayings, so familiar to Eastern philosophy, in which the results of speculation, metaphysical or religious, are tersely embodied. The writings representing the age of SolomonJob, Proverbs, and (whatever be its actual date) Ecclesiastesare all concerned with these great problems, moral and speculative, which belong to humanity as such, especially in its relation to God. In solving these problems, rather than the merely fantastic ingenuity of what we call riddles, the wisdom of Solomon would be worthily employed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA, 1Ki 10:1-13.
This account of the queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon seems to be inserted here because of its association with his commerce with Ophir. The traders at Ophir spread the fame of the great king of Israel in all that land, (see note on 1Ki 9:28😉 and the queen, eager to acquire wisdom, and curious to test the truth of the reports she heard, made a long journey to visit him. We see in her the laudable desire to acquire wisdom, and the custom, so common in the ancient time, of making long journeys to visit noted seats of learning, and to converse with men noted for their wisdom. Her example condemns many of this generation, who, having even better opportunities than hers, and a greater than Solomon to consult, neglect to acquire the heavenly wisdom which is more precious than rubies, and a tree of life to them that lay hold on her. Compare Mat 12:42.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1. Sheba Not the Cushite kingdom of this name in Ethiopia, as Josephus and others hold, but the region in Southern Arabia originally settled by Sheba the son of Joktan, (Gen 10:28,) and comprising what is now known as Yemen, or Arabia-Felix. Hence our Lord called the queen of this region “the queen of the south,” and spoke of her as coming from the ends ( ) of the earth, that is, the uttermost part of the land to the south. The Arabs call the name of this queen Balkis.
Concerning the name of the Lord , to the name, that is, in relation to the name of Jehovah. Solomon’s fame was great because of its most intimate relation to, and association with, the name of Jehovah. From him had he received the gift of superior wisdom; and the distant lands that brought their sons from far, and their silver and gold to Solomon, brought them at the same time to the name of the Lord his God, because he had thus signally glorified him. Compare Isa 60:9.
To prove him with hard questions Such as riddles. A common custom among the Arabs of ancient and modern times, to test the sagacity and wisdom of distinguished persons. Josephus relates that Hiram, king of Tyre, and Solomon also, tried to puzzle each other with riddles and enigmatical sayings. “The spirit of this asking of questions and solving of dark riddles is of the very nature of the Socratic wisdom itself. ‘To ask questions rightly,’ says Lord Bacon, ‘is the half of knowledge.’ ‘Life without cross-examination is no life at all,’ said Socrates. And of this stimulating process, of this eager inquiry, of this cross-examining of our thoughts, bringing new meanings out of old words, Solomon is the first example. When we inquire, when we question, when we are restless in our search after truth, when we seek it from unexpected quarters, we are but following in the steps of the wise king of Judah and the wise queen of Sheba.” Stanley.
1Ki 10:1-13 The Queen of Sheba Meets King Solomon ( 2Ch 9:1-12 ) Myles Munroe teaches about kingdom principles. He explains that when a king heard of another king, there was competition to display oneself as the greater king. One king would visit the other and bring a great gift, with the intent of out giving the weaker king. The king that gave the larger offering was considered the greater king. He explains that when the queen of Sheba came to King Solomon she came with a great offering in order to test his greatness. But when she arrived she saw the prosperity of Solomon’s kingdom and the wisdom that he spoke. The queen of Sheba saw something so magnificent that she became speechless. She saw the king’s servants ministering in each of their offices with joy and under the anointing. She saw a Temple that was built and designed under the inspiration of divine ideas. Its artwork and craftsmanship were unique upon the earth and had never been done before. She met a king in whom dwelt the Spirit and wisdom of God, something that she could not match. It took her breath away. He responded by giving to the queen all of her heart’s desire. Thus, she acknowledged his greatness. [27]
[27] Myles Munroe, interviewed by Benny Hinn, This is Your Day (Irving, Texas), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program; Myles Munroe, Kingdom Principles: Preparing for Kingdom Experience and Expansion (Understanding the Kingdom) (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publications, Inc., 2006).
1Ki 10:2 Comments – Andrew Wommack teaches that the word “gift” in Pro 18:16 refers to financial gifts, rather than spiritual gifts. [28] This type of giving reveals a right use of using money. It is not a bride, but rather a way to find favor. One good example of this is the queen of Sheba, who came to visit King Solomon with a large amount of gifts in order to enquire wisdom from him. Probably her large gift gave this busy man immediately access. In other words, her gifts put her at the front of the line. She was also able to spend personal time with him and with his ministers. It is the concept of the early missionaries coming into Africa and giving gifts unto the local kings for permission to evangelize their kingdoms.
[28] Andrew Wommack, Gospel Truth (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Andrew Wommack Ministries), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.
Pro 18:16, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”
1Ki 10:17 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.
1Ki 10:17 [29] Jim Goll says, “Multiples of these numbers, or doubling or tripling carry basically the same meaning, only they intensify the truth.” See Jim W. Goll, The Seer: The Prophetic Power of Visions, Dreams, and Open Heavens (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004), 109-110.
Psa 115:9, “O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.”
Psa 144:1-2, “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight; My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.”
The Reign of King Solomon over a United Israel (970-930 B.C.) 1Ki 1:1 to 1Ki 11:43 records the story of the reign of King Solomon. The plot of this historical account of Solomon’s life takes a familiar structure as it discusses the establishment, prosperity and failure of his reign as king over Israel.
1. The Establishment of Solomon’ Reign 1Ki 1:1 to 1Ki 2:46
2. The Prosperity of Solomon’s Reign 1Ki 3:1 to 1Ki 10:29
3. The Failure of Solomon’s Reign 1Ki 11:1-40
4. Epilogue 1Ki 11:41-43
The Reign of King Solomon (His Prosperity) 1Ki 3:1 to 1Ki 10:29 gives us the story of Solomon’s reign as king over the united kingdom of Israel. The emphasis in this passage of Scripture is Solomon’s prosperity as a result of obeying God’s Word. In contrast, the final chapter of Solomon’s reign will end sadly with the story of Solomon falling away from God and how his kingdom grew weak and became divided as a result of his sins.
One of the reasons for Solomon’s prosperity can be seen in his willingness to give generously to the Lord. 1Ki 3:1-15 gives us the story of Solomon’s great sacrifice that he offered to God and how God responded to him in a dream and blessed him. As a new king he had a great need, which was to rule over his people with wisdom and discretion. In his need he came to God with an offering. It was Solomon’s offering of one thousand burnt offerings to the Lord that prompted God to give back to the king a gift. This great sacrifice opened the windows of heaven for Solomon that forever changed the effectiveness of his ministry, for God gave him great wisdom and wealth.
Then God came to Solomon a second time and promised to be with His people and bless the entire nation (1Ki 6:11-13). Although God blessed Solomon in his first divine encounter, the people were blesses during this second visitation. During these years God did not mind Solomon’s prosperity. In fact, it was God who had given him the power to gain this wealth. In fact during his second great sacrifice at the dedication of the Temple Solomon was able to offer sheep and oxen without number (1Ki 8:5). His first offering to God consisted of one thousand burnt offerings (1Ki 3:4). This time he offered twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep (1Ki 8:63). The Lord responded by visiting him again in a dream (1Ki 9:1-9). This time God promised to establish his royal lineage forever and to honour the Temple with His presence. Solomon continued to give (2Ch 8:12; 2Ch 9:12). As he gave he continued to prosper, and he built to his heart’s desire. In fact, he became the richest man on earth, receiving tribute from many kingdoms around him. Solomon made silver as common as stones (2Ch 9:27). In other words, he made the city look more and more like Heaven itself, whose streets are paved with gold.
There is a teaching in today’s churches that one should be specific to God in prayer with his particular need as he gave an offering. In other words, an act of giving should be accompanied with a request to God for a particular need. If someone wanted a Scriptural basis for speaking these blessing forth as they gave an offering, then this verse would certainly support such a teaching.
The Queen of Sheba at Solomon’s Court
v. 1. And when the queen of Sheba, v. 2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, v. 3. And Solomon told her all her questions, v. 4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, v. 5. and the meat, v. 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.
v. 7. Howbeit, I believed not the words, v. 8. Happy are thy men, v. 9. Blessed be the Lord, thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, v. 10. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, v. 11. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees, v. 12. And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of the Lord, v. 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, EXPOSITION
THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.The last words of the preceding chapter spoke of Solomon’s fleet, of its voyages, and the treasures it brought home. The historian now proceeds to tell of one result to which these voyages led. The fame of the king and his great undertakings was so widely diffused, and excited so much wonder and curiosity, that a queen of Arabia came, among others, to see the temple and the palaces and the many marvels of Solomon’s city and court. The prediction of Solomon’s prayer (1Ki 8:42) has soon had a fulfilment.
1Ki 10:1
And when the queen of Sheba [There is no good ground for doubting that by we are to understand the kingdom of Southern Arabia (Yemen). It is true that while Gen 25:3 (cf. 1Ch 1:32) speaks of Sheba, the son of Joktan, one of the colonists of southern Arabia, Gen 10:7 and 1Ch 1:9 mention another Sheba, the son of Cush, and a doubt has arisen whether this was an Arabian or an Ethiopian princess, and it is alleged that she was the latter by Josephus, who calls her “queen of Egypt and Ethopia,” and by some Rabbinical writers, and in the traditions of the Abyssinian church. But the kingdoms of Sheba () and Saba () are entirely distinct (Psa 72:10), the latter being the name both of the capital and country of Meroe, a province of Ethopia (Joshua, Ant. 2.10. 2); while the former in like manner designates both the chief city and also the kingdom of the Sabeans (Job 1:15). This tribe would seem to have grown richer and stronger than all the other Arabian peoples by means of its commercial enterprise, and it was especially famed for its gold, gems, and spices (Eze 27:22; Jer 6:20; Isa 60:6; Joe 3:8; Job 6:19; Psa 72:10). It is noticeable that in both kingdoms government by female sovereigns was not uncommon (cf. Act 8:27); but it is very remarkable to find any country under the rule of a queen at this early date. (The idea that either of these lands was always governed by queens has no real basis.) The name of this princess, according to the Koran, was Balkis, according to Abyssinian belief, Maqueda. Whether she was a widow or virgin is unknown] heard [Heb. hearing. Doubtless through the Arab traders. The record of this visit, following immediately upon the mention of the voyages (1Ki 9:26), is a grain of evidence in favour of locating Ophir in Arabia] of the fame (Heb. hearing; cf. , which also means the thing heard, report. Compare , etc.] of Solomon concerning the name [Heb. , i.e; “in relation to, in connexion with, the name,” etc. No doubt it was the house he had built (cf. 1Ki 3:2; 1Ki 5:17, 1Ki 5:18; 1Ki 8:17, 1Ki 8:18, 1Ki 8:19, 1Ki 8:20, etc.) had made him famous. But the expression is somewhat unusual, and these words are omitted by the chronicler. Gesenius and Ewald, however, regard the as instrumental, “the fame given him by the name,” etc; as Jdg 7:18; Eze 12:12, etc; and Wordsworth compares the use of in Greek. The LXX. and other versions read “the name of Solomon and the name of the Lord.” But the text is on every ground to be retained. The alliteration in this verse (probably accidental) is to be noticed. There is also a slight paronomasia] of the Lord, she came to prove (LXX. , to test)] him with hard questions [Heb. in riddles; LXX. . The Arabian mind has ever delighted in dark sayings, enigmas, etc; and extensive collections of these have been made by Burckhardt and others (see Keil in loc.) According to Dius Solomon also had dialectical encounters with Hiram and with Abdemon, or, according to Menander, a younger son of Abdemon, a man of Tyre.]
1Ki 10:2
And she came to Jerusalem [a great undertaking in those days. Our Lord lays stress on this long journey, , Mat 12:42; Luk 11:31] with a very great train [Heb. with a very heavy force or host (). Thenius understands the words of an armed escort, which may well have been necessary considering the countries through which she passed, and the treasures she carried. It would also be quite in the spirit of the age that the queen should be escorted by a band of her soldiers. But it is not so certain that this idea was in the historian’s mind], with [not in Hebrews] camels [2Ch 9:1 has “and camels.” But the word is here explicative of the preceding (Keil). It does not, however, decide against an armed force, as camels would be in any ease required. The camel was a familiar object to the Jews (Exo 9:3; Le Exo 11:4; Deu 14:7, etc.); but such a procession as this would create great astonishment in Jerusalem, and we may imagine how the people would line the bazaars as she passed, and the acclamations with which they would greet the queen (cf. 1:40; Mat 21:9) and her swart attendants] that bare spices [Heb. balsams; hence spices generally; LXX. . Exo 25:6; Exo 35:28; Eze 27:22. The perfumes of Arabia are proverbial (see Herod. 3:107-113), and Yemen is the chief spice country. It is quite possible, however, that much of the “gold of Arabia” came to its emporiums from other lands. This particular present was doubtless brought by the queen because she had heard of the extensive use made of it by Solomon, and of the enormous quantities he required. “Strabo relates that the Sabeans were enormously wealthy, and used gold and silver in a most lavish manner in their furniture, their utensils, and even on the walls, doors, and roofs of their houses” (Rawlinson)] and precious stones [the onyx, emerald, and turquoise are still found in Arabia, and in former times the variety was apparently much greater (Plin; Nat. Hist. 37.)]; and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of [Heb. spake to him] all that was in her heart. [The words are not to be restricted, as by Keil, to riddles. There may well have been, as the earlier interpreters supposed, religious discoursegravissimas et sacras quaestiones.
1Ki 10:3
And Solomon told her [ is used of solving riddles in Jdg 14:13 (Bhr), and interpreting dreams Gen 41:24; Dan 5:12] all her questions [Heb. words]; there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not.
1Ki 10:4
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house he had built [1Ki 10:5 compels us to understand this of the palace, not of the temple. Josephus says she was especially astonished at the house of the forest of Lebanon],
1Ki 10:5
And the meat of his table [1Ki 4:22, 1Ki 4:23], and the sitting [“The rooms of the courtiers in attendance” (Keil). But may mean an assembly (Psa 1:1), and possibly the queen saw them when gathered together for a meal] of his servants, and the attendance [Heb. standing. According to Keil, “the rooms of the inferior servants.” But verse 8 appears to be decisive against this view] of his ministers [i.e; those who ministered to him. The word “servants” is, perhaps, to be understood of state officers; the word “ministers” of personal attendants (as in Act 13:5, etc.) That the latter were an inferior class, the “standing” shows], and their apparel [cf. Mat 6:29. The rich and costly dress of Eastern courtiers and attendants is sometimes furnished by the king (Gen 45:22; 1Sa 18:4; 2Ki 5:5; Dan 5:7; Est 5:8; 1 Macc. 10:20. Cf. Chardin, “Voyage en Perse,” 3:230], and his cupbearers [By this word Keil would understand “drinking arrangements.” But see 2Ch 9:4, “cupbearers (same word) and their apparel“], and his ascent [. It is somewhat doubtful whether we are to interpret this word, ascent, or burnt offering. 2Ki 16:18, 1Ch 26:16, Eze 40:26 make for the former, and the chronicler has . which undoubtedly means “ascent.” But all the translations understand the word of burnt offeringsthe LXX. has and the word, “which occurs at least 300 times in the Bible,” always (with one exception) signifies burnt offering. It is objected against this interpretation
(1) that we should require the plural, i.e; “burnt offerings;” but this is by no means certain, as the historian may refer to one particular holocaust (see 1Ki 9:25) which the queen witnessed; and
(2) that the sight of burnt offerings could not have caused her any astonishment (Keil). But their prodigious number may surely have done so; and we are certainly to understand that Solomon was remarkable for the scale of his sacrifices. Considering, however, that the word undoubtedly means “ascent” in Eze 40:26, and that it is so paraphrased by the chronicler, it is perhaps safer to retain this rendering here]; there was no more spirit in her [same expression Jos 5:1, and cf. Jos 2:11. For various legends as to this queen, see Stanley, “Jewish Ch.” 2. pp. 234-236].
1Ki 10:6
And she said to the king, It was a true report [Heb. Truth was the word] that I heard in mine own land of thy act [or words. Same word as above and in the next verse] and of thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:7
Howbeit, I believed not the words [“Fame, as it is always a blab, so ofttimes a liar” (Bp. Hall)] until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame [Heb. thou hast added wisdom and good to the report] which I heard.
1Ki 10:8
Happy [Heb. O the happiness, as in Psa 1:1; Psa 2:12; Psa 33:12, etc.] are thy men [LXX. wives, ]; happy are thy servants, which stand continually before thee [see on 1Ki 1:2], and that hear thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:9
Blessed be the Lord thy God [From this mention of the name of Jehovah, taken in connexion with Mat 12:42, it has been concluded that the queen became a convert to the faith of Israel. But this inference is unwarranted. Polytheism permitted, and, indeed, encouraged, a full recognition of the gods many of the different races and regions. See on 1Ki 5:7, and cf. 2Ch 2:12 and Ezr 1:3. Observe, too, it is “Jehovah, thy God.” And it is very significant that all her gifts and treasures were for the king; none were offerings to the temple] which delighted in thee [cf. 1Ki 5:7], to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever [a graceful and thoroughly Oriental compliment. This visit was as flattering to the pride of the chosen people as to their king], therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
1Ki 10:10
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty [Josephus says twenty] talents of gold [Psa 72:15. “The rivers still run into the sea; to him that hath shall be given” (Bp. Hall). As to the talent, see on 1Ki 9:14], and of spices very great store [Heb. much exceedingly “The immense abundance of spices in Arabia.. is noted by many writers. Herodotus says that the whole tract exhaled an odour marvellously sweet (3:113). Diodorus relates that the odour was carried out to sea to a considerable distance from the shore (3:46). According to Strabo the spice trade of Arabia was in the hands of two nations, the Sabeans and Gerrhaeans, whose profits from it were so enormous that in his time they were the two wealthiest nations on the face of the earth (16:4, 19),” Rawlinson], and precious stones; there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. [Josephus states (Ant. 8. 6. 6) that the cultivation of the balsam in Palestine dates from this visit; the plant having been one of the queen’s gifts.
The two following verses form a sort of parenthesis. In speaking of the gold and gems brought by the Arabian queen, it occurs to the historian to state that both of these commodities were also brought in by the fleet. Possibly, too, the mention of the spices reminded him of the fragrant almug trees brought from Ophir (Bhr). But it would rather seem that they are included as one of the chief products of the voyage.
1Ki 10:11
And the navy of Hiram also [i.e; built and equipped by him, 1Ki 9:26-28], that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees [In 2Ch 2:8; 2Ch 9:10, called “algum trees.” The origin and meaning of the word are alike uncertain. By some the Al is supposed to be the Arabic article, as found in Al-coran, Al-cohol, Ad-miral, etc; but later authorities lend no support to this view. “Celsius enumerates fifteen different trees, each of which has been supposed to have a claim to represent the almug tree of Scripture” Dict. Bib. 3. Appendix, p. 6.) It is now, however pretty generally agreed that the red sandalwood (pterocarpus sandaliorus, Linn.; or, according to others, santalum album, the white species) is intendeda tree which grows in India and on the coast of Malabar. It is said that in India sandalwood is called valguha (same root); and Stanley sees in almug the “Hebraized form of the Deccan word for sandal.” Dr. Hooker, however, (Dict. Bib. l.c.) regards the question as still undecided], and precious stones. [Stanley remarks on the frequent references to gold and silver and precious stones in the Book of Proverbs (Pro 1:9.; Pro 3:14, Pro 3:15; Pro 8:10, Pro 8:11; Pro 10:20; Pro 16:16, etc.), as one indication that it belongs to the age of Solomon.]
1Ki 10:12
And the king made of the almug trees pillars [lit; props. In 2Ch 9:11 we have a different word, (cf. Jdg 20:31, Jdg 20:32; 1Sa 6:12, etc.), there translated stairs. The word in the text is . Keil understands “steps with bannisters;” Bhr (after Jarchi) “tesselated pavements;” Gesenius, “balusters;” Thenius, “divans;” Bottcher, “benches and similar moveables.” But was not the pavement already laid, and of cedar; and would the sanctuary have divans, etc.?] for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries [also mentioned together (Psa 71:22; Psa 108:2; cf. 3). They were stringed instruments, but their precise shape and character is quite uncertain. One species of sandalwood, or of wood closely allied to it, is said to have been much sought after for musical instruments] for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
1Ki 10:13
And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba an her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. [Heb. according to the hand of king Solomon. The chronicler has, “beside that which she had brought unto the king.” That is to say, in addition to the fitting presents which he made in return for her gifts, he freely gave her whatsoever she asked for. To ask for a coveted thing is no breach of Oriental propriety. The Ethiopian Christians find in these words (and considering the character of Solomon and the license of that age, perhaps not altogether without reason) a basis for their belief that she bore Solomon a son, Melimelek by name, from whom, indeed, the present sovereigns of Abyssinia claim to derive their descent.] So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
Bishop Wordsworth has remarked that the record of this visit disappoints us. He says, “He (Solomon) answered her hard questions. He showed her his palace but we do not hear that he invited her to go up with him into the house of the Lord,” etc. Again: “The visit of the queen of Sheba seem to have been without any spiritual result.” “In like manner,” he adds, “we hear nothing of any attempt on Solomon’s part to improve his friendship and commercial relations with Hiram into an occasion for communicating the better merchandise of Divine truth to the Sidonians.” But surely this criticism overlooks the fact that Judaism was not a missionary religion, and that the chosen people had no sort of commission to convert the heathen, It is, no doubt, a mystery; but it is a fact, that for 2,000 years the light of God’s truth was, by the counsel and purpose of God, restricted within the extremely narrow confines of Israel, and that the “fulness of the time,” when the Gentiles should be “fellow heirs,” was distant from Solomon’s day by a whole millennium.,
HOMILETICS
1Ki 10:1-13
The Queen of Sheba.
Well may the journey of this Eastern queen have a triple mention in the sacred page (1Ki 10:1-29.; 2Ch 9:1-31.; St. Mat 12:1-50.; St. Luk 11:1-54.), for it is almost, if not altogether, sui generis. We are so familiar with the story from our infancy that we often fail to realize its true character and proportions. A woman, a princess, an Arab queen, travels some three thousand miles in search of wisdom. We have read of long voyages undertaken and of great hardships endured by men who were in search of gold. Fable tells of the search for a golden fleece; history tells of many voyages to a fancied El Dorado, but here only, and in the case of the Magi, do we read of a traveller who brought gold and sought wisdom.
And our Lord has honoured this historythis almost romantic storyby drawing one of its lessons with His own hand (Mat 12:42). But though He has there furnished the outline, He has left it for us to fill in the colouring. And the rest of the story He has left untouched; the other lessons we have to gather for ourselves. We have, therefore, to consider,
I. The journey of the queen.
II. Her rich offerings to Solomon.
III. Solomon’s royal presents to her.
I. As to the JOURNEYthe one point noticed by our blessed Lord. He has reminded us
(1) of its character. She came “from the ends of the earth.”
(2) Of its purpose. It was to “hear the wisdom of Solomon.” Let us collect our thoughts round these two centres, the nature and object of this enterprise.
I. THE NATURE OF THIS JOURNEY. Four particulars must be borne in mind.
(1) The length of the way. Presuming that Sheba was Yemen (see note on 1Ki 10:1), her capital would be at no great distance from Mocha or Aden, i.e; it would be some fifteen hundred miles distant from Jerusalem. But ancient journeys are not to be measured by miles, but by hours. Now both the queen and her company travelled by camels, and the camel can only go, with any degree of comfort, at a walking pace, and, like other beasts of burden, must have occasional rests. Even if they had some “swift dromedaries” for the queen, the pace must have been regulated by the sumpter camels. We may be pretty sure, therefore that the party would not travel, on the average, more than twenty miles a day, which would give something like seventy-five days for the journey to Jerusalem, and the same for the return.
(2) Its fatigues and hardships. Eastern queens, even of the Sabeans, were not unacquainted with luxury (note on 1Ki 10:2), and the journey through the “great and terrible wilderness” would subject this lady to many discomforts. Camel riding is very tiring; desert travel profoundly wearisome. Whatever comforts her “very great train” might be able to procure her, nothing could alter the blazing sun overhead, the burning sands beneath, or the utter desolation and monotony of the desert. Those who have made the journey to Sinai will have some idea what the dally life of this party was like.
(3) Its perils. “Perils of the wilderness” (cf. Psa 91:1-16.; Deu 8:15), and “perils of robbers” alike. Her course lay through the land of Ishmael, whose “hand was against every man,” and she carried with her large treasurea tempting bait to the rapacious Bedouin. True, she had an armed escort, but that would not exempt her from dangers. Nor were these “perils by the way” all. She had left her kingdom without its head. An insurrection might be fomented against her (Luk 19:14), or a usurper might snatch her crown. And all this was
(4) undertaken by a woman. True, she was an Arabian, and therefore presumably hardy and patient, but all the same the sex of the traveller increases our admiration, especially when we consider the estimation in which women have generally been held in the East. And she was a queen, and left a court, left her fragrant country, “Araby the blest,” to plod painfully and slowly over the desert reaches, till she came to the “city of the vision of peace.”
II. THE PURPOSE OF THIS UNDERTAKING. Many sovereigns have left their homes at the head of “a very great train” both before and since her day, but with what different objects in view. They have swept across continentsthe Rameses, the Shishaks, the Alexanders, the Tamerlanes of history, but not for wisdom. Theirs was no peaceful or kindly mission. Some, like Peter the Great, have visited foreign courts for the sake of advancing the commerce, etc; of their country. Some, like the Persian Shah recently, have travelled far to see the wonders of the world, and to taste of its pleasures; but she came to “prove Solomon with hard questions,” to “commune with him of all that was in her heart,” to
“reason high
Of providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate, It is clear that to her “wisdom” was “the principal thing,” and she brought gold and rubies (Job 28:18; Pro 3:15; Pro 8:11) to obtain it. She is like the “merchantman seeking goodly pearls.” She has found one pearl of great price, and she will give all that she has to possess it. True, she saw the wonders of Solomon’s court, but she came to hear his wisdom. She envied his courtiers, not because of their places, palaces, etc; but because they stood before him (1Ki 10:8) and heard his words.
And our Saviour has said that this conduct will condemn the men of His generation. It were easy to show how. But it will be more to the point if we consider how it may condemn the men of our own time.
1. Christ is “more () than Solomon.” Solomon was the wisest of men; Christ was “the wisdom of God.” Solomon, a great king; Christ,” King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 17:4). Compare the Song of Solomon with the Beatitudes; the Proverbs with the Sermon on the Mount; Solomon’s end and Christ’s death. We should not dare to compare them had not He done it before.
2. Christ is here. No need to cross deserts or continents to find Him. “Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above),” etc. (Rom 10:6, Rom 10:7). And say not, “True, He was present in those Galilean synagogues, in those streets of Jerusalem, but He is not here.” His own words affirm the contrary (Mat 28:20; Mat 18:20, etc.) He is present everywhere.
“One Spirit, His
Who wore the platted crown with bleeding brows, But more especially is he present in His Church, His word, His sacraments.
3. Christ has come from the uttermost parts of the world to us. It is not we who have to leave a kingdom. He has left His that he may “appoint unto us a kingdom.”
“Thy Father’s home of light; And yet men will not listen to Him, will not learn of Him. It is said that ninety-five per cent of our labouring classes do not statedly attend any place of Christian worship. And of those who do, how many do His bidding? In the great assize all these will meet the Queen of the South. She will witness of the journey she took, of the sacrifices she made, of the risks she incurred, to sit at the feet of Solomon. She will tell of Solomon’s “ascent,” etc; and she will put to shame and everlasting contempt those to whom the words and wisdom, the sacrifice and ascension of the Lord were unholy or indifferent things (Heb 10:29).
And not the Queen of the South alone. The kings of the East, Melchior, Jasper, Balthasarso tradition calls them they too came a long journey to see the child Christ. And how many pagans in Africa, in India, in the islands of the sea, have gone long miles just to hear one sermon from the passing missionary? Will not all these condemn the men of this generation?
III. HER OFFERINGS TO SOLOMON. It was the custom of those days to approach king, seer, etc; with a present (verse 25; Psa 72:10; 1Sa 9:7; Jdg 6:18). And she did not come empty. We read of “camels bearing spices,” of 120 talents of gold, etc. (verse 10). Now observe:
(1) She gave of what she had. Her country produced or imported gold; it produced spices and precious stones (note on verse 2). Other visitors to Solomon gave garments, horses, etc. (verse 25). These she had not, but she gave what she could (2Co 8:12).
(2) She gave what Solomon needed. We know how much gold he required; not for the temple onlythat was apparently completedbut for his great and varied undertakings. She brought 120 talents of the “gold of Arabia”literally the ransom of a province (1Ki 9:14). She brought spicesin verse 15, we read of “the traffick of the spice merchants”and precious stonesin 2Ch 3:6 we find that Solomon garnished the house with these. So that, like Hiram, she helped to prepare a shrine for the Holy One of Israel.
(3) She gave generously. Her munificence was unexampled”very much gold” (2Ch 3:2). “There came no more such abundance of spices,” etc. (2Ch 3:10).
And shall not her gifts, too, condemn our parsimony? For Christ, the Divine Solomon, has need of our spices and silver and gold. He too is building a temple (1Pe 2:5). He too plants store cities and treasures in His realm. He would have the whole round world girdled with Christian temples. He would make it one vast “Paradise” (Ecc 2:4, Ecc 2:5). And He needs our agency and our offerings. He wants the perfume of sacrifice on our part (Php 4:18; Eph 5:2; 2Co 2:15). The Queen of the South did not offer to Solomon of that which cost her nothing. But how seldom is the widow’s mite offered to our king. “All these of their abundance have cast in,” etc. (Luk 21:8). Compared with her gift how miserable are our subscriptions and offertories. Note: There is a striking similarity between her gifts and those of the Magi. Both too were offered to a king.
IV. SOLOMON‘S GIFTS TO HER. She was not the loser either by her long journey or her costly presents. A prince like Solomon could not permit her to make sacrifices, Noblesse oblige. His generosity must exceed hers. So he gave her “all her desire,” “whatsoever she asked” “according to the hand of the king” (2Ch 3:13, Heb.) We see here a picture of the recompenses of our God. “According to his riches in glory” (Php 4:19). “Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20). “Ask and it shall be given you” (Mat 7:7). His gifts too are “according to the hand of a king,” and what a king! He cannot remain in any man’s debt. “A cup of cold water only” He will abundantly recompense.
HOMILIES BY J. WAITE
1Ki 10:1-3
The Queen of the South.
This incident is remarkable as the only one in the reign of Solomon to which reference is made in the New Testament. Solomon is twice spoken of by our Lord in His recorded discourses. In one case his royal magnificence is declared inferior to the beauty with which God has clothed the “lilies of the field.” “Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Mat 6:29). Art can never vie with nature. What loveliness of form or hue that human skill can produce is comparable with that of the petals of a flower? What is all the glory with which man may robe himself to that which is the product of the creative finger of God? In the other case, it is the wisdom of Solomon that our Lord refers to, as having its widespread fame illustrated by the visit of the Queen of Sheba, and as being surpassed by the higher revelation of truth in Himself. “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment,” etc. (Mat 12:42). The interest and importance of this incident is greatly heightened by its thus finding a place in the discourses of Christ. In itself there is no very deep meaning in it. It supplies few materials for high moral or spiritual teaching. The interchange of civilities between two Oriental monarchs is related by the historian with innocent pride, as setting forth the surpassing grandeur of the king whose reign was to him the golden age of his own nation’s life. There is something of a romantic charm in it, too, that naturally gave rise to fanciful traditions being added to the biblical story. But beyond this it is an event of no great moment. This use of it, however, by our Lord lifts it out of the region of the commonplace, gives it other than a mere secular meaning, makes it an important channel of Divine instruction. Every name is honoured by association with His. Every incident becomes clothed with sacred interest when made to illustrate the relation of human souls to Him. Let us look at these two persons, then, in the light of the New Testament reference to their interview.
I. SOLOMON, IN HIS WISDOM, A TYPE OF THE “GREATER” CHRIST. The distinctive personal characteristic of Solomon was his “wisdom.” The fame of it is regarded by some as marking the uprising of a new and hitherto unknown power in Israel. Whence came this new phenomenon? We trace it to a Divine source. “The Lord gave unto David this wise son” (1Ki 5:7). “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much” (1Ki 4:29). No doubt the extended intercourse with surrounding nations that he established was the beginning of a new life to Israel, bringing in a flood of new ideas and interests. This supplied materials for his wisdom but did not create it. It was not learnt from Egypt, or the “children of the East.” It was a Divine gift, that came in response to his own prayer (1Ki 3:9).
1. One broad feature that strikes us in Solomon’s wisdom is its remarkable versatility, the variety of its phases, the way in which its light played freely on all sorts of subjects. It dealt with the objects and processes of nature. It was a kind of natural science. He has been called “the founder of Hebrew science,” the “first of the world’s great naturalists.” “He spake of trees, from the cedar tree,” etc. (1Ki 4:33). One would like to know what the range and quality of his science really was; but the Bible, existing as it does for far other than scientific purposes, does not satisfy our curiosity in this respect. It dealt with moral facts and problemsa true practical philosophy of life; its proper ends and aims, its governing principles, the meaning of its experiences, its besetting dangers and possible rewards. It dealt with the administration of national affairs. This is seen in his assertion of the principle of eternal righteousness as the law by which the ruler of men must himself be ruled. His wisdom lay in the gift of “an understanding heart to judge the people and discern between good and evil,” and the people “feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment” (1Ki 4:29). We are thus reminded of the unity of nature and of human life. Truth is one, whether in thought, feeling, or conduct, in things private or public, secular or spiritual. Wisdom is the power that discerns and utilizes the innermost truth of all things, finds out and practically applies whatever is essentially Divine.
2. Solomon’s wisdom assumed various forms of expression: the Proverbial form, as in the “Book of Proverbs;” the Poetic form, as in his “Songs” and “Psalms;” the Socratic form, by question and answer, riddles”dark sayings”and the interpretation thereof. It is in this latter form that his wisdom here appears. Tradition says that Hiram engaged with him in this “cross questioning,” and was worsted in the encounter; so here the queen of Sheba came “to prove him with hard questions,” and “communing with him of all that was in her heart she found that he could tell her all her questions,” etc. By all this we are led to think of “One greater than Solomon.”
(1) “Greater,” inasmuch as He leads men to wisdom of a higher order. Solomon is the most secular of the inspired writers of the Old Testament. Divine things are approached by him, as it were, on the lower, earthly side. A prudential tone is given to the counsels of religion, and vice is set forth not so much as wickedness but as “folly.” Think of the marked difference between the utterances of Solomon’s wisdom and the sublime spiritual elevation of David’s psalms. And when we come to Christ’s teaching, what immeasurably loftier heights and deeper depths of Divine truth are here! Redemption, holiness, immortality, are His themesthe deeper “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; …. in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:8).
(2) “Greater,” inasmuch as the Divine fount of wisdom must needs be infinitely superior to any mere human channel through which it flows. Solomon was after all but a learner, not a master. His were but guesses at truth. Christ’s were the authoritative utterances of the incarnate “Word.” Solomon spoke according to the limited measure of the spirit of truth in him. Christ spoke out of His own infinite fulness. “God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him” (Joh 3:34). Whence, indeed, did Solomon’s wisdom come but from Him, the true fontal “Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world”? The words that the wise in every age have spoken were but dim, dawning rays of the light that broke in a glorious day upon the world when He, the Sun of Righteousness, arose.
II. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA, IN HER SEARCH AFTER WISDOM, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OURSELVES. All the motives that actuated herin this long pilgrimage from the far off corner of Arabia we know not. Mere curiosity, commercial interest, personal vanity may have had something to do with it. But the words of the narrative suggest that it was mainly an honest thirst for knowledge, and specially for clearer light on highest matters of human interest. Learn
(1) The nobility of a simple, earnest, restless search after truth.
(2) The grateful respect which a teachable spirit will feel towards one who can unveil the truth to it.
(3) The joyous satisfaction of soul that springs from the discovery of the highest truth. How much does such an example as this in the realms of heathen darkness rebuke the spiritual dulness and indifference of those who with the Light of Life shining gloriously upon them in the person of Christ refuse to welcome it, and walk in it! “Many shall come from the east and the west,” etc. (Mat 8:11, Mat 8:12).W.
HOMILIES BY A. ROWLAND
1Ki 10:1-18
The Queen of Sheba.
The suggestiveness of Solomon’s intercourse with surrounding nations. His magnanimity was as remarkable as his magnificence. His broad policy stood out in striking contrast with the narrowness of some of his contemporaries and successors. It was one evidence of his divinely inspired wisdom. In some respects his enlightenment puts to shame modern diplomacy. Trace his relations with the king of Tyre and the queen of Sheba. These were not exceptionally treated by the wise-hearted ruler. His country was open to the commerce of surrounding peoples, and his court free to all who would live in amity with him. Indicate the typical nature of his kingdomthe golden age of God’s people. Apply to the reign of Him who said, “A greater than Solomon is here!” Remarks on the position and the commerce of the land from which this great queen came. Her conduct is full of suggestions for us
I. HER COMING SHOWS THE PAINS THOSE SHOULD TAKE WHO ARE SEARCHING FOR TRUE WISDOM. The journey was long, arduous, costly. It may have raised opposition amongst the people she ruled. In spite of all she came. Give examples of men who in old time travelled far in search of wisdom, visiting schools of philosophy, astrologers, and sages, consulting oracles like that at Delphi. Not less is demanded of men in our days who investigate natural phenomena. Instances abound of travellers who have laid down life, as did Franklin and Livingstone, in journeys of discovery; of surgeons and physicians who have run personal risk to learn by crucial experiment a means of cure; of scientific discoverers who have sacrificed time and effort to make sure of one fact, or establish one law, etc. In contrast with all this how small the effort to win true riches, to know essential truth. Many are content with hearsay evidence. The queen of Sheba was not. At any cost she would see and know for herself. Perhaps it was with some remembrance of her visit that Solomon wrote Pro 2:3-5 : “If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Compare this with the parable of the merchant seeking goodly pearls (Mat 13:45, Mat 13:46). See also Col 2:8.
II. HER CONFESSION EXPRESSES THE FEELING OF THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO ONE GREATER THAN SOLOMON. “The half was not told me” (Col 2:6, Col 2:7). St. Paul speaks of “the unsearchable riches of Christ;” of “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ,” etc. In proportion as men really know Him, and live near Him, does He appear more winsome and worthy. Cite the utterances of such men as Bernard, Wesley, etc. Their words fall from our lips in song, yet they seem extravagant to us on our low level of religious life, and at our sad distance from Christ. Such bursts of praise we may use as tests of our devotion. Christ has not changed, but too often His people see Him from afar. Any one who is living near the Lord can say, “The half was not told me” of Thy love and glory.
III. HER OFFERING SUGGESTS THE PRESENTATION WE SHOULD MAKE TO OUR KING Read Col 2:10. Draw out the parallel between this and the coming of the Magi (Mat 2:1-23.), when they fell down and worshipped the child Jesus, and opened their treasures and presented to Him giftsgold and frankincense and myrrh.
“Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion, See Isa 1:12; Psa 40:6, etc.
IV. HER ENTERTAINMENT REMINDS US OF THE WELCOME GIVEN BY OUR LORD.
1. Like Solomon (Psa 40:3) Christ answers our questions. He knew His disciples “were desirous to ask Him,” so they needed not even to frame their questions. Unspoken prayers are heard.
2. Like Solomon (Psa 40:5) Christ reveals His glory. The transfiguration, the last talk with the apostles, the apocalypse, etc.
3. Like Solomon (Psa 40:13) Christ loads us with benefits. Pardon, peace, strength, joy, etc.of greater worth than gold and precious stones. These material, those imperishable.
Let the earnestness of this queen rebuke own sloth and unbelief. “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Mat 12:42).A.R.
1Ki 10:1. And when the queen of Sheba heard, &c. The queen of Sheba having heard the fame of Solomon, and the name of the Lord, came, &c. Houbigant. Concerning the custom of putting forth enigmas and dark questions, see the note on Jdg 14:12. Who this queen of Sheba was, or whence she came, is not agreed by interpreters. The most probable opinion seems to be, that she came from Arabia; as for many other reasons, so particularly because she is called in the Gospel, the queen of the south, and is said to have come from the uttermost parts of the earth: Mat 12:42 which answers exactly to Arabia Felix, for it lies south of Judea, and is limited by the ocean. Add to this, that it abounded in gold, precious stones, and fine perfumes, more than any country thereabouts. If she came from Arabia, there is reason to believe that she originally descended from Abraham by his wife Keturah, one of whose sons begat Sheba, (Gen 1:3.) who was the first planter of this country; and consequently that she might have some knowledge of revealed religion, by tradition at least from her pious ancestors. And, indeed, this verse seems more than to intimate, that the design of her visit to Solomon was not so much to gratify her curiosity, as to inform her understanding in matters relating to piety and divine worship, concerning the name of the Lord. And what our Saviour speaks respecting her rising in judgment against the men of that generation, seems plainly to intimate, that the wisdom which she came to hear was of a much more important kind than that of merely enigmatical questions. See Calmet.
FOURTH SECTION
The Fame And The Magnificence Of Solomon
1 Kings 10
A.The Visit of the Queen of Sheba
1Ki 10:1-13
1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning1 thename of the Lord [Jehovah], she came to prove him with hard questions. 2And 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 to2 Solomon, shecommuned with him of all that was in her heart. 3And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing [a question3] hid from the king, whichhe told her not. 4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all4 Solomons wisdom,and the house that he had built, 5and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their5 apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent6 by which he went up unto the house of the Lord6[Jehovah]; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report7 that I heard in mine own land of thy Acts 7 and of thy Wisdom 7 Howbeit I believed not the words,7 until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth8the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men,8 happy are these thy servants,which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy Wisdom 9 Blessed be the Lord [Jehovah] thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord [Jehovah] loved Israel forever, therefore made he theeking, to do judgment and justice. 10And 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 gaveto king Solomon; 11And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug9 trees, and precious stones.12And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord [Jehovah], and for the kings house, harps also and psalteries for singers: therecame no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day. 13And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty.10 So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
Exegetical and Critical
1Ki 10:1-3. And when the queen of Sheba.Cf. 2Ch 9:1-12. The name of Solomon became famous far and near, through the trading ships that were mentioned in 1Ki 9:26 sq. A proof is here given. , Sheba, is a country in Arabia Felix (not to be confounded with , i. e., Mero in Ethiopia, as Josephus has it), on the Red Sea, rich in spices, frankincense, gold, and precious stones (Jer 6:20; Eze 27:22; Isa 60:6; Psa 72:15). The Sabans, whose capital city was Sheba, had become, through their extensive commerce, the richest nation among the Arabians (Winer, R.-W.-B. II. s. 405; Duncker, Gesch. des Alterth. I. s. 140 sq.). The Queen of this country, who visited Solomon, was certainly the reigning one; according to Claudian in Eutrop. i. 132, the Sabans were generally governed by queens, but this has no historical foundation. Whether she were widowed or unmarried is, like her name, uncertain. Her fame spread with and through that of Solomon, who was the beau-ideal of a king throughout the East, for even the Koran mentions her visit to Solomon (Sur. 27), and there are many legends about it among the Arabians and Abyssinians. The former name her Balkis, and the latter Maqueda, and even say that she had a son by Solomon, named Menihelek (or Melimelek),11 who was the ancestor of the Abyssinian kings (comp. Winer). These fables of after-times need no refutation. The words , which are wanting in Chron., are by no means unsuitable or superfluous (Movers); they exist in all the old translations, but have been very differently understood. Propter nomen Jeh. (Le Clerc) is least like it; neither is De Wette right: to Jehovahs honor; nor this, the fame of what Solomon had become by Jehovahs favor (Gesenius); nor, the fame that Solomon had acquired through the glory of his God (Ewald); nor yet, which he had attained, by Jehovah glorifying himself so in him (Weil). The expression involuntarily reminds us of the 3:2; 5:17, 19; 8:17, 18, 19, 20, 44, 48; 2Sa 7:13. The house built to Jehovahs name was the first and principal reason of Solomons fame; and was what the Queen had chiefly heard of, in which she had seen, like Hiram, an evidence of wisdom. This she desired to prove for herself.
To prove him with hard questions. To clothe wisdom in the form of proverbs, which were often dark and enigmatical on account of their brevity, is a primitive custom of the East, especially among the Arabians, who are very rich in proverbs; the collection of the Meidani, for instance, which contains 6,000 proverbs, and the Makami of the Hariri show this. 1Ki 4:32 says that 3,000 are by Solomon; and those in his name, that are now extant, include many that are enigmatical. We do not mean enigmas in the sense of those that used to be propounded at meals or otherwise (cf. Rosenmller A. u. N. Morgenland with Jdg 14:12); the Queen did not want any trial of skill in enigmas with Solomon, but wished to propound important and difficult questions to him. Solomon did not fail in a single answer ( 1Ki 10:3 is solving riddles in Jdg 14:19, and interpreting dreams in Gen 41:24; Dan 5:12).
1Ki 10:4-8. And when the Queen had seen all Solomons wisdom. Solomons wisdom was shown, not only in his answers and discourses (1Ki 10:3), but in all his arrangements, in the whole constitution of the court, and manner of his government; whithersoever the Queen looked, she beheld evidence of his wonderful gifts and powers of thought. The house is not the Temple, but the royal palace, as the following words concerning the court-appointments show. The meat of his table is the royal table, the splendor of which is especially described. The sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, means the civil officers who sat at the royal table, and the servants, among whom were the cup-bearers, in attendance upon them (Bertheau). These three descriptions have nothing to do with localities, with the ministers seats, the place where the servants stood, nor the preparations for the cup-bearing (Weil); nor the order of the offices, and the rooms of the lower servants (Thenius); for the parallel passage in 2Ch 9:4 shows that are persons. It is more doubtful how we are to understand the following words , &c.; Chron. has instead. All the translations give for both passages: and the burnt-offerings, which he offered in Jehovahs house; this would mean the solemn and magnificent rites of the Temple worship. But it would not agree with the description just preceding, of the royal table and court appointments, the servants and cup-bearers; and above all, the splendid Temple building would have deserved mention; it would be necessary, too, to alter the text in both places; and should be read, yet we have no grounds for doing this. If this were the right reading, the Chronicler, who was so partial to the details concerning the worship, would not have taken instead. Most modern translators (Keil, Winer, Ewald), therefore, give ascent for ; meaning the particular ascent of steps that led from the palace to the Temple ; and Eze 40:26 has the same signification. This ascent of steps belonged to the palace, and very likely struck the eye, as it is here expressly mentioned; it also appears from 2Ki 16:18 that the king had a peculiar entrance of that kind to the Temple. The concluding words of 1Ki 10:5 are literally, and there was no more breath in her; as the breath goes in terror (Jos 2:11; Jos 5:1), so it also goes in cases of extreme astonishment.
1Ki 10:9-10. Blessed be the Lord thy God. We cannot conclude from these words that the Queen had formally confessed the One God of Israel, but rather that it meant what we have already remarked of a similar expression of Hiram, 1Ki 5:7. What she saw and heard excited her wonder to such a degree, that it seemed to her directly imparted by the God Solomon adored, and for whom she became filled with reverence. The presents which the Queen, according to custom, made, consisted of those articles in which her land most abounded, and for which it was most famous. The spices were principally the famous Arabian balm, which was largely exported; according to Josephus (Ant.8, 6, 6) the balm-shrub was introduced into Palestine by the Queen of Sheba (Winer, R.-W.-B. I. s. 132).
1Ki 10:11-13. And the navy also of Hiram, &c. The mention of the costly presents leads the author to the remark, 1Ki 10:11-12, which may be regarded as a parenthesis, that such articles of luxury were introduced in abundance into Jerusalem by commerce; and the (fragrant) spices reminded him of the equally great quantities of sandal-wood that Solomon received through Hirams ships. This wood, which is indigenous to India, was highly prized throughout the East for its fragrance, and partly was carved into images, partly used for fine utensils, and partly used for incense-burning (Winer, II. s. 379). (1Ki 10:12) only occurs here, and its meaning is not quite certain. The root means, to support, make sure. Thenius calls it supports of the resting, i.e., seats made by Solomon on the walls of a palace or Temple room; but we do not find the slightest mention of such a Temple room anywhere. As Chron. has (from , to prepare the way, Psalms 68; Psalms 5) instead of our word, Bertheau thinks that like is to advance, so that both expressions really denote the same thing; i.e., the way of entrance, ascent. Jarchi gives by i.e., wainscoting on the floor (tessellated pavements); and this seems the best. The translation, steps with banisters (Keil), has no authority. and must be stringed instruments with sounding-boards; they are mentioned together in Psa 71:22; Psa 108:3; Psa 150:3; we know nothing certain of their natures. Which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty (1Ki 10:13), i.e., besides the things he presented her with according to the custom of kings, he gave her everything else she desired. We can scarcely think this included, as the other translators think, any literary productions. It is very doubtful whether the Ethiopian Christians concluded rightly from these words that their Queen had a son by Solomon (Bertheau).
Historical and Ethical
1. The section before us does not, by any means, contain a story accidentally and arbitrarily inserted here, which, however beautiful it may be, might be left out without doing harm, because it does not bear upon the history of the Israelite kings. How high the significance which has always been attached to the event recorded is, is shown by the fact that the remembrance of it has been preserved outside of Palestine for thousands of years, and that two ancient peoples, the Arabians and Abyssinians, revered the Queen of Sheba as the mother of their line of kings; the Abyssinian tradition making the son she bore to Solomon the founder of the ancient Ethiopian kingdom. And when the Lord, from out the treasure of the Old Testament history, chooses this narrative, and presents it for the shaming of his contemporaries, this presupposes that it was known to and specially esteemed by all other nations. It is, therefore, something more than an ordinary visit of royal etiquette. Saba was reckoned to be the richest, most highly favored and glorious land in the ancient world, and therefore was given the unique name of The Happy. Agatharchides names the Sabans . Now when the Queen came with a splendid retinue to visit this distant land, and from no political design, but merely to see and hear the famous king; and when she, the sovereign of the most fortunate country in the world, declared that what she had seen and heard exceeded all her expectations; this surely was the greatest homage Solomon could have met, homage that no king had ever yet received; and the result was that Solomon was regarded as the ideal of a wise, great, and happy king, throughout the Eastern world. The visit of the Queen of Sheba marks, then, the splendor and climax of the Old Testament Kingdom, and marks an essential moment in the history of the covenant as well as of Solomon. This story is therefore in its right place, following, as it does, the account of the great and glorious works Solomon made for his country and which acquired for him so much fame.
2. The context explains the kind of wisdom that the Queen sought and found in Solomon. It was not much learning; neither were the riddles that Solomon solved metaphysical problems, nor mere conversation and play of wit. Besides the answers he gave to her questions, his works, appointments, and arrangements convinced the Queen of his great wisdom, in which she recognized the working of a peculiar power and grace imparted by God. It was also a practical or life-wisdom, such as Solomon himself describes, a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. The merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her, Pro 3:14-18. But this wisdom rests upon the foundation of the knowledge and fear of God (comp. 1Ki 10:1 and Pro 2:4-6), and the whole reign of Solomon is the result of the same (see Historical and Ethical on 1Ki 4:29). O! happy time, when mighty princes visited each other in the midst of their lands, made tranquil by a holy fear of God, so to vie with each other in wisdom and what is still better, the search after wisdom (Ewald).
3. When the Lord says in Mat 12:42 and Luk 11:31 : The Queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here, he recognizes the prophetical and typical meaning of our narrative, as is the case generally with the kingdom of Solomon. It is said in the prophetical descriptions of the peaceful kingdom of Messiah, the Kings of Sheba and Seba (Mero) shall offer gifts; yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him (Psa 72:10-11); and all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord (Isa 60:6). The Queen of Sheba, who came from far, out of the happiest, country of the world, to Solomon, brought him presents, and received all she wished from him, is a type of the kings who with their people shall come from far and near to the everlasting Prince of peace, the King of kings, and shall do him homage. Her visit is an historical prophecy of the true and eternal kingdom of peace. It is just this prophetical and typical character of the story that gives such emphasis to our Lords reproof of the hardened Israelites of His time.
Homiletical and Practical
1Ki 10:1-13. The queen of Sheba comes to Solomon. (a) She comes in order to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (b) She finds more than she expected. (c) She worships and praises the Lord for what she has seen and heard, (d) She returns home in peace, with rich gifts.Solomon receiving the Queen of Sheba a type of Christ (Mat 22:42). (a) He did not reject her who sought him, but raised her up (Joh 6:37). (b) He solved her questions, and showed her his glory (Joh 1:9; Joh 1:14; 22:46; 6:68). (c) He accepted her gifts, and gave her much more in return, even all that she desired and requested. (Joh 10:11; Joh 10:28; Joh 16:24; Joh 4:13 sq.). 1Ki 10:1-3. The Queen of Sheba had everything that pertains to temporal prosperity and good fortune, high rank, power and honor, health and wealth; but all these satisfied not her soul; she sought the solution of the enigma of life, and when she heard of Solomon, and of the name of the Lord, she spared no expense or trouble, neither regarded the scorn and contempt of the world, in order to satisfy the longing of her soul for the word of life. She said not: I am rich, and have an abundance, and need nothing; but she felt that she still needed the highest and the best. How superior is this heathen woman to so many Christians, who hunger and thirst after all possible things, but never after a knowledge of truth and wisdom, after the word of life. We do not need to journey to Jerusalem, to find him who is greater than Solomon, for he has promised: I am with you forever, until the end of the world, and can be found everywhere, if men seek him earnestly.God is not without a witness in the midst of the heathen, whereby they may feel and recognize Him, for He wills that all men shall be aided to come to a knowledge of the truth. The same God who gave Solomon the wise heart for which he prayed, revealed to the inquiring spirit of the heathen queen what she most desired.
1Ki 10:3. One receives with readiness and alacrity the soul which longs after the truth of God; such souls faithfully apply the same, they do not wearyand the counsel of God unto salvation is not withheld from them (Act 20:27, and Jam 5:19-20).
1Ki 10:4-9. The acknowledgment of the Queen of Sheba, when she beheld the works of Solomon. (a) It is true I would not believe it until I, &c., 1Ki 10:6-7 (Joh 10:35; Joh 10:38; Joh 14:11). (b) Thy wisdom has exceeded, &c., 1Ki 10:7 (Joh 6:68 sq.). (c) Happy are thy men, &c., 1Ki 10:8 (Luk 10:23). (d) Praised be the Lord, &c., 1Ki 10:9 (Eph 1:3).
1Ki 10:4. Words must be followed by works; the beholding with her own eyes, and her very own experience, must be added to the rumors she has heard. Nathaniel, when he heard of Jesus, the Messiah, spoke doubtingly at first: Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? But when he came and saw he joyfully exclaimed: Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel (Joh 1:45-49).
1Ki 10:5. Great palaces, brilliant arrangements, &c., are objects worthy of real admiration if they are not evidently mere works to gratify the lust of the eye and the pride of life, but rather proofs of wisdom, of spiritual elevation, and of love of art.
1Ki 10:7. As in order to form a just conception of visible things we must see them with our own eyesso also with invisible and divine things: rightly to recognize them as such, we must feel and taste their strength in our own hearts, and not merely hear of them from others (1Pe 2:3; Psa 34:9).
1Ki 10:8. Not because of their fine clothes, of their high position, of their splendid possessions, did the Queen regard the people and the servants of Solomon as blessed and happy, but because they could always listen to his wisdom. How much the more are those to be esteemed blessed, who, sitting at His feet, who Himself contains all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge, can hear the word of everlasting life from His mouth (Luk 10:23 sq). 1Ki 10:9. It is proof of a good and noble heart, when a man gives thanks to God for the gifts which he bestows upon other men. Cramer: Upon the land which God will bless He bestows good and wise rulers; but if He will to punish a country, he does the opposite (Isa 3:4; Ecc 10:16-17). If the Queen, in Gods gift of a Solomon to Israel, recognized a singular proof of Gods love to this nation, and exclaimed: Blessed be, &c., how can we thank and praise God enough for the love which sent his only begotten Son into the world, to save us from utter darkness, and to place us in the kingdom of His dear Son (Cor. 1:13; Eph 1:3).Osiander: Rulers are given their high position by God, not simply to enjoy the pleasures of life, and to see good days, but to administer justice to their subjects, and care for their temporal and eternal welfare.
1Ki 10:10-13. The interchange of gifts between the Queen and Solomon, (a) The Queen is not content with words of praise and thanks; she testifies her gratitude by means of great and royal gifts. Of what avail is all mere verbal thanks and praise, if the life be devoid of lovely deeds, and of cheerful gifts, for the acknowledgment of Gods kingdom? (b) Solomon needed not the gifts; he had more than she could give him (1Ki 10:11-12); he gave her all that heart could desire. What are all our gifts in comparison with those which we receive from the Lord,those which are immeasurably beyond what we ask and seek (Eph 3:20), and where it is more blessed to give than to receive (Act 20:35)? 1Ki 10:11-12. As God bestows various gifts upon individual men, so He also blesses different countries with varied products, not that nations should covet and contest the same, but that they should serve and mutually benefit each other.
1Ki 10:13. With a treasure incomparable in value to gold and jewels, the Queen joyfully went her way, like the Eunuch of Ethiopia.
How many are there who return from far journeys into distant lands, rich in gold and substance, but poor in faith and knowledge of the truth. They have lost more than they have won; the Queen gained more than she lost.The generation of the present day in comparison with the Queen of Sheba; its satiety and indifference, its unbelief and its guilt (Mat 12:42).
Footnotes:
[1]1Ki 10:1. [The Sept. and Syr. render this very difficult expression, (See Exeg.Com.), heard the name of Solomon and the name of the Lord, and the Arab. the same except in retaining fame in the first clause.
[2]1Ki 10:2. [Many MSS. editions, and the Vulg. and Syr., insert king before Solomon.
[3]1Ki 10:3. [There seems no sufficient reason for varying the translation of occurring twice in such close proximity. The same variation is observed in the Chald. and Syr., but the Sept. have in both cases.
[4]1Ki 10:4. [Several MSS. followed by the Arab. omit all.
[5]1Ki 10:5. [The Sept., quite without authority, put the pronoun in the singular as referring to Solomons apparel.
[6]1Ki 10:5. [All the ancient versions render the burnt-offerings which he offered (see Exeg. Com.) and must therefore have read instead of , but without reason. See Exeg. Com.
[7]1Ki 10:6-7. [The Heb. for report and acts, 1Ki 10:6, and words, 1Ki 10:7, is the same , and this sameness is preserved in the Sept., although hardly possible in English.
[8]1Ki 10:8. [The Sept. curiously enough render happy are the women.
[9]1Ki 10:11. [Almug is not a translation, but only a putting into English letters of the Heb. . The versions render:Vulg. thyina; Sept. (Alex. ); Arab. colored wood, i.e. that kind of wood naturally painted with various colors. The sense as now generally understood is sandal-wood. See Exeg. Com.
[10]1Ki 10:13. [Lit. gave her as from the hand of king Solomon.F. G.]
[11]See the graceful account of the legends, in Stanleys Jewish church, Second Series, p. 259262.E. H.
CONTENTS
An interesting relation is given, in the opening of this chapter, of a visit made to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba, drawn by the report of his great wisdom. Solomon’s riches are again noticed in this chapter.
1Ki 10:1
(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.
As Sheba lay to the south of Canaan, and, probably was on the sea coast, where the ships of Hiram, or Solomon, might have touched for provisions or water; there is no great difficulty in conceiving how the report of Solomon’s greatness and wisdom gained knowledge in the court of Sheba. Our dear Lord hath conferred the highest honour on this woman, in noticing her on this account in the gospel. Luk 11:31 . But I beg the Reader to remark with me, that the expression in this verse of the occasion of this Queen of the South’s visit seems to have been not so much to discover the natural wisdom of Solomon, as his gracious knowledge in divine things concerning the name of the Lord. Is it not more than probable that her visit was on a religious account, and that she was anxious for her soul?
The Queen of Sheba
1Ki 10:1-9
THE queen of Sheba was an earnest inquirer. She was not content with the reports which she had heard in her own land; she bethought her that she would put to the test this man of marvellous wisdom, whose gifts of expression, both in speech and in song, were unrivalled. She thought she knew something which even he could not answer. She would have her own questions put in her own way. That is what every earnest inquirer must insist upon. No man can ask another man’s questions. Every man must put his inquiries, his doubts, and his desires, precisely in his own tone, and must himself listen to the replies which are returned. The inquiry is never the same; in substance it may be identical, but in spirit, in tone, in quality, there is always a critical point and measure of difference, which every man realises for himself, and must insist upon making clear to the person to whom his inquiries are addressed. The queen of Sheba was herein a model inquirer. She said in effect: I will go and state my case, and see this man face to face, and talk over all the great problems which make life so painful so little, yet so great, so glorious and so full of hope. She came a long way to see Solomon. She travelled northward, mile by mile, day by day; and the miles seemed nothing, and the days flew away, because her heart was full of a great hope that at last she would receive solutions to problems which had filled her with the spirit of unrest. She put herself to trouble on her own spiritual account. Therefore she became a prepared listener. Persons who do not put themselves to trouble in order to have their case stated and considered are not in a fit position to receive communications from heaven. We must not be mere receivers; we must be suppliants intensely interested in our own prayers, and so enriched with patience and with the grace of rational expectation, that God may see us in a waiting posture, and know that we are tarrying until the door open, or the answer in some way come. There would be more Solomons if there were more queens Sheba: there would be greater preachers if there were greater hearers. A great revival must now take place in the pew. The pulpit was never so occupied as it is in every communion this day: never had it such learning, such spirituality, such power and force of every quality and degree. But the pew is a divided quantity: it seems to be listening to a thousand voices all at once, and therefore not listening to any of them. The pew requires intensity of attention, consciousness of deep spiritual necessity, and requires to have, as it were, written upon it the demand that whosoever addresses it should speak as under a baptism of fire.
The queen of Sheba represented the common desire of the world. The interview with the king was long-continued and marked by supreme confidence. “She communed with him of all that was in her heart” ( 1Ki 10:2 ). How then could he but answer her questions? She half-answered them herself by her way of putting them. He sowed the seed on a prepared soil. He felt that he was in vital communication with a living soul a listener who heard not only every word but every tone, and knew the spiritual value of the music which was being poured into the listening ear. We nowadays cannot get at people’s hearts. Civilisation has lent new resources to hypocrisy. We now put questions merely for the sake of putting them, and to such questions kind heaven is dumb. Jesus Christ answered some people “never a word.” He looked dumb. They were not speaking of what was in their hearts. Given a hearer who will tell the speaker all that is in his heart, and behold Jesus himself will draw nigh, and, beginning at Moses, he will pursue his way through prophets and minstrels and all writers, until the listening heart glows with a warmth hitherto unknown. Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ask, and receive! Is asking an exercise of the lips, a mere putting of phrases into an interrogative form? Asking is crying, demanding, beseeching, supplicating, weeping. Who has asked? We ask not until we reach the point of sacrifice. It is when the heart is in high agony that it prays; at other times it merely mutters to itself. What we want, then, is heart to heart communication. The great questions are in the heart. We have falsely supposed that great inquiries concerned the intellect alone, but when we come into a completer and truer analysis, we shall find that the great questions lie within the moral region, and are really affairs of the heart. Let the heart speak its doubts and fears, tell its tale of perverseness, selfishness, littleness, relate all that is in its secret places, and force itself to put into words things that shame the heavens; then we shall see whether the gospel leaves unanswered the great questions of the soul. But the gospel will not be trifled with. It will not be turned into a plaything. It will not condescend to be consulted as an oracle, to be used as a convenience for the gratification of intellectual desire or anxiety; it has a message to the heart: it stands at the heart, and knocks. Ye have not, because ye ask not! Your prayer was swift, shallow, an effort in words; you sweltered not in blood when you spake the poor prayer.
The queen of Sheba saw with a trained eye that the accessories were in keeping with the central dignity: “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——” ( 1Ki 10:4-5 ). This was fair reasoning. We may reason from within, and say: Given such a spiritual state, and such and such accessories may reasonably be looked for. Or we may reason from without, and say: If God so cared for oxen, what will he do for men? If God so paint the lily, how will he beautify the soul? If God has lavished infinite wisdom and strength on the grass blade, what can he have done for all heaven? Men are at liberty to begin their reasoning from either of these points namely, the inward, or the outward. Some cannot begin from the point that is within: for they have no experience that would warrant their assuming the right to reason from such an origin; but the open Bible is accessible to all men namely, the open bible of nature, life, and the whole scheme of providence. Jesus Christ often trained his disciples to reason from the point that was external. When their faith was going down, he did not deliver long metaphysical lectures upon faith and upon the culture of the soul, because his scholars could not follow him in such high argument, but he said, “Behold the fowls of the air: consider the lilies: are not ye better than they? Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field——” and from that point he reasoned inward, until those who understood his reasoning felt themselves clothed upon with their house from heaven. The reasoning remains the same today in all its broadest effects. In some cases we are struck by the spiritual wisdom of men. They have intellectual penetration, moral sagacity that keen, swift sympathy which understands without being told, which sees the prodigal whilst he is “yet a great way off;” they are seers and prophets, and men whose very voice may be an inspiration, and whose very touch may be the beginning of recreated strength. Others, again, can only judge the gospel by providence. Jesus Christ takes care to assure those who are concerned in his kingdom that God does not forget the outward. He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things” lumping them, reducing them to a contemptible “etc.” “all these things shall be added unto you. Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” So we reason from the care of the body to the care of the soul; and we are entitled to reason from his making of the world, and his governing thereof, to what he will do in all spiritual spaces, liberties, and processes. Take his world, and make that the beginning of your reasoning, and you will be compelled by a gracious necessity to acknowledge that he who has made even this little world we call the earth, must have made something larger and better: for there is enough in the very beginning to force the conclusion that it is but a beginning. Has God lavished all his strength upon the grass-blade, upon the daisy of the field, upon the fowl of the air? or has he made these but points of beginning, seizing which, we are struck with amazement, and the amazement becomes another point of ascent, and every new wonder is turned into a new question, and so the soul is cultured by gracious and gradual processes.
How very vividly the queen of Sheba represented faith as over-taxed “Howbeit I believed not the words” ( 1Ki 10:7 ) “I loved to hear them, but they were too much for me; it seemed to me impossible that any man should have reached this height of wisdom, or realised this extent of excellence; I tell thee, Solomon, the reports staggered my reason and simply overwhelmed my faith.” No wonder. And herein we should be gentle to those who on hearing the gospel, say, “How can these things be? Whence hath this man this wisdom? Never man spake like this Man!” The gospel must stagger men before it really lays hold of their deepest confidence, and turns them heavenward Godward. If we have delivered the gospel so as to produce the impression that it is very simple, easy, superficial, a message which any child might have conceived, or which a person who is half awake might deliver, what wonder if the age has said: We have no time for gospels of that quality: give us fire, life! When the gospel is preached, credulity should arise and say, No: I can believe much, but I cannot believe that on first hearing: that God should die, that life should come through death, that sin can only be obliterated by blood; that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life nay, the whole world is not worth it; it is a little mean world, and God never loved it so. There is a passion of unbelief which is not to be resented. Men who deliver themselves in this strain of doubt are at least earnest men, and therefore may be talked to, reasoned with, prayed over. Have faith in men who are staggered by the greatness of the gospel. It is well they should be so. If we could see the heavens as they are at night, who dare go out? Should we not be driven mad by splendour so infinite? Thus God concealeth matters. It is the glory of God to conceal things, or to reveal them little by little, as we are able to hear them; it is his own method, and it is suited to the naked eye. God hath made his universe for the naked eye. So things are atmosphered, attempered, measured as to proportion and relation, and all the while he keeps the whole matter in his own hand, giving as we are able to receive it. The queen of Sheba, with sweet and gracious simplicity, frankly exclaimed, “I believe not;” and will Christ be angry with us if we say to him sometimes, “Lord Jesus, I believed not; the glory was so great, the revelation so grand, that my faith simply reeled and was of no use to me; that thou didst bleed and die for men Lord, I did not believe; I said, ‘Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?’ Lord, I did not believe”? Will he not in reply to that confession rather look upon us benignantly and say, No wonder, into these things the angels desire to look; no wonder, all heaven was surprised when the revelation was made there; no wonder, for the first archangel cannot touch this mystery of love. There is a nonbelief which may hereafter throw into glorious contrast the faith by which we are saved.
But the queen of Sheba also showed that imagination was overborne by fact: “Behold,” said she, “the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard” (1Ki 10:7 .) Here is truth again. This woman is true from the beginning of the interview unto the end. And all that Christ asks of us is to be true, and in our own way to say what we have seen him do, and especially what we have seen him do for ourselves. “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” “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.” Interpret these words as we may of distant heaven, or of spiritual revelation and communion there remains the fact that they represent? quantity, a light, a marvel beyond the ken of human wisdom, far away from the line that is beaten by imagination’s strongest wing. We must acknowledge all these things plainly, and tell men that religion, instead of being less than we supposed it to be, is, in Christ Jesus, the supreme marvel, without beginning and without end. There is no searching of Christ’s understanding; his riches are unsearchable: the more he gives, the more he seems to have to give. It is a great mystery, and must be acknowledged as such, and proclaimed as such with unfaltering tongue.
Nor could the queen of Sheba limit her commendation and ecstasy to the king himself. Said she, “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom” ( 1Ki 10:8 ). O to be a servant of thine, king Solomon; to be permitted sometimes to overhear thy conversation, to catch even a stray word now and then!” Happy are these thy servants;” they must often listen when they do not seem to be listening; they must serve thee with both hands earnestly, because they get back from thee such gleams of light, such words of revelation and soothing as men never heard before. And is the servant of Christ unblessed? Are they who are humblest and lowliest in all the Church without benefaction? Nay, do they not all live in the sunshine and eat at the hospitable table of God’s own summer? Is there a servant of Christ who has not a heaven of his own? We should be happier if we knew our privileges more. It is an awful thing to have outlived Christian privilege. It is a sad thing to imagine that we have outgrown our teachers, and have no further need of their assistance: then indeed the teachers can do no mighty works, because of the unbelief of the learners. Who would not give much to have one long day with the Apostle Paul? Yet he was stoned whilst he lived; he was persecuted unto the death. Who would not wish to have one long day with Martin Luther? Yet the men of his age did not understand him, nor care for his great messages. Who would not love to have one whole summer day, the longest in the year, with Frederick William Robertson, of Brighton, the greatest teacher of his day, the child-man, the man all but angel, with so little of the body and so much of the spirit, who interpreted the Bible in the very act of reading it? Yet who knew him or cared for him beyond a limited circle of devotees who felt that his speech was music, and that his sentences were fountains of living water? Who knows but the very lowliest in the Church may be those who derive most benefit from the privileges of the sanctuary? There are privileges even yet in the house of God. It is a privilege to hear some men pray, to hear some men read the Scriptures, to hear some men unfold the sacred message; and yet they may be listened to without attention, and their message may seem to have upon it no brightness other than earthly. The time shall come when men will know that a prophet hath been amongst them.
What use did Jesus Christ make of this incident of the visit of the queen of Sheba? We find an answer in Mat 12:42 : “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” She was drawn by a strange magnetism. The queen of Sheba was of the Semitic race, and was not therefore wholly alien from the seed of Abraham: and who can tell how the principle of heredity works in souls, and draws them in this direction or in that, and enables them to sustain great cost of time and strength and money in order to reach the culmination of their spiritual desires? “A greater than Solomon”: he answers greater questions, he distributes greater blessings, he reigns in more glorious state. When he sees Solomon in all his grandeur sees the man who made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers when he beholds this great Solomon, he takes up a blade of grass, and plucks a flower of the field, and says, “Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” When a man can so interpret nature, he never can be poor, and he never can be alone.
XXVII
THE ANALYSIS OF SOLOMON’S WISDOM
1Ki 8:4-27 The scriptures that embody for us the account of the wisdom of Solomon are as follows: 1Ki 3:4-27 ; 1Ki 4:29-34 ; 1Ki 10:1-10 ; the book of Proverbs; the book of Ecclesiastes; Solomon’s Song; Mat 12:42 ; and Psa 127 . Other psalms are attributed to Solomon, but I think not rightly. Psa 127 is unquestionably his.
The first passages cited give the narrative account, while Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Psa 127 constitute Solomon’s contribution to the Bible as embodiments of his wisdom, while Mat 12:42 institutes a comparison with One wiser than Solomon.
Before discussing the wisdom of Solomon I call your attention to Old Testament approaches to it. The first approach to it is found in Exo 31:3-6 and repeated again in Exodus 35-36. These plainly declare that the artificers who made the different parts the artistic parts of the tabernacle and its vessels derived the wisdom with which they wrought them from God. They received the inspiration of God to do those things exactly right. The next approach we find in the life of David, an account of three wise women, 2Sa 14:2 ; 2Sa 20:16 . The first one was Abigail; the second was a wise woman from Tekoah, employed by Joab to convince David that he ought to recall Absalom; the third was a wise woman in a city in the northern part of Palestine who, through her wisdom, saved the city from destruction by having the head of the rebel that had fled to them thrown over the wall to Joab. A fourth approach is found in the book of Chronicles (1Ch 12:32 ) where reference is made to the men of Issachar that were wise and had understanding to the signs of the times and knew what Israel ought to do.
I now analyze for you the wisdom of Solomon. Our first inquiry is concerning its origin. On the divine side it is expressly stated that it is the gift of God (1Ki 3 , commencing with 1Ki 3:5 ), but preliminary to the divine origin certain human factors explain how Solomon was prepared to make the extraordinary request for wisdom. He was only a boy. How did it ever occur to him to ask for such a gift as that instead of some other things?
That leads us to consider the human element in the origin. If you read in the book of Proverbs commencing at Pro 7:3 you see David’s instruction to him to get wisdom, to get understanding, as more precious than rubies and gold or anything else in the world. All those chapters cited, from the fourth to the seventh inclusive, give us David’s instructions and exhortations to his son. They tell us who put it into his mind to prize wisdom above all earthly things. What a glorious thing it is to have the right kind of a father! By reading Psa 72 you get at another factor of the human origin. There his father is praying that his son may have the kind of wisdom to rule the people, and rule righteously. A little child whose father is continually speaking about the right kind of wisdom, and continually praying that his child may have it, will likely himself pray for it. David’s prayer and instructions are very touching. They account for the son’s wise response to God’s saying, “Ask what I shall give thee.”
Another human factor appears in the book of Proverbs, the influence of his mother, Bathsheba, not only a beautiful woman but a really good woman, and a very wise woman. Solomon himself tells how his mother intervenes: “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle that his mother taught him.” Lemuel is another name for Solomon.
What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings, It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink: wine; Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink? Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul, But rulers should not drink.
Then follows her matchless ideal of a true wife one of the brightest gems of literature. Early parental training from father and mother prepares the boy to ask for the best things. The book of Proverbs shows how well he understood the counsels of both parents, but his later life shows particularly his disastrous departure from his mother’s oracle. In other words, Solomon knew more wisdom than he practiced. His were not sins of ignorance. But when we inquire what prepared the parents to prepare the child, we go back again, as we always must, to God himself verifying the saying of James, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” This is manifest when we note that God’s promise to give David such a son (2Sa 7:12-16 ) occasions David’s prayer and instructions (2Sa 7:18-29 ; Psa 72 ) and also quickened his mother’s interest (1Ch 29:9 ; 1Ki 1:28-29 ).
The origin of the wisdom of Solomon, therefore, stands thus: (1) God’s promise and oath; (2) parental instruction, counsel, and prayer preparing the child to appreciate and ask for the best things; (3) God’s calling out Solomon’s choice; (4) Solomon’s choice and request; (5) God’s gift of the thing asked for.
Second question: What that wisdom? Only foolish people think that wisdom and knowledge mean the same thing. You may know a great deal and be the biggest fool going. I have known people whose minds were like great lumber rooms full of odds and ends of all kinds of things, and yet they were not wise enough to make practical use of the miscellaneous material. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” The elements of Solomon’s wisdom were as follows:
First, an understanding heart to discern justice and to judge righteously and rule righteously. His wisdom was given to him to fill his position as king of a great people. That is how he defined it: “Give me an understanding heart to discern judgment and to rule rightly over this so great people.”
The second element was the regulation of passions and life. The book of Proverbs continually discriminates between the wise one and the simple one. A wise man, clearly discerning right things and applying right things, will not allow himself to be entrapped by seduction and temptation, but the simple one is led astray and a dart is thrust through his liver.
The next element of the wisdom was the right way of doing things. You may yourselves discriminate between wise and foolish pastors by comparing their methods of handling an affair. The most of the trouble that comes upon the churches comes by the unwise handling of delicate affairs. He may injudiciously gossip with his members about a delicate matter and so hopelessly stir up his church into hostile parties, or he may preach about it censoriously, or be hasty to commit himself on ex parte evidence until he will no longer be able to moderate with impartiality. The other, by wise handling, will heal the breach. When a difficult case is presented to a wise man his first words are, “Let us see how we can get at the heart of this matter and deal with it wisely so as not to harm but to do good.” Up in New England it is a proverb that the wise housekeeper is a woman of tact. She may not see the right any better than some other woman, but she does the right better; she gets at it more skilfully.
The fourth element was his power to interpret things. Like these men of Issachar, who could not only discern the signs of the times, but could put a proper construction upon the march of events and hence could tell what Israel ought to do. Our Saviour rebuked the men of his day that while they could read the signs of the heavens, and tell when it was likely to be a fair or a cloudy day, they did not read the signs of the spiritual times, and allowed great calamities to come on them unprepared. This power to interpret applies to natural as well as to spiritual things. It has been said that no man can interpret nature who does not love nature. But Solomon loved nature, and he could get at the secret of the plant on the wall, and the cedar of Lebanon, and the birds that fly and the flowers that bloom. Tradition says that the birds loved him so that the doves would form a canopy with outspread wings under which he could march from his house to the Temple. You need not believe the legend, but it exhibits the people’s idea of Solomon’s power of interpreting the secrets of nature. It is said of Byron by Pollok that he laid his hand with the familiarity of a brother upon the ocean’s mane, and made the mountains his brothers, and the thunders talked to him as a friend. He himself exhibits his power in the famous poem, “An Apostrophe to the Ocean” a matchless poem of its kind which all of you would do well to memorize. It commences thus: There is a pleasure in the pathless woods.
The fifth element in his wisdom was largeness of heart, or broad-mindedness. The scripture statement is that he had largeness of heart as the sands of the seashore. Sam Jones used to say, “No man can be broad-minded who has ‘possum eyes’ so close together that you can punch out both of them at once with an old-fashioned two-tined table fork.” Some men are so narrow that they cannot even conceive of a big, broad subject. But Solomon had largeness of heart. The next element of his wisdom was philosophy. The book of Ecclesiastes embodies it. He there seeks to ascertain the chief good and the chief end of man. What is that good thing that a man should do all the days of his life? Philosophy inquires into the reason of things, for the philosophy of a thing is the reason of a thing. You have already found out that I have little respect for uninspired philosophy. We might profitably omit the course from college curiculums. It is all sheer speculation from Thales to Epicurus and Zeno; from Aristotle to Kant; from Kant to the pragmatism of -Professor James of Harvard.
As William Ashmore in his review of Professor James, well says, “Lewes acted as a sexton in burying all the philosophies up to his time, and his successors have buried him.” Their speculations after all are but “airy nothings,” as varied as the shifting scenes in a kaleidoscope, and all as transitory as rainbows vanishing in the storm. Each successor does only one good thing he brushes out the trail of his predecessor. Even Solomon goes a long and costly way in Ecclesiastes, to get at a conclusion obvious to a child’s faith. Carefully observe that wisdom should be invoked in order to do the right things in the right way in dealing with our fellow men and our God; to lead us in the paths of judgment, mercy, and truth.
The next point in the analysis is to locate the very beginning of real wisdom in the human heart, and here you find Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes in direct harmony with Job 28 . That whole chapter is devoted to this question: “Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?” and concludes by saying, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, understanding.” When we come to the New Testament we find that James says, “If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. An unstable man wavering in all his ways, his prayers will not be answered.”
The next element in the analysis is the antecedent characteristics of a seeker of wisdom. First, humility. Solomon says, “I am a little child”; a knowledge of his need, “I don’t know how to go out or to come in”; and next, prayer for it.
Our next item in the analysis of Solomon’s wisdom answers this question: How was that wisdom of his expressed? And the answer is, It is expressed, first, in deed, as when he made the decision about the baby and the two women claiming it; the second when he answered all the hard questions that the Queen of Sheba put to him and, by the way, he is the only man known to history who answered fairly all the questions put to him by a woman. It is also expressed in the books he wrote, treating upon the subject: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and one psalm. In these books he embodies it in proverbs, pithy sayings, and parables, contrasting one thing with another, a comparison obtained by putting two things parallel, which is the meaning of “parable” originally.
The next point in the analysis is the fame of his wisdom, or the impression that it made upon his own time and succeeding generations. According to a statement made in 1Ki 4:34 , Solomon’s fame went to all the kings of the earth. They all heard about him. The Queen of Sheba heard a rumor of him. It was carried on every ship, carried over every desert on every camel, carried by every traveler, “Over yonder in Jerusalem in the Holy Land is the wisest man the world ever knew. He can solve any perplexity; he can answer the hardest questions. He can deliver the most righteous judgments. He can discern the very heart of a thing and lay it open.” The fame of his wisdom is evidenced by imitations in later days and by the increment of extravagant legends. The apocryphal books of “Wisdom” and “Ecclesiasticus” are imitations, centuries later; the first is an imitation of Proverbs, the second of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon’s Songs. The so-called “Psalter of Solomon,” consisting of eighteen psalms and found in the Septuagint, is another example of imitation. Indeed, a school of wisdom literature followed. The extravagant legends of his exorcism of demons and genii, his magical powers vested in incantations, seals, amulets, charms, and inscriptions, may be gathered from Josephus, the Koran, The Arabian Nights , and a world of Oriental literature. The Jews have a legend that when Alexander came to Jerusalem and learned about the wisdom of Solomon, he took back with him a copy of Solomon’s books and furnished them to Aristotle, and that he derived a large part of his philosophy from Solomons’ philosophy.
In this connection may be asked the date of the book of Job. Stanley, after a comparison of its style, thought, and turns of expression, with Solomon’s book, makes it a product of Solomon’s times. His argument is very inconclusive. On the other hand, Dr. Thirtle, in his Old Testament Problems takes the position that it was composed to pacify and instruct Hezekiah in his afflictions. His argument is much more plausible than Stanley’s, but the argument for the Mosaic authorship and time is much stronger than either. The book of Job is older, profounder, and more archaic than Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, or than Psa 73 attributed to Asaph. Its correspondences with the Pentateuch are more numerous and more striking than can be traced in any literature of the days of David, Solomon, or Hezekiah. Moses, exiled for forty years in Midian, touching Job’s country, finds the opportunity arising from association with the characters in Job. The unmerited suffering of his people in the Egyptian furnace, of which suffering lie himself is an example, gives the clue to the book. The burning bush solves the problem, and after the lesson appropriately come Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, increasing the light. The book of Job shows how men without the revelations of the Pentateuch attempt to solve the problem of the unmerited sufferings of the righteous. Its key passages cry out for a revelation. It is on this theory that the first book of the Bible was to be written, therefore I count Job the first book of the Bible. The last thought in connection with Solomon’s wisdom is
The glorious antitype. I must speak a little about him. In Mat 12:42 , Jesus says, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the end of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here.” In other words, in the New Testament is Wisdom. Paul says so, using the feminine form, Sophia, that is, the wisdom and power of God. John says so in using the masculine form Logos, or Reason.
The Pharisees asked this question: “Whence hath this man wisdom?” They wanted to get at the origin of Christ’s wisdom, seeing that he hath never learned. Whence his power to silence every gainsayer and to give answers to perplexities that startle the world today? Whence his wisdom? In Isa 11 is the prophecy concerning the origin of the wisdom of the great antitype of Solomon, the Prince of peace:
And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah. And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” (Isa 11:1-5 ).
There is the sevenfold wisdom, meaning the perfection of wisdom. That wisdom was conferred upon Christ without mea-sure, and he, too, prayed for it as he came up out of baptism, for the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, and ever afterwards every thought of his life, every step of his life, was in exact accord with the promptings of the Spirit of God that came upon him without measure. He spoke in parables, putting things alongside of each other, and he spoke in proverbs and epigrams, and the sayings of Jesus rule the world today. He rules in exact righteousness rich and poor alike.
The Jewish idea of wisdom far surpassed the Greek idea of it. Theirs was unaided human philosophy, and purely speculative. For example, Lucretius, in The Nature of Things, or the Epicurean philosophy at its fountain head, enunciates the essential features of modern evolution. See how the Stoics accounted for the origin of things and the government of the world! Their fate, and the chance of the Epicureans, are against God’s Providence. See how their wisdom had no practical effect on morals. Their wise men oftentimes were the vilest men, and in the highest attainments of their philosophies their cities rotted and became putrid in the sight of God. Not so with the wisdom that God gives. In the same way Gnosticism, a subjective infallible knowledge for the few, bred & varied progeny of asceticism, license, and antinomianism. Christ, then, is the great antitype of Solomon.
QUESTIONS
1. What scriptures give an account of the wisdom of Solomon?
2. As to its origin: (1) What the human element? (2) What the divine element? (3) What the summary of the origin?
3. As to its meaning and content: (1) Define wisdom as compared with knowledge, and tell who wrote “Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.” (2) Give the elements of his wisdom. (3) Show wherein is the superiority of the Hebrew wisdom over “the Sophia” of the Greeks.
4. How does Solomon go a long way to find his simple conclusion concerning the very beginning of wisdom?
5. What chapter of Job is devoted to the same inquiry and reaches a similar conclusion?
6. How does James, our Lord’s brother, tell us to get wisdom?
7. What was the antecedent characteristics of a seeker of wisdom?
8. How was Solomon’s wisdom expressed?
9. What was the fame of his wisdom: (1) As stated in this chapter? (2) As expressed in imitations? (3) As expressed in legends?
10. Cite an illustrious example of one brought to Solomon by the fame of his wisdom.
11. What was the effect on her of witnessing his wisdom?
12. What modern song perpetuates her saying?
13. Outline a sermon on our Lord’s reference to her in Mat 12:42 ,
14. Who was the glorious antitype of Solomon?
15. What Greek word does Paul use in describing him?
16. What Greek word does John employ to the same end?
17. What was the puzzle to the Pharisees concerning him?
18. Quote the words of Isaiah answering their question.
19. What was the great contrast on practical lines between Christ’s Wisdom and the wisdom of Solomon?
20. Define Gnosticism and Agnosticism and contrast Christ’s wisdom with both.
21. Explain Solomon’s sacrifices at Gibeon instead of Jerusalem.
XXIX
DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
1Ki 8:1-10:29 This discussion begins on page 178 of the Harmony, and relates to the dedication of the Temple. We have already shown that the building of the Temple was the greatest work of Solomon; that it made the greatest impression upon the world’s mind of any structure that had ever been erected in human history. The importance of the Temple was to insure a central place of worship, or of sacrifice, rather. The object of it was to bring about unity of faith, and national unity among the people. The idea comes from the following legislation by Moses: “When you shall obtain possession of the land and have become established, then you shall have one place in which to appear before the Lord.” In brief, the purposes of the Temple were these:
1. To provide a fixed habitation for Jehovah.
2. To provide a central place of worship where the tribes might assemble at the three great annual festivals and thus preserve the unity of the nation, Jehovah being the center of unity. In other words, as we explained on Leviticus, there must be: (a) A place to meet Jehovah on the throne of grace. (b) Sacrifices, or means of propitiation, (c) Priests, or Intermediaries between Jehovah and the people, (d) Times in which to approach him, that is, with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings, (e) A ritual, telling how to approach him.
3. To prefigure the more glorious building, the church of our Lord. A magnificent building, with an imposing ritual, and with fixed times of gathering the whole nation together, would bring about this unity of faith and unity of national life. The building having been completed, Solomon now proposes publicly and formally to dedicate it to the service of God. God had told him when he commenced the building that he would inhabit the house built for him, and now Solomon proposes, by a very solemn national service, to consecrate this house to the Lord. I do not suppose that from any other one source, indeed from all other sources put together, we get the idea of dedication services so much as from this. The house could not be dedicated as soon as it was finished. It was several months from the time it was finished until it was dedicated. There had to be an appropriate time. It must be on the occasion of one of the great national feasts; so it was probably several months after the house was completed before the dedication services took place.
The first thing was to secure a great convocation of the people, and it is repeatedly stated that from Hamath on the north, or from the Euphrates River, unto the river of Egypt on the south, throughout the length and breadth of the land the princes, the rulers of the people, the representative men, were all commanded to be present. So it was a very great national convocation. The next step was to bring into this house all of the sacred things that survived from Moses’ time, and including those that had been prepared by David. So with great ceremony the old tent that Moses built, the brazen altar of burnt offerings, the table for the shewbread and the golden candlestick, were all brought and put in this Temple. Those of them no longer usable, for instance the tent, and a great many of the old-time utensils, were stored away and preserved as relics, including the brazen serpent Moses had made. We hear of that in a later reign and find out the last disposition of it. Then the ark itself was brought from the tent in which David had placed it, and it was put in its place in the most holy place. It was necessary to make a new lid for it, or mercy seat. A long time had elapsed, nearly 500 years, since it was made, and when they opened it there was found in it nothing but the two tables of stone upon which God had inscribed the decalogue. From the Pentateuch we know that other things had been put there. For instance, Aaron’s rod that budded, the pot of manna, and quite a number of things were put by the side of the ark, but when they brought that ark in that is all there was in it. Probably at the time it was captured by the Philistines come of these things were taken out.
The preliminary steps of the dedication were: (1) Placing in the treasury of the house all the things dedicated by David. (2) Placing all the sacred vessels and furniture in proper position. (3) The offering of multitudinous sacrifices. (4) The priests carrying into the most holy place the ark of the covenant. (5) As the priest issues from the most holy place, and the one hundred and twenty other priests standing east of the altar blow their trumpets, and the great Levite-choir bursts into a song of praise and thanksgiving, with cymbals and other instruments, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.” (6) Then the cloud, symbol of divine presence and glory, filled all the house.
So it had been when Moses finished the tabernacle, and so it was at Pentecost, after the Lord had built his church) that the Holy Spirit came down in consecrating, attesting power.
Now, having all the sacred things in place, Solomon had a platform of brass erected, about seven feet square, for himself, a kind of pulpit, so that he would be sufficiently lifted up above the people to be seen as well as heard, and we now note a singular fact, viz.: that Solomon acted as both king and high priest, a royal priest, a priest on a throne, and all through his life, he seems not only to perform the functions of the high priest, but he keeps the entire priesthood subject to his immediate control. Nothing is more evident in the study of his life than that the throne, in this case the civil power, kept the priesthood, the religious power, in subservience.
Solomon’s posture in this dedication was standing at the introduction, standing when he goes to pronounce the benediction, but in offering prayer, he kneels, and that is the first place in the Bible where kneeling for prayer is mentioned. You read in the Bible about standing to pray and sitting to pray, and here we have kneeling to pray, showing that the posture is not essential to the act. One can pray lying down, but kneeling is very reverential, and congregations should observe one form.
Standing up before the people, his opening address reverts to the fact of God’s promise to David that a son should succeed him, and that this son should build him a house, and God’s promise to live in the house when it was built. He then commences his prayer, and it is a very remarkable one. His first petition is that the Lord would accept and continually look toward this structure, really inhabit and be present in it. The other elements of the petition are clearly set forth in the text here. Look on page 180 of the Harmony. First, the position with reference to the making of an oath where there is an issue between neighbors, and the difficulty cannot be settled by outside testimony, then all oaths shall be made before God. A man, as in the presence of God, shall solemnly swear that what he says is the correct version of the case. That is called an appeal to the judgment of God. It was a favorite method of settling matters throughout the middle ages. For instance, a nobleman might testify about a case, another challenge his testimony, and they would agree to refer it to the arbitrament of God, as decided in battle, and the two knights would come out and fight in the presence of many witnesses with judges governing all the forms of it, and trusting to God that the right should triumph in that fight.
In Ivanhoe , you have an account of an appeal to the judgment of God in the fight between Ivanhoe and Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert in order to settle a charge against the Jewess, Rebecca. She appealed to the trial by combat and said let God say if she was a witch, as they charged, and so the case was fought out. Hundreds of instances are noticed in history, romance, and poetry of this appeal to God. Another method of appeal, mentioned also by Sir Walter Scott, is that when one was found to have died by violence, all of those whose circumstances made it possible that they might have participated in that murder were required to come up before the judge and with the murdered man’s body shrouded in a white sheet, put their finger on the dead man and swear that they had nothing to do with that murder, and the legend taught that if the real murderer did come and put his hand on the man, then blood would flow out from the wound and thus convict him. Now Solomon prayed that in any case of issue between two neighbors, where there were no means of settling it by outside testimony, and they come before God, that God would decide the case so as to justify the innocent and condemn the guilty.
His second petition is with reference to defeat in battle. This people is a glorious people. War will doubtless arise, and they that go out may be defeated. If they be defeated, he says it will be on account of their sins, and, convicted of sin by public defeat, if they there on that battlefield turn toward the Temple and pray God to forgive the sin, then Solomon asks that their national sin be forgiven.
He next considers the case of droughts. That whole country is subject to drought, and it is easy for all the sources of life to be dried up in severe drought. Drought in the Bible is represented as serving Jehovah; that it comes from him. Elijah prayed that it might not rain for three years and six months, and it didn’t rain, and he prayed that it might rain, and it rained. Now he says, “when a time of drought comes on this land on account of sin, if this people pray toward this Temple, asking God to open the windows of heaven and send rain upon the land, then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin and send rain.” You notice how he is connecting the Temple with all the great vicissitudes of life.
Following that come famines and pestilences. Famines may result from wars, in destroying the products of the land, or they may result from plagues, as of locusts. Now, when a famine or a pestilence, or a contagious or epidemic disease, comes and the whole country was subject to them, as we would have here in this country, if there should come the Asiatic cholera, or the yellow fever then let the people pray, and his petition is that when these displays of divine wrath against the sins of men are made, that they will remember that here at Jerusalem in the Temple is a throne of grace unto which any man may come boldly in time of need and ask divine interposition and pardon. We will find numerous examples of all these in the history as we go on.
He then takes the case of a stranger. This is a beautiful thought. Some stranger from a foreign country, not one of the chosen people of Israel, may be in exile, banished from his own land, no light from heaven, seemingly, by the selection of Israel barred from the commonwealth of God, yet if this stranger comes to that Temple and lifts up his heart to God, then Solomon prays that the Lord will hear that stranger. That gets to be a very big item of the New Testament gospel. You remember Paul says to the Ephesians, “Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” In this prayer of Solomon is a forecast of the abrogation of the middle wall of partition between the Jew and the Gentile. All peoples, all races, tribes, tongues, and kindreds may come before the Lord. Paul enunciated it in Mars’ Hill when he said, “God made of one blood all nations of men that inhabit the face of the earth, and appointed their seasons and their boundaries with a view that they might seek after him and find him.” Now if a stranger comes to this house of God and honestly seeks a blessing from God, he may find it. That is a good thought. While our houses of worship are not temples, yet they ought to be places attractive to strangers. “Here the people of God are meeting and I am an outsider. Will I be welcome? Is there anything here for me? Will anyone speak a word of comfort or peace to my soul?”
When I was pastor of the First Church in Waco, two deacons had a special duty. Every Sunday morning, as soon as the bell tapped to call the Sunday school together for its final exercises, these two deacons arose and went down on the streets of Waco and spent the time till the opening song of the church service inviting strangers on the streets to come to church. One notable incident occurred. They brought a man in that way one day and he was converted. I think I never heard anything more touching than his relation of the fact that a very gentlemanly old man saw him on the street where he was wandering without money, no place to go, without a friend in the world, and asked him to come to church, which led to his salvation.
Solomon then takes up the case of battle. This is before the battle is joined. Is there such a thing as the decision of battle by the Almighty? Infidels adopt the theory of the French Marshal that God favors the heaviest battalions in the fight. But the battle is not always to the strong. Patrick Henry insisted upon that in his speech before the House of Burgesses. Solomon wanted that thought fixed in the very hearts of his people, that before they fought they should pray. At the great battle of Agincourt, when a very small English army was surrounded by an enormous French army, say 25,000 against 100,000, just before the fight the English army prayed that the French king says, “Are they prostrating themselves in homage to us already? Do they acknowledge their defeat?” One who knew them replied to the king, “No, sire. They are taking their case to their God, and they will fight the better for it when they get up off their knees.” One of the soldiers, in the English civil war, remarked to Prince Rupert that he feared Cromwell’s Ironsides when they knelt and prayed just before a fight and rose singing, “Let God arise and his enemies be scattered.” In the book of the Maccabees there is a marvelous illustration of this, when Judas Maccabaeus with 10,000 men defeated 100,000, having made a solemn appeal to the God of battles before the issue was joined.
It is related as an incident of colonial history that in the war between France and England, with the battlefield over in this country, that the French at a serious crisis dispatched a great fleet with 3,000 soldiers and 40,000 stands of arms to turn the scale, and as that armament approached this continent, the colonists felt that if it arrived safely they were lost, and so the preachers gathered the people for prayer that God might save them from this armament, and even as they prayed a storm came and scattered the fleet, wrecking many of the vessels, drowning most of the soldiers, and sinking most of their munitions of war.
The climax of Solomon’s prayer anticipates a time when his people, on account of very grievous sin, shall be carried into captivity, their city taken, and over there in a land of exile they should become slaves of a foreign power. In this dire disaster, if they should repent and remember and look back toward Jerusalem and to this house, then might the Lord forgive them there and restore them to their land. We see Daniel carrying out this thought, as every day he would open his window and look toward Jerusalem and pray, doing just what this prayer suggests. Against the royal edict he would turn toward the Temple and pray. In Dan 9:19 we find a famous prayer confessing the sins of the people and repeating the promise in the prophecy of Jeremiah that the seventy years of captivity is nearly out, and crying out, “Oh Lord, hear! Oh Lord, forgive,” and even while he is praying an angel comes, touches him and tells him that his prayer is heard and shows him that not only will they be restored at that time, but unveils the prophecy concerning the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem and the length of time to elapse between that event and the birth of the long-looked-for Messiah, as you will find in the conclusion of Dan 9 .
Having offered this great prayer, Solomon arose and pronounced the benediction. As soon as this prayer ended, confirmation came in a very remarkable way. Fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that had been placed upon the altar, and not only that, but God appears to Solomon as he had appeared to him at Gibeon, and uses this language, which Spurgeon makes the text of one of his great sermons: “And Jehovah said unto him) I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me! I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built to put my name there forever.” On the next page it says, “Now I have chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there forever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.” In another place he says, “My hands shall be there.” Now Spurgeon takes for a text: “My name shall be there, my eyes shall be there, my heart shall be there, my hands shall be there.” “Whoever comes to that place of worship, I see him. Whoever prays, I hear him. Whoever pleads, I love him and I save him by my hand.” Spurgeon makes a great sermon out of it, and I suggest it as a good text.
We note the permanent use of the Temple: “Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch even as the duty of every day required.” That is the daily sacrifice, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the sabbaths, then there are the weekly sacrifices, and on the new moons, which are the monthly sacrifices; and then on the great feast days three times in the year. There you have the whole cycle of the sacrifices to be offered in the Temple. Moses provided for morning and evening sacrifices in the tabernacle. Perhaps you have read The Prince of the House of David by Ingraham, an Episcopalian preacher. He represents the young Jewish lady that came from Alexandria on a visit to Jerusalem as being waked up just as the dawn flushed the eastern sky; the silver trumpets began to blow, and as those trumpets were blown everybody rushed to the housetops, and while they were looking at the Temple a great white cloud of incense rose up over the Temple and ascended to heaven, representing the morning prayers of the people, and they on the housetops prostrated themselves at the time of the incense and offered their morning prayers. That occurred every evening also, and it could be seen by everybody in the city, the going up of that great cloud of incense. They could hear the sound of those trumpets calling to prayer morning and evening. Solomon provided according to the ritual of Moses and David that these daily sacrifices should never be neglected in that Temple, nor the sabbatical, or weekly, nor the monthly, nor the annual sacrifices in the times of the great feasts.
I will devote the rest of the chapter to the glory of Solomon. You will note these words: “And the King made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland for abundance. So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart, and they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.” Again, “And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought him presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.”
As a sample of the glory of Solomon, we have the visit of the Queen of Sheba, who came, as our Lord said, from the uttermost parts of the earth. Commentators are divided as to whether she was a queen over, that best watered and most fertile part of southern Arabia, or whether she was the Queen of Abyssinia just across the dividing water in Africa. Most modern commentators make her the queen of what is called “Arabia Felix,” but my own judgment is that she was the queen of Abyssinia. The tradition of her reign lingers there where recently King Menelik defeated the Italian armies, and where they still keep up certain forms of the Christian religion, whence also in New Testament times came the Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip led to Christ. By combining 1Ki 10:1-13 with Mat 12:42 you may make a great sermon with these heads: (1) She heard a rumor that there was a wise man who could answer any question. (2) She had hard questions knocking at the door of her heart, as every woman has. She determined, at any cost, to have these problems solved, so she makes this great journey, and when she gets there and he answers all of her questions and she sees his glory, his Temple, the way by which he went up into the Temple, the apparel of his servants, there was no more breath in her, that is, she fainted. You know some people are so finely strung that they will faint when looking at a great picture, or on being stirred by great music. From her words, “The half was not told me,” we get our hymn, “The half has never yet been told.”
My own sermon on Mat 12:42 had these heads: (1) There shall be a resurrection of the dead. (2) It will be a general resurrection, (3) followed by a general judgment, (4) whose determining principle shall be: Men are judged according to their light. We may close this discussion with a brief account of Solomon’s relations with other governments.
1. Phoenicia. He inherited from his father a most valuable alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, whose fleets controlled the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Egypt. His marriage with Pharaoh’s daughter held the friendship of the ruling dynasty in Egypt.
3. Friendly alliance with the Queen of Sheba.
4. In David’s time the Hittite nation at Hamath paid tribute. Solomon conquered the country.
5. By intermarriage he secured friendly relations with many countries, as most of his marriages were political.
6. By commerce through the Mediterranean he held friendly relations with the nations on its shores as far as Spain.
7. By commerce with the archipelagoes of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, he held friendly relations with the Orient, and Africa.
8. By land-traffic he held friendly relations with Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the nations around the Caspian Sea.
QUESTIONS
1. What promise of Jehovah was made to Solomon when he commenced to build the Temple?
2. What command of Jehovah, through Moses, was fulfilled in the building of the Temple?
3. When then, in brief, were the purposes of the Temple?
4. What effect has this dedication on all subsequent dedications of buildings?
5. At what annual festival was the Temple dedicated?
6. What are the steps of offering the house, and how the divine acceptance signified?
7. What similar event occurred in Moses’ day, and what greater event in the New Testament day?
8. Describe the platform occupied by Solomon, and his posture in the several parts of the dedication.
9. In what double capacity does he act?
10. What were the salient points of his opening address?
11. The salient points of his prayer?
12. What evidence in later days that in accord with Solomon’s petition his people prayed toward Jerusalem?
13. In what signal way did confirmation come from heaven, that his prayer was answered?
14. Distinguish between the two manifestations of the glory of the Cloud, 2Ch 5:13 ; 2Ch 7:1-3 .
15. What says the text of the glory of Solomon, and the extent of his kingdom? (See 1Ki 4:20-25 ; 1Ki 10:18-25 .)
16. What our Lord’s reference to Solomon’s glory?
17. Recite the story of the Queen of Sheba. Where her country? What our Lord’s reference to it, and what the sermon outline on Mat 12:42 ?
18. What was Solomon’s relations to foreign nations?
19. When and why Jehovah’s second appearance to Solomon?
1Ki 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.
Ver. 1. And when the queen of Sheba. ] Nicaula, Josephus a calleth her; the Rabbis, b Nicolas; others, c Maqueda. Her country some make to be Arabia Felix, others Ethiopia Southward it lay, and far from Jerusalem. Mat 12:42 A sibyl some make her to be.
Concerning the name of the Lord.
She came to prove him with hard questions. a In lib. Juchas
b Dam. a Goes. Genebrard.
c Glycas
d Gelatin., lib. viii. cap. 3.
1 Kings
A ROYAL SEEKER AFTER WISDOM
1Ki 10:1 – 1Ki 10:13 We feel the breath of a new era in the accounts of Solomon’s reign. One most striking peculiarity is the friendly intercourse with the nations around. The horizon has widened, and, instead of wars with Philistines and Ammon, we have alliances with Egypt, Tyre, and, in the present passage, with Sheba, a district of Southern Arabia. The expansion was fruitful of both good and evil. It brought new ideas and much wealth; but it brought, too, luxury and idolatry. Still Israel was meant to be ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles,’ and in this picturesque story of the wisdom-seeking queen, we have the true relation of Israel to the nations in its purest form. The details of the narrative. Interesting as they are, need not occupy us long.
The queen had heard the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, by which seems to be meant his reputation of being gifted with deep knowledge of the divine character as revealed to him. The questions which occupy earnest souls in all lands and ages were stirring in the heart of this woman-chief. The only way, in these old days, to learn the wisdom of the wise, was to go to them. So the streets of Jerusalem saw the strange sight of the long train which had come toiling up from Arabia, laden with its characteristic produce, gold and spices and precious stones, in the enumeration of which is reflected the wonder of the beholders at the unaccustomed procession. But better than all her wealth was the eager woman’s thirst for truth. Surely it is a very unworthy and unlikely explanation of her ‘hard questions’ and purpose to suppose that she came only for a duel of wit,-to pose Solomon with half-playful riddles. The journey was too toilsome, the gifts too large, the accent of conviction in her subsequent words too grave, for that. She was a seeker after truth, and probably after God, and had known the torture of the eternal questions which rise in the mind, and, once having risen, leave no rest till they are answered.
So she came, though half incredulous, hoping to find some solution to what ‘was in her heart,’ and as thirsty for the answer as her country’s sands for water. Only they who have known the pain of carrying such questions, like a fire in their bones, can know the joy which she felt when she found one to whom she could speak them. It is something of a drop to pass from Solomon’s wisdom to the list of the splendours of his household, and the effect which these produced on the queen; but the whole account of Solomon’s reign is marked by the same naive blending of wisdom and material wealth. In those days, outward prosperity was the sign of divine favour. But even in those days they knew that wisdom was ‘better than rubies.’ The two elements were both at their height in Solomon’s reign, and the lower of them finally got uppermost, and wrecked him. Plain living and high thinking are better than ‘wisdom,’ which lets itself down to make much of ‘the meat of the table,’ and a retinue of servants in fine clothes. How many of us would listen much more respectfully to wisdom, if it lived in a palace, than in ‘dens and caves of the earth’? The queen’s words in 1Ki 10:6 – 1Ki 10:9 are graceful with a woman’s tact, and full of feeling. She confesses that she had come half-doubting, even though she risked the journey, and fervently avows how far fame had been unlike itself in this instance, and had diminished, and not magnified. Then she envies the servants who wait on him, because they are so near the fountain, and finally breaks into praise of Solomon’s God, whose love to Israel was shown in giving it such a king. One does not know whether praise of God or compliments to Solomon were most in her mind. The words scarcely sound as if she had become a worshipper of God. He is to her but ‘thy God.’ But we may believe that she carried away some seed which grew up. Then, with munificent interchange of gifts, she and her train glide out of the story, and we lose them in the dark. The account of the wealth brought by Hiram’s ships comes singularly in, breaking the narrative of the queen. Its insertion seems to indicate some connection between the fleet and her, and to suggest that Sheba and Ophir were near each other which would put Ethiopia, where some have located it, out of court, and that she heard of Solomon through it.
The whole incident may be regarded as an illustration of the spirit that should mark all seekers after truth, whether earthly or heavenly. This queen had to win a victory over national prejudices, over the disabilities of her sex, over the temptations of her station, to travel far, and face dangers, and to incur great cost. It was surely no mere playful errand on which she was bent. She was smitten with the sacred impulse to ‘follow knowledge like a sinking star.’ Seldom, indeed, have rulers made progresses from their dominions for such an end, and seldom have two of them met to confer on such subjects. We shall not rightly measure the relative importance of things unless we resolutely set ourselves to look at them with eyes purged from the illusions of sense, and cleared to see how much better than wealth and all outward good is the possession of truth. All sacrifices made to win it are richly repaid, and wise investments. Even in regard to lower kinds of truth, to win them is worth the effort of a life; and, in regard to the highest kind, which is the personal Truth, he is the wise man who counts all earthly good but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of it. This queen points the path by which all pilgrims of the truth must travel. It is not to be won without effort, without conquest of prejudices, repression of weakness, sacrifices of delights, and long effort. There must be humility, which will gladly learn, if there is ever to be its possession.
‘Nor can the man that moulds in idle cell
Unto her happy mansion attain.’
This story brings out the true ideal of Israel’s relation to the nations. Solomon is the embodiment of his people. His reign is marked by largely increased and amicable relations with his neighbours. These were not all wholesome, and ultimately led to much mischief. But, while the purely commercial connection with Tyre was defective, in that there was no attempt to bring Hiram and the men who worked for the Temple to any knowledge of the God of the Temple, and the relation with Egypt was more unsatisfactory still, in that it meant only the importation of corrupting luxuries and the marriage with an Egyptian princess, an idolatress, this relation with the queen of Sheba was the true one. Solomon did in it what Israel was meant to do for the world. He attracted a seeker from afar, and imparted to her the wisdom that God had given him. He answered the torturing questions and won the confidence of this woman who was groping in the dark, till he led her by the hand to the light. A bond of friendship knit them together, and mutual gifts cemented their amity.
All this is but the putting into concrete form of God’s purpose in choosing Israel for His own. It was not meant to retain or to enclose, but to diffuse, the light. The world can only get blessing by one man or people getting it first. As well charge the builder of the lighthouse with partiality because he puts the bright lamps in that narrow room, as find fault with the divine method of making the earth know His name. The lighthouse is reared that the beams may stream out over the tossing, nightly sea. So God appointed to His people of old their task. So He has appointed the same task to His Church to-day. We ought to attract seekers from afar, to win their frank speech when they come, to be able to answer their anxious questions, and to bind them to ourselves in grateful bonds. In these days there are multitudes harassed by the modern forms of the same old, ever-pressing riddles which burdened this ancient queen’s heart; and that Church but ill discharges its office which repels rather than draws the seekers, or has no word of illumination for them if they come.
But the highest use to be made of the story is that which Christ made of it. It stands as a perpetual witness against those who are too blind to see the beauty, or too careless to be drawn to listen to the wisdom, of a present Christ. The sacrifices which men can make for lower objects are the most powerful rebukes of their unwillingness to make sacrifices for the highest, just as their capacity of love and trust is of their not loving and trusting Him. The same energy and effort which this queen put forth to reach Solomon, and which men eagerly put forth for some temporal good, would suffice to bring them to the feet of the great Teacher. Her longing for wisdom, her discernment of the person who could give it, and her toilsome journey, rebuke men’s indifference to Christ’s gifts, their failure to recognise His sweetness and power to make blessed, and their laziness and self-indulgence, which will not take a hundredth part of the pains to secure heaven which they cheerfully expend, and that often in vain, to secure earth. Will the ‘Queen of the south’ stand alone as witness in that day, or will there not be many out of other lands, who, like her, stretched out their hands to the dimly descried but yearned-for light, and came nearer to it, though they seemed far off, than many who lived in its full blaze and never cared for it? Will it be only Christ’s contemporaries who will be condemned by heathen seekers after God, or will there be many of ourselves, convicted of stolid indifference to the Christ who has been beside us all our lives, and has prayed us ‘with much entreaty’ and in vain, to ‘receive the gift’?
They who find their way to Him, and tell Him all that is in their hearts, will have all their questions solved. We have not far to go; for ‘a greater than Solomon is here.’ If we betake ourselves to Him, and learn of Him, we too shall find that ‘the half was not told us’; for Christ possessed is sweeter than all expectation, however high-pitched it may be, and to win Him is the only gain in which there is no disappointment, either at first or at last. We may all have the blessedness of His servants, ‘which stand continually before’ Him, and not only ‘hear’ but receive into their spirits His ‘wisdom.’
queen of Sheba. Compare 2Ch 9:1.
Sheba, a grandson of Cush, settled in Ethiopia (Gen 10:7): i.e. Nubia and North Abyssinia, where female sovereigns were not unusual. Compare Act 8:27.
heard = kept hearing. By the commercial intercourse of 1Ki 9:26-28. Compare 2Ch 8:17; 2Ch 9:1. Note her seven steps: heard (1Ki 10:1); came (1Ki 10:2); communed (1Ki 10:2); saw (1Ki 10:4); said (1Ki 10:6); gave (1Ki 10:10); returned (1Ki 10:13).
fame = report.
hard = abstruse, or difficult.
Chapter 10
Now the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon and so she came to Jerusalem with a very great company of people, camels, spices, a lot of gold, and precious stones: and as she came to Solomon, she communed everything that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all of the questions that she asked: not any thing hid from the king, that he did not tell her. And the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon’s wisdom, the house that he had built, the meat at his table ( 1Ki 10:1-5 ),
And we remember the meat of his table is fantastic. How much food it took for every day to feed Solomon’s household and all. One day’s provision, three hundred bushels of fine flour, six hundred bushels of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty oxen out of the pastures or ten choice grade and twenty commercial grade beef, a hundred sheep, beside the harts, roebucks, fallowdeer and fatted fowl. That was every day. And so when the queen of Sheba saw this whole thing, the servants, the sitting of his table. No doubt everything of gold on his table, gold plates, gold cups and she saw the whole thing you know and the way they would bear his cup to him. The way he would ascend to the house of God and the whole thing. Man, she was just wiped out. And it said that.
there was no more spirit in her ( 1Ki 10:5 ).
She just, “Wow!”
And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words, until I came, and I saw it with my own eyes: and, behold, they didn’t tell me half of all that is here of your wisdom and prosperity. It exceeds even the fame which I heard. Happy are your men, 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 the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice ( 1Ki 10:6-9 ).
So interesting, she sees the whole thing and she says, Hey, they didn’t tell me. I didn’t believe it when they told me of all that was here. They didn’t even tell me half of the story. It’s fantastic. Oh, blessed and happy are the people who can just sit here and listen to your wisdom and all. And then, “Blessed be the Lord thy God.”
Now no doubt at this point in his life Solomon was still walking with the Lord and honoring God because she saw the way he ascended into the place of worship and all. And he was still right on. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that when they see your good works, they will glorify your Father which is in heaven” ( Mat 5:16 ). And evidently, Solomon was doing it because as she sees the whole thing, she actually praises God, “Blessed be God.” He was just really at this point in his life right on. But unfortunately, his disobedience to God caused a lapse in his worship and in his dedication to God later on.
Now he also developed another navy to ply the waters of the Mediterranean. The first navy was down in the area of the Persian Gulf and all and would go down to Africa on the east coast of Africa, the Ivory Coast. And the other navy went out to the Mediterranean and covered the area of the Mediterranean going as far as England and bringing back peacocks and gold and rare trees and so forth. And so Solomon actually just had all of this glory and wealth and all that was coming in.
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold ( 1Ki 10:14 ),
Interesting number.
Beside that he had all of the spices that the merchants brought from the kings of Arabia. And he made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target. He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went into each shield ( 1Ki 10:15-17 ):
Can you imagine that? Three hundred shields with gold, three pounds each. Boy, at today’s market prices. Then he made this fantastic throne, six steps leading up to the throne. He made it of ivory and overlaid it with gold. With two lions that were carved there beside it.
His drinking vessels were all of gold, nothing was silver: for silver was accounted as nothing in Solomon’s days. The king had the navy for Tharshish and the other one for Africa. And great riches and it tells of all the glory and so forth of Solomon.
Verse twenty-eight.
And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, linen yarn: the king’s merchants received yarn for a price ( 1Ki 10:28 ). “
Let us first read part of the tenth chapter of the first Book of Kings; and, afterwards, a part of the twelfth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.
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.
Her visit, you see, had a religious aspect. She heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord. He had wisdom of various kinds, but it was his knowledge of God, and of Gods ways, that seemed chiefly to attract this ruler from a far-distant land.
1Ki 10:2. 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.
She came with a price in her hand to get wisdom. Well did Solomon say, Buy the truth, and sell it not. No price is too dear to pay for it, but any price would be too cheap to sell it at.
1Ki 10:3. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
His wisdom came from God, and therefore it was full and complete, and could not be confounded by man. Let us seek after the wisdom which cometh from above, and remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Indeed, is it not the sum total of wisdom really to fear, in a filial sense, the Lord Most High?
1Ki 10:4-5. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomons 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.
She was a queen, but she had never seen such royal magnificence as Solomons. The ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord appears to have been a marvelous viaduct, constructed of the most ponderous stones, by which the king went from his own house up to the temple itself. I have read that an arch of that viaduct is standing at the present day, and it is still a marvel. To this princess, it must have seemed a wonder of wonders.
1Ki 10:6-12. 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. 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. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the kings house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
Probably, these almug trees were trees of sandal-wood. Whatever they were, they seem to have been the best timber known to the Easterns, and therefore Solomon very properly used them in the house of the Lord. Let the harps of our praises be made of such wood that there shall be no others equal to them in the whole world. Let us give to our Lord our best young blood, our warmest zeal, our highest thoughts, our most careful attention. Let us give him, in fact, the whole of our being, the love of our heart. He should be served with the best of the best, for he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever.
1Ki 10:13. 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.
The king first of all bountifully gave her a present which he thought most fitting; and then, afterwards, permitted her to ask whatever she would. How much is this like our King Solomon, who has already given us all our hearts can wish for; and yet, if there be any right desire that is still ungratified, he provides the golden mercy-seat, at the foot of his throne, where we may present our petitions to him, encouraged by his gracious word, Ask what thou wilt; according to thy faith, so shall it be unto thee.
This exposition consisted of readings from 1Ki 10:1-13; and Mat 12:38-45.
The Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon shows how far his fame was spread abroad. Moreover, reports had coupled Solomon’s wisdom and greatness with the name of Jehovah. The Queen of Sheba saw what the government of God really meant.
Arriving as she did at the time of the nation’s peace and prosperity, she was constrained to speak of Solomon’s greatness as exceeding all reports of the prosperity of his kingdom and the happiness of his subjects.
But through all this she clearly saw that everything was due to the overruling of God. This she expressed in words which revealed the clearness with which this truth had been manifest to her. “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.”
Then follows the story of Solomon’s wealth, and, considering the times, it is an amazing amount. The story cannot be read, however, without a consciousness that the weaker, if not the baser, side of the king’s nature is manifest in the abounding luxury with which he surrounded himself. Display seems to have meant more to him than government. Indeed, one is inclined to feel that as in the case of the de Medici in Florence long after, the subjugation of the people by the throne was maintained by this very lavishness of display. Alas for any people where this is the case.
The Half Was not Told Me
1Ki 10:1-13
Sheba, to the Jewish mind, was at the ends of the earth, Mat 12:42. It probably lay in southern Arabia, fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem. The queen brought munificent presents of spices, gold, precious stones, and sweet-scented wood. The last-named Solomon used for musical instruments and for stairs in his Temple and palace, 2Ch 9:11. But the queens heart was set on plying him with hard questions, for which she had sought in vain a satisfactory solution.
We may come to a greater than Solomon, Mat 12:42. Our native country may lie far away, but He will receive us, and give us the right to live forever in His palace, listening to His words and beholding His face. Let us bring Him, as our gifts, the faith, love, and loyalty of our hearts. Above all, let us lay before Him our perplexities and questions. He may not immediately reveal an answer, as Solomon did, but will put His Spirit into our hearts. And having the anointing of the Spirit, we shall know all things, 1Jn 2:27. Though the mind cannot grasp, the heart will be at rest. The Bible, as someone says, does not teach us philosophy, but makes us philosophers. Be sure to obtain and use your share of His royal bounty.
1Ki 10:1-8
The world and the Church together are foreshown by this queen; all to whom ever the word, sight, name of Christ come within ken are warned by her example; while the king whose wisdom awoke such a rapturous feeling is the pale shadow of the wisdom which Christ among us is ever uttering.
I. The principle which makes this Oriental visit of barbaric splendour worth a Christian study is this, that the queen recognised the existence of a higher wisdom than filled as yet her daily life, and that she was laborious. With her, wealth given and received was but a background, only a means of obtaining higher things. She owned and she sought out wisdom, knowledge, learning, thought, as something of a different order, and infinitely more precious, plants, proverbs, music, songs, simple names, indeed, yet standing at the beginning of lines of knowledge which are dignified by greater names, and opening out before the eyes which were first lifted to them dreams and possibilities which were yet in the far distance.
II. We do not always understand what a distinction there is between the progressive and thoughtful and the careless, whose days, from sunrise to sunset, add nothing of wisdom to their hearts or of knowledge to their minds. Christ draws the greatest distinction between the one class and the other, between the inattentive listener to His words and the attentive one with infinitely less advantages.
III. Christians in the world, and thoughtful Christians among nominal ones, are like those very men whom the queen so envied. We stand about the throne of Christ. Happy are we if we know and realise our privileges.
Archbishop Benson, Boy Life: Sundays in Wellington College, p. 96.
References: 1Ki 10:1-9.-Parker, vol. vii., p. 324. 1Ki 10:1-25.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. v., p. 16. 1Ki 10:7.-Christian World Pulpit, vol. xii., p. 283. 1Ki 10:22.-Woodhouse, Good Words, 1877, p. 349.
1Ki 10:23
(with Mat 6:29)
The life of Solomon is a mournful story. We can hardly wonder that though his real greatness made oblivion impossible, though his name will live as long as the human race endures, yet an evil shadow as of high hopes baffled, of a great cause lost, rests upon his memory. Great in himself, great in what was given him to achieve, the impression that he made overflowed the bounds of his own kingdom, and he appears again and again as the lord of spirits and the master of the powers of nature in the multitudinous and fantastic legends of later and of other races, though his own people did not greatly cherish his memory.
I. To Solomon, even more than to his father, we owe the ideal of the peaceful and perfect King that was so deeply planted in the minds of the Jewish people, the fruitful hope of the Deliverer that was to be, which sustained the nation through all the long vicissitudes of captivity and enslavement, exile and oppression.
II. The temple of Solomon, the wisdom of Solomon, the empire of Solomon, have each in turn given way to something different, something higher. If the temple of Solomon and the temple worship have given place to something different from each, as Christian churches and Christian worship, these too may remind us that they in their turn are means, not ends; that our best altar is in our own hearts, our truest sacrifice that not only of praise and thanksgiving, but that of our souls and bodies.
III. It is never wise to underrate the effects of human genius, even when partly or wholly divorced from goodness. Great men, it has been wisely said, are, even in spite of their wickedness, lights from God. Yet there is a sense in which the humblest may aspire to that in which the greatest has come short, and he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater even than Solomon.
G. G. Bradley, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxiv., p. 65.
References: 1Ki 11:1-13.-Parker, vol. vii., p. 333. 1Ki 11:4.-J. Van Oosterzee, The Year of Salvation, vol. ii., p. 473. 1Ki 11:4-6.-Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iii., p. 235. 1Ki 11:6.-American Pulpit of To-Day, vol. i., p. 131. 1Ki 11:9.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xvi., p. 341. 1Ki 11:11.-H. P. Liddon, Penny Pulpit, No. 745; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 84. 1Ki 11:12.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. ix., p. 20.
6. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: His great Riches and Splendour
CHAPTER 10
1. The visit of the Queen (1Ki 10:1-13)
2. Solomons enormous wealth (1Ki 10:14-15)
3. the targets and shields (1Ki 10:16-17)
4. The ivory throne (1Ki 10:18-20)
5. The abundance of gold and the depreciation of silver (1Ki 10:21-22)
6. The greatest living monarch (1Ki 10:23-26)
7. His chariots and horsemen (1Ki 10:27-29)
The visit of the Queen of Sheba, who had heard of Solomons wisdom, is the next recorded event of much interest and significance. It illustrates what was previously stated in 1Ki 4:34. Sheba was known to such ancient writers as Strabo and Pliny. It was the center of a vast commercial empire in the southwestern part of the Arabian peninsula. The mins which are still to be seen testify of a great civilization. (See Isa 60:6; Psa 72:15; Jer 6:20; Eze 27:22; Eze 38:13.) She heard and came; she communed with Solomon and brought presents; she was filled with wonder at all she heard and saw and declared: Behold the half was not told me. Then she uttered her praise: 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, who delighteth in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore made He thee King, to do judgment and justice. Then she gave gold, spices and precious stones of an enormous value. In all this glory which came to Solomon we have a prophetic type of the glory which will come to Him, who is greater than Solomon. When He occupies the throne, the Gentiles will seek Him and praise the King as the Queen of Sheba praised Solomon. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all the kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him…. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for Him continually, and daily shall He be praised (Psa 72:10-15). This great Kingdom Psalm will be fulfilled when our Lord comes again. The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto Thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto Thee. The multitude of camels shall cover Thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD (Isa 60:5-6). All these and many other prophecies will be fulfilled in the future kingdom of our Lord. The visit of the Queen of Sheba foreshadows all this. See also the warning of our Lord in Mat 12:42.
And what riches and glory the king possessed! Everything was of gold. His throne was of solid ivory overlaid with gold. Twelve wonderful lions stood on the one side and on the other. All the drinking vessels were of gold. Silver depreciated in his days; it was worth next to nothing. The King made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as sycamore trees (verse 27). Compare this with what will take place in the coming kingdom of our Lord. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree (Isa 55:13). For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood, brass, and for stone, iron (Isa 60:17).
am 3014, bc 990
And when: 2Ch 9:1-12, Mat 12:42, Luk 11:31
Sheba: Gen 10:7, Gen 10:28, Gen 25:3, Job 6:19, Psa 72:10, Psa 72:15, Isa 60:6, Jer 6:20, Eze 27:22, Eze 27:23, Eze 38:13
heard: 1Ki 4:31, 1Ki 4:34
concerning: Job 28:28, Pro 2:3-6, Joh 17:3, 1Co 1:20, 1Co 1:21
prove him: Jdg 14:12-14, Psa 49:4, Pro 1:5, Pro 1:6, Mat 13:11, Mat 13:35, Mar 4:34
Reciprocal: Exo 18:26 – the hard causes 1Ki 8:41 – a stranger 1Ki 10:3 – hid from the king 1Ch 1:32 – Sheba 1Ch 5:13 – Sheba 2Ch 6:32 – the stranger Psa 87:4 – Ethiopia Pro 3:13 – is the Isa 60:9 – unto Eze 16:14 – thy renown Dan 1:20 – in all Dan 5:12 – doubts Mat 4:24 – his fame Luk 12:27 – that Act 8:27 – queen Heb 5:11 – we 2Pe 3:16 – hard
A SEEKER AFTER WISDOM
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.
1Ki 10:1
The world and the Church together are foreshown by this queen; all to whom ever the word, sight, name of Christ come within ken are warned by her example; while the king, whose wisdom awoke such a rapturous feeling, is the pale shadow of the wisdom which Christ among us is ever uttering.
I. The principle which makes this Oriental visit of barbaric splendour worth a Christian study is this, that the queen recognised the existence of a higher wisdom than filled as yet her daily life, and that she was laborious. With her, wealth given and received was but a background, only a means of obtaining higher things. She owned and she sought out wisdom, knowledge, learning, thought, as something of a different order, and infinitely more preciousplants, proverbs, music, songs, simple names, indeed, yet standing at the beginning of lines of knowledge which are dignified by greater names, and opening out before the eyes which were first lifted to them dreams and possibilities which were yet in the far distance.
II. We do not always understand what a distinction there is between the progressive and thoughtful and the careless, whose days, from sunrise to sunset, add nothing of wisdom to their hearts or of knowledge to their minds. Christ draws the greatest distinction between the one class and the other, between the inattentive listener to His words and the attentive one with infinitely less advantages.
III. Christians in the world, and thoughtful Christians among nominal ones, are like those very men whom the queen so envied. We stand about the throne of Christ. Happy are we if we know and realise our privileges.
Archbishop Benson.
Illustrations
(1) This story brings out the true ideal of Israels relation to the nations. Solomon is the embodiment of his nation. His reign is marked by largely increased and amicable relations with his neighbours. These were not all wholesome, and ultimately led to much mischief. But, while the purely commercial connection with Tyre was defective, in that there was no attempt to bring Hiram and the men who worked for the Temple to any knowledge of the God of the Temple, and the relation with Egypt was more unsatisfactory still, in that it meant only the importation of corrupting luxuries and the marriage with an Egyptian princess, an idolatress, this relation with the Queen of Sheba was the true one. Solomon did in it what Israel was meant to do for the world. He attracted a seeker from afar, and imparted to her the wisdom that God had given him.
(2) When the Queen of Sheba met King Solomon, tradition tells us she began with riddles. She asked him, for instance, to tell the boys and girls in a company who were all dressed alike. And Solomon, calling for water, bade them wash their hands, whereupon the girls turned up their sleeves. She brought two bouquets to himone real, one artificialand she bade him tell which of the two was real. Whereupon Solomon, flinging the casement wide, let the bees come in and settle on the real one. There is nothing the least unlikely in this legend. It was a thoroughly Oriental introduction. It was like the fence and parry of sharp wits that with us goes often before deeper intercourse. And then, having met her match in Solomon, she deserted the puny combat of the wits, and began to commune with him (as we read) of all that was in her heart. Then Solomon showed her all that he had built, and displayed to her the splendours of his household, till overwhelmed with it all, there was no more spirit in heras we should say, she was struck dumb. And the interview closed, not with a marriage (as the Abyssinians believe), but with the interchange of costly gifts.
(3) How dazzling the description of Solomons glory! And yet it is excelled by a single lily made by our Fathers hands. Fair indeed must Jesus be, the Son of His Love, in Whom all that is beautiful and strong and glorious is combined.
(4) A greater than Solomon invites us, saying, Come and see. But we must come before we can see. In the presence of Jesus the mists are dispelled.
But when we come to Jesus we feel that the half was never told us. His wisdom and goodness far surpass the power of the tongue of men and angels to utter. The soul basks in a golden radiance of Love and Grace which are unspeakable and full of glory. And it need not go out again from his presence-chambers. It may know the happiness of standing continually before Him, hearing His words. It may feast in His presence. It may live on His royal bounty. No good thing will He withhold. He will give grace and glory, exceeding abundantly above all you ask or think; all your desire, whatsoever you ask.
(5) The sacrifices which men can make for lower objects are the most powerful rebukes of their unwillingness to make sacrifices for the highest, just as their capacity of love and trust is of their not loving and trusting Him. The same energy and effort which this queen put forth to reach Solomon, and which we should put forth for some temporal good, would suffice to bring men to the feet of the great Teacher.
They who find their way to Him, and tell Him all that is in their hearts, will have all their questions solved. We have not far to go, for a greater than Solomon is here.
The Queen of the South
1Ki 10:1-13
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
A greater than Solomon is here. In Mat 11:1-30 Christ is upbraiding the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done. Under His ban were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. This upbraiding is concluded in chapter 12, where Christ condemns the whole generation of Jews telling them that Nineveh believed Jonah, and that a greater than Jonah was there. Then He says (Mat 12:42): “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: 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 Lord reminds the Children of Israel of how the queen of Sheba came to Solomon. We are all willing to grant that Solomon was less in glory and in power, and in all things, than Christ. However, we wish to select a few things in which this contrast is very definite.
1. Christ was greater than Solomon in birth. Solomon was the son of David, and Jesus Christ, as concerning the flesh, was of the line of David. However, Solomon came by natural generation, and Christ came by supernatural generation. Christ was of the Davidic line, but He was greater than David inasmuch as He was the Son of God. When the Jews said unto Jesus that the Messiah should be David’s son, Jesus immediately questioned how was it, then, that David, in speaking of the Messiah, said: “The. Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool”? “If David then call Him Lord, how is He his Son?”
2. Jesus was greater than Solomon because the substance is greater than the shadow. Solomon was a type of Christ, and a type is only a shadow. Solomon was that shadow; Christ was the substance. Solomon was great in glory; Christ was greater in glory. Solomon had a glory that only lasted a few short years. Solomon’s glory centered in an earthly kingdom; Christ’s glory is forever and ever. It has to do with an earthly kingdom, but it sweeps on into the new Jerusalem, that comes down from God out of Heaven.
3. Again, Christ was greater than Solomon, in His character. Solomon worshiped God, but he fell by the way. He was a sinner as other men are sinners. We know much of Solomon’s shame. Jesus Christ, however, knew no sin, and He did no sin. In character He was unimpeachable, the Holy One of God.
4. Jesus Christ was greater in His Kingdom. Solomon had a kingdom that included one nationality. Jesus Christ shall be King of kings, and Lord of lords. Solomon had a kingdom that was circumscribed to one country, Palestine. Jesus Christ has a Kingdom whose geographical bounds will cover the whole earth. Solomon had a kingdom which dissolved. First, it was divided at his death between Jeroboam and Rehoboam. And then it went into decay after a few years. Jesus Christ has a Kingdom which will extend through one thousand years, and then it will pass into the great eternal Kingdom upon whose throne the Father and the Son will jointly sit.
5. Jesus Christ was greater than Solomon in His works. We would not belittle the mighty deeds of Solomon; they were the marvels of the world; but Jesus Christ has done a work that no other ever did. The sphere of His work touches every human life, and reaches from time to eternity.
6. Jesus Christ was greater than Solomon in His claims. Solomon was admired and honored as few kings were ever honored. Jesus Christ has been worshiped from Adam down to this hour by multitudes, not only by multitudes of men, but by innumerable hosts of angels.
If the Queen of Sheba came to see Solomon, how much more should Jewry have come to see and to glorify the Son of God!
I. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA HEARD (1Ki 10:1)
There is something very significant about the expression, “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the Name of the Lord.”
1. She heard through his servants. We must remember that in those days communications were not so easily carried on among the nations and the peoples of the earth. Long distances were very long and difficult to travel. The Queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon, no doubt, through the traders of his realm who went everywhere. They must have carried a good report. We fear that the traders from our own country, or the sight-seers, the tourists, do not always carry a good report of our fair land. Those who carry on trades, not only deal in many things which are hurtful and harmful, but sometimes they drive very hard bargains.
The traders from Solomon’s realm dealt honorably, and everywhere they went they must have talked of Solomon.
We wonder if we, as Christian people, go hither and thither throughout many lands carrying a good report of our Lord.
2. She heard of his glory. Certainly Christians have plenty to talk about concerning the greater than Solomon. His glory surpasses all that has ever been known or heard. Each one of us is sent forth to tell that glory, not that we may magnify our own name, but His. We are His witnesses.
3. She heard of his riches. And how rich is our God! The cattle on a thousand hills are His. The silver and the gold are His; the world is His, and the fullness thereof. The Heavenly orbs were all created by Him, and for Him.
4. Perhaps, the most significant thing is the statement that the queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon concerning his Lord. He was not separated from his God whom he loved and served. Neither are we separated from our God. If people hear of us, we trust that they always hear of us in our relationship to our Master.
II. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA CAME (1Ki 10:1, l.c.-2)
Our Scripture reads: “She came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem.”
1. A long and arduous journey. We have spoken of the difficulty of travel in those days. The queen of Sheba had no swiftly flying train or automobile, or airship. She, doubtless, traveled by camel. It is not always easy to get to our God. There is so much that we must wade through before we can possibly reach His presence. Yes, God is near, yet the unbeliever feels that He is a long way off, so far as his approach to God is concerned. He feels that he has many sins and, perhaps, many misunderstandings, many doubts and fears, through which he must travel to get to the Saviour.
The Queen of Sheba did not count the long journey too much, and we trust that no unbeliever will think his difficulties too great for him to journey through to God.
2. She came filled with questions. She was not a doubter so far as Solomon was concerned, but she had heard of his wisdom as well as of his glory; and there were many things in her mind which she wished him to settle. Her questions, no doubt, had to do with the affairs of state, with philosophical matters, or with questions of astrology. Whatever they were, she found him able to answer.
We have a perfect right to come to God with our questions. There are too many who think they know it all, and if they have a question, they would prefer to go to some philosopher or scholar. Such men certainly could not help them in any question relative to things Divine. There are questions of life and death, of Heaven and of hell, of Christ’s Virgin Birth, His Deity, His vicarious Death, of Salvation and Sanctification. All of these we must bring to Him, and His Word.
3. She came with anticipation. If we do come to Christ, let us not come as a matter of form, cold-hearted, with sinister spirit. If we come to Him, let us come expecting, believing, anticipating; let us come as though we were glad to come. God help us to throw to the winds the thought of going to church on Sunday as a duty. Let us not sit in the pews as if it were a bore to be there. Let us give our preacher a countenance illumined with expectant joy.
III. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA SAW (1Ki 10:4-5)
1. She saw all of Solomon’s wisdom. Beloved, we never will weary of talking of the wisdom of our God. The wisdom of this world with its scholars is foolishness when compared with the wisdom Divine. Our Lord Jesus Christ is omniscient. There is not a word in our tongue but what God knows it altogether. He knows the way we take; He knows the end from the beginning; the future is open to His sight. He knows all about history because He was there. He knows all about prophecy because there is no future to Him. He sees everything as though it had already happened.
2. She saw the house which Solomon had built. We also may see the house which our Lord has built. What a wonderful house it is! We are not speaking of the Heavenly City, with its many mansions. That will be marvelous to behold; we are speaking just now of that house made, not with hands, nor material. It is an house, even the Church of our God. Ephesians tells us that we are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. God’s House is a wonderful house.
3. She saw Solomon’s servants. Those who waited upon him, his ministers. We read that she saw their apparel; she saw their ministry; she saw them standing before him; she saw them do his bidding; she saw them arrayed in the garments of his righteousness, made beautiful because of the kingliness which he put upon them.
4. She saw Solomon’s ascent. Perhaps, the most striking statement of all is that she saw his ascent to the house of the Lord. How many have ever viewed the ascent of our Lord as He went into glory? He was accompanied by seraphim and cherubim, with innumerable hosts of angelic beings, by saints whom He led with Him. One day we will ascend into the House of our Lord.
IV. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA SAID (1Ki 10:6-9)
The last statement of 1Ki 10:5 is, perhaps, unsurpassed in our lesson. It was spoken just after the Queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon’s wisdom, his house, his servants, his ascent to the House of the Lord. Here are the words: “There was no spirit in her.”
Have you ever beheld the glory of your God until you felt that there was no spirit left in you? You were overwhelmed, amazed, filled with praise?
1. She said, “It was * * true.” “Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.” “Behold, the half was not told me.” Such matchless statements! She was willing, yea anxious, to come. It did not seem that what she heard could be true, but she was determined to find out.
I love that expression in the Book of Acts: “Many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.” He who will dare to come to the Lord will find Him true, and will find everything true that was heard about Him. When the Children of Israel came into the land they said that there had not failed one good thing of all that was promised them.
Oh, that the unsaved would be willing to put God to the test. Oh, that they would come and try Him, and see whether it is all true.
2, She said, “the half was not told me.” Not only did the Queen of Sheba find everything they had told, true; but she found that the servants could not tell the half of the wisdom, prosperity, and fame of Solomon concerning the Lord.
Beloved, we have never been able to overpreach and overlive the glory of our God. Everything we say of His Cross, of His Resurrection, of His Ascension, of His Second Coming, falls far short of their reality.
3. She said, “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee.” Here was a concession on the part of the Queen of Sheba that is true of us who stand before our Lord and serve Him. We, too, are called “Happy” or “Blessed.”
V. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA GAVE (1Ki 10:10)
When she left home, she left with a very great train of camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. Now that she had seen the king, his wisdom, his house, his glory, she delivered unto him her gifts. They are specified in 1Ki 10:10. There were “an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones.”
Of the spices it is recorded there came no such abundance to King Solomon as those which were brought by the Queen of Sheba.
Beloved, is it not meet that when we come into the presence of our God we should come with gifts worthy, at least, of our love? To be sure, we cannot enrich Him, but we can, at least, acknowledge His riches and His glory.
1. She gave the praise of her lips. This is a gift which is acceptable unto our Lord. Praise is comely. Praise pleaseth the Lord, and magnifies Him. It will be a wonderful sight when the heavens reverberate with praise at the Second Coming of Christ. Every Lord’s Day as praise ascends from thousands of churches, and from multiplied thousands of hearts, we know that Heaven bends to hear.
2. She gave gifts of gold, precious stones, and spices. When we give back to God tokens of our appreciation and love, let us not give so miserly and grudgingly. Let us never give of necessity. God loves a cheerful giver. The queen certainly was that. Solomon rejoiced in her gifts, and God will rejoice in ours.
Many of us should be ashamed of the way we put our gifts into the treasury of our God. Some people sit in church as though they had done something, yet what they have done has been done without any hilariousness, without any thrill of pleasure, or genuine love to God. Would the governor receive a gift given in such a spirit? Would your wife? Offer her a gift in that spirit and see how she would feel about it.
VI. SOLOMON GAVE TO THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (1Ki 10:13)
The queen was not the only one who gave. 1Ki 10:10 says, “And she gave the king”; 1Ki 10:13 says, “And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba.” Of one thing we may be sure: God will not let us do all of the giving. Have we not read, “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over”? The promise of Mal 3:10 says that if we bring unto God our tithes He will open the windows of Heaven and pour us out a blessing such as there shall not be room to receive. Who is he, and where is he who can count God’s goodness to him? The truth is what have we that He has not given unto us?
There are three statements about the gifts of Solomon.
1. He gave her all her desire. Sometimes I think God has put into our hands the measuring line of faith, and He says, “Place your measuring line on the goods, and just as far as it reaches, I will cut it off for you.” We have not, because we ask not. The Lord plainly told His disciples to ask and they would receive. He said, “Unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that ye ask or think.”
2. He gave her out of his bounty. The rich feel that in giving meager gifts they place shame upon their own wealth. The poor can give but little. The rich can give much. It is said that Alexander found a soldier asleep in his tent, his head in his arms, and a paper on which he had been writing was covered with tears. The emperor took the paper, and on it he saw a list of debts. It was a tremendous amount. The man had written at the bottom of the paper, “Who can pay it?” Alexander the Great wrote one word: “Alexander.” Then he left it for the young man to behold.
It matters not how great our debt of sin was. His bounty paid it. It matters not how much of love, or joy, or peace, or patience we owe to our fellow men, His bounty will pay it.
VII. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA RETURNED (1Ki 10:13, l.c.)
“So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.”
1. Mark the expression she “went to her own country.” Where should we go? Where should we take the message of God’s greatness, His glory, and His saving power?
(1) We should go to our own home. That is where the queen went. Every one of us should tell those of our own immediate circle of the glorious Saviour we have found. Piety begins at home.
(2) We should go out into the byways and hedges. We should not be content to have those only in our homes hear the Word; those in the city, in the country, in the town–to all we must tell the message of life and light.
(3) To the ends of the earth. The last command of our Lord was “Go ye into all the world.” Not only that, but unto “every creature.”
2. She went to her own country with a new vision, a new knowledge, and a new confession. She had come to Solomon with questions. She went back with her questions answered. She had come to Solomon not believing all she had heard. She returned saying, “The half was not told me.”
Beloved, our experience of meeting the Lord should not only give us a new testimony as we return to our own country, but it should give us a new life in their midst. The queen went back a different woman. For our part we are glad she went back to her country. Her country needed the message and the light she had to give. We believe that everyone who has come to the Lord Jesus, and has met Him, has seen Him, and heard Him, should take the new faith, the new joy, the new peace and the new life, and put it back in the old place.
AN ILLUSTRATION
The Queen of Sheba sought and found.
“A strange sight was seen on the Mystic River, Massachusetts. Some boys who were constructing a shanty on the flats dug up a pot containing about $300 in old silver coins. The dates on the coins found by the boys ranged between 1717 and 1838. There were coins of England, France, Greece, Spain, all of the South American countries and also American pieces. Most of the American money was minted between 1828 and 1838. The place where the money was found is within a stone’s throw of the historic Craddock House of Revolutionary fame and on the site of one of the shipyards which, fifty years ago, fronted both sides of the Mystic. The discovery brought out an army of men who dug up the whole river bank for lost treasures, and were rewarded by an additional find of $35 in coin. If men were only as deeply concerned in looking for the hidden treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven, they would surely find.”
1Ki 10:1. The queen of Sheba Probably of that part of Arabia called Saba, which bordered upon the Red sea, Hence our Lord terms her the queen of the south, and says she came from the uttermost parts of the earth, (Mat 12:42,) which answers exactly to Arabia Felix, for it lies south of Judea, is at a great distance from it, and is limited by the ocean. Add to this, that it abounded in all the commodities which she brought, gold, precious stones, and all kinds of spices and fine perfumes, more than Ethiopia, (from whence some have thought she came,) or any country thereabouts. Heard of the fame of Solomon Probably she heard of his fame by the ships that went to Ophir, for they sailed by her coast, and, in all likelihood, spread his fame there and in all other places where they touched, proclaiming his magnificence, and especially his wisdom, and the glorious temple which he had built, or was building, for the worship of his God, whose praise they set forth as far above all gods. Concerning the name of the Lord That is, concerning God, the name of God being often put for God; concerning Solomons deep knowledge in the things of God. For it is very probable she had, as had divers other heathen, some knowledge of the true God, and an earnest desire to know more concerning him. Indeed, if she came from Arabia, as we see there is reason to think she did, it is not improbable but she was a descendant of Abraham by his wife Keturah, one of whose sons begat Sheba, who seems to have been the first planter of this country. If so, she might, as Dr. Dodd observes, have some knowledge of revealed religion, by tradition at least, from her pious ancestors. And this verse seems more than to intimate that the design of her visit to Solomon was not so much to gratify her curiosity, as to inform her understanding in matters relating to piety and divine worship. And what our Saviour speaks respecting her rising in judgment against the men of that generation, seems plainly to intimate that the wisdom she came to hear was of a much more important kind than that of merely enigmatical questions. See Calmets Comment. and Dict. on the word Sheba, and Saurins Discourses, vol. 5. p. 261. She came to prove him with hard questions Concerning natural, and civil, and especially divine things, that she might not only try whether he was as wise as report made him, but might receive instruction from him.
1Ki 10:1. Sheba, from Saba, the eldest son of Cush. Gen 10:7. The country extending itself from the Gulf of Persia to the Red sea. The claims of the Abyssinians to the queen of this country, seem grounded merely on the pride of unfounded tradition.
1Ki 10:14. Six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. The weight of one talent is estimated by Suidas at sixty pounds, or three thousand shekels of gold.
A pound, a hundred drachms A drachm, six obeli An obulus, six brass coins A brass coin, seven mites.
1Ki 10:22. The king had at sea a navy of Tharshish. As the critics are all embarrassed concerning Ophir in the preseding chapter, so they are equally undecided here concerning Tharshish. The prophet Jonah went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharshish: Jon 1:3. Javan, Gen 10:4, had a son called Tharshish, who no doubt, like other fathers, called his lands after his own name; as we find inhabitants of that name. 2Ma 4:30. Tharshish was probably the old name of Tyre, or of Cyprus, and so the seas adjacent were called by the same name, for we repeatedly read of the ships of Tarshish, or ships of the Mediterranean sea. For this reason Tremellius translates the word ocean. Samuel Bochart relieves, I think, the difficulty. Phal. 1Ki 3:7. He affirms that Betica was the ancient name of Spain, or of part of that country; that the river Guadalquiver was called Tartessus. Chan. 1Ki 1:7. Tradition adds, that the sea at the pillars of Hercules [Gibraltar] had formerly broken the banks which separated Great Africa from the land of Tarshish. The Chaldaic reads, ships of Africa.
1Ki 10:29. The kings of Syria. This indicates that the empire of Babylon was then of small account, and very limited in territory.
REFLECTIONS.
When in the year 1530, Ignatius Loyola quitted the profession of arms, and vowed to devote his whole life to the conversion of mahometans and idolaters in every part of the earth, he said he was ashamed to see the merchants brave tempests, despise dangers, and make long voyages for gain, while the christian world did nothing to propagate the faith of Christ. But here is an illustrious woman, who in regard to her being a heathen and less enlightened, excelled him in pious zeal and laudable exertions. She came to Solomon to inquire concerning the name of the Lord, and to prove him with hard questions: for his fame by sea and by land, was gone to the ends of the earth. In this view she affords the christian world a most animating example. Our JEHOVAH Jesus, greater than Solomon, is building the city and temple of his church. The mystery of his glorious person, the greatness of his love to man, the riches of his grace, the glory of his kingdom, and the terrors of his arm are subjects of admiration to heaven and earth. To sinners, all other knowledge is but vanity, and all other treasures are but dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord.
She came to prove Solomon with hard questions, such no doubt as we find in the Proverbs; and with a divine wisdom he told her all the truth concerning every query. And has not every sinner many very hard questions to put to the Lord of glory? May not each say, Lord what must I do to be saved? Can my iniquities be all forgiven? Can my conscience ever be made calm, serene and placid, with a peace which passeth all understanding? Can the wicked be justified at thy bar? Can my nature ever be made clean, filled with love, and always inclined to good? Can my passions be weaned from phantoms, and fixed on things above? Is it possible for me to say with the psalmist, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee? Answer, oh glorious Source of wisdom and love, and tell me all the desire of my heart.
When this queen had seen all his domestic, all his religious, and all his political arrangements, her understanding and heart were quite overpowered with the grandeur and multiplicity of the objects. But with Christ and his kingdom, the glory is much more admirable. Prophets have made it the cheering theme of prophecy; angels, contemplating his redemption, have sung glory to God in the highest; and the holy apostles, enraptured with his love, have blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by his resurrection from the dead. Yea, all heaven is transported with devotion at the wonders of his name. This princess, on hearing of Solomons wisdom and achievements, spared no presents, made every sacrifice, and risked every danger of crossing the weary deserts, that she might see his works, hear his wisdom, and worship in his glorious temple. Well therefore has our Saviour said, that she shall condemn the supineness of the religious world. Well therefore did he cite her example to confound the age in which he lived; an age which wondered and perished.
When this foreign princess, so great a credit to her country, had seen all his works, and heard his wisdom, she not only fainted beneath the weight of his glory, but acknowledging her partial unbelief, exclaimed, the half of this was not told me. So believer, follow on, tracing the wisdom and works of thy heavenly King; follow on in the school of instruction, and by and bye the curtain will drop. By and bye you shall find yourself in the presence of the King eternal, immortal, and invisible. By and bye you shall find yourself in the midst of the city and temple of God, and exclaim with all the adoring throng, not the half, nor even the thousandth part of his fame and glory was ever revealed. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath entered the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
When Solomon and this queen had exchanged their munificent presents, for royal personages do not bargain like merchants, the king gave her over and above whatever she was pleased to ask. And now, if this be the etiquette of kings, what shalt thou do, poor trembling soul, who hast no pearls but thy tears, no incense but thy sighs, and no treasures but thy sins? Well, be of good cheer; the oblations with which God is best pleased are a broken spirit and a contrite heart. His first and great request is, My son, give me thy heart. In return for this he says, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And again, he that overcometh shall inherit all things. Lord, thou art greater than Solomon; may I ever come to thee. Yea, may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations worship before him.
1 Kings 10. Visit of the Queen of Sheba.By Sheba or Saba a district in S. Arabia is meant. The Sabans were known to the Israelites as exporters of gold (Isa 60:6, Psa 72:15); Ezekiel (Eze 27:23) says that they dealt extensively with Tyre. In Job (Job 1:15, Job 6:19), they are represented as marauders. The civilisation of Arabia was considerable, and much light has been thrown on it by scholars like Hommel and Glaser. Our Lord calls the queen of Sheba the queen of the south (Mat 12:42); for an Eastern queen reigning independently, cf. Candace, queen of the Ethiopians (Act 8:27). The rest of the chapter is occupied by an account of Solomons wealth and magnificence and his trade. The ships of Tarshish (1Ki 10:22) were Phnician trading vessels suitable for a visit to that place, which was either Tarsus in Asia Minor or Tartessus in Spain (Isa 2:16*). Ships used in the Red Sea naturally did not go there, nevertheless they are so called; see 1Ki 22:48, where Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold.
THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
(vs.1-13)
News of Solomon’s greatness spread through the nations. It was not however his greatness itself that impressed the Queen of Sheba, but his fame concerning the name of the Lord (v.1). Solomon pictures the Lord Jesus in His great splendor of reigning in the millennium, and the Queen of Sheba indicates the interest of at least some nations awakened at that time to come to inquire of One so renowned for His wisdom.
At the same time the Queen of Sheba is a picture of any stranger at any time who is awakened to desire to learn more of the Lord Jesus. When she heard the report, then she came to test Solomon with hard questions. There are many hard questions of a spiritual nature that trouble people, and their wisest course is to bring them directly to the Lord Jesus who knows the answer to any question worth asking.
Being a wealthy woman, she came with a great entourage which included spices, gold and precious stones (v.2). This reminds us of Isaiah’s prophecy that in the millennium the wealth of the Gentiles will be willingly brought to the Lord Jesus (Isa 60:5-7).
She spoke with Solomon about all that was in her heart. This was frank, open-hearted communion. if there is such simple honesty in seeking the Lord’s presence and His counsel, the results for us will be fully as satisfying as the results were for the Queen of Sheba. Solomon answered all of her questions, for there was nothing too difficult for him (v.3). In this he pictures the Lord Jesus, though his wisdom was far inferior to that of the Lord, who can answer far deeper questions than the Queen of Sheba asked, such as, how to be sure our sins are forgiven, how to deal with our inherent sinful nature, and many other questions that are raised in the New Testament, which Solomon did not have and could not have answered in his day.
Only when the Queen of Sheba had come and communed with Solomon was she privileged to “see” his wisdom. If people object to the things of God by saying, “I don’t see that,” all they need to do is come to the Lord and they wilt see. The Queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom particularly in the house he had built. Today the Lord is not building a material house, but “a spiritual house” (1Pe 2:5) composed of all believers of the present age, and we might all well be impressed by the wisdom of His great love in fitting each believer into the Church of God. We are God’s workmanship individually (Eph 2:10), but also collectively, as the Lord Jesus says, “On this Rock I will build My Church” (Mat 16:18).
What the Queen of Sheba saw inside the house was equally impressive: “the food of his table.” His provision for one day is told us in chapter 4:22-23 – an amazing amount. The provision of the Lord Jesus for His Church is also more than sufficient, not only in quantity, but in its wonderful quality, for Christ Himself is “the bread of life” to fully satisfy every hungry heart.
“The seating of his servants” is mentioned before service, for the Lord first seats us in godly order to receive instruction before serving. Then “the service of his waiters” is noticed. The order in this service must have been wisely planned too, and believers today will serve well when they do so in subjection to the authority of the Lord Jesus.
“Their apparel” was fitting for the presence of the king. Scripture tells us what is the clothing of believers: “Of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Co 1:30). This is a lovely answer to the prayer of the Psalmist, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us” (Psa 90:17).
Also impressive to the Queen of Sheba was “his entryway (or ascent) by which he (Solomon) went up to the house of the Lord” (v.5). We know of no record of what this ascent was like, but its spiritual significance is more important, for it speaks of the truth of the Lord’s ascension to glory and connected with this the coming of the Lord to transfer His saints to their heavenly home. Solomon’s own house speaks of the Church in its order on earth, but the temple (the house of the Lord) symbolizes the Father’s house (Joh 14:2).
When we understand all these things connected with the order of the Church of God while on earth and also the marvelous truth of the Rapture so near now to be accomplished, we might well be overwelmed with wonder, just as was true of the Queen of Sheba: “there was no more spirit in her” (v.5).
Appropriately therefore her lips were opened in a lovely confession of faith, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However, I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard” (vs.6-7). If we have had any true contact with the Lord Jesus, surely we shall be similarly affected to respond to Him in adoring appreciation.
Adding to her appreciation of Solomon’s wisdom, the Queen of Sheba expressed her unselfish appreciation of the happiness of Solomon’s servants in being privileged to stand continually in his presence to hear his wisdom (v.8). She shows no envy in her speaking of the Lord delighting in Solomon and setting him on the throne of Israel. She expressed her genuine joy in Solomon and in Israel (v.9). This will be the attitude of those nations in the millennium who have been born again. Through the ages the Gentile nations have been resentful against Israel because God has chosen them as His earthly people, but there is no doubt that the Queen of Sheba had actually been born of God, so that her attitude was beautifully affected by this.
Besides her words of appreciation, she expressed this by giving to Solomon 120 talents of gold, spices in great quantity and precious stones (v.10). She was not paying Solomon for anything, but voluntarily giving which is a picture of a believer giving to the Lord the willing worship of his heart. The gold, amounting of 15,700 pounds’. speaks of the glory of God, that which is the first consideration in worship. The spices, also a great amount, picture the fragrances of the Lord Jesus, whose entire life, His death and resurrection were wonderfully fragrant to the nostrils of God. The precious stones symbolize the fruit of the Spirit with their many colors reflected by the light that shines upon them. Thus our worship is simply our thankful, glad response to the working of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Verses 11 and 12 are a parenthesis, showing both a comparison and a contrast to the gifts of the Queen of Sheba. Her gifts showed lovely personal affection, a most valuable presentation. But the ships of Hiram brought great amounts of almug trees and precious stones from Ophir. The almug trees were used to make steps (or a balustrade) both for the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and also for making harps and other stringed instruments. Servants of Solomon brought this wood, used for the support (the balustrades) and the joy (the music) of the people. Thus Israel will be supported and rejoicing in the coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus. They will surely thank God for His sustaining grace and for the joy He gives them. But what the Queen of Sheba gave speaks more of the joy that is given to the Lord from devoted hearts. The precious stones, speaking of the fruit of the Spirit of God, will not be lacking in the servants of God in the millennial kingdom, even in those who are not as fully devoted as some others are.
The Queen of Sheba did not lose by giving so much to Solomon, for his grace exceeded hers, just as the grace of the Lord Jesus is exceedingly abundant (1Ti 1:14). Solomon gave her all she desired of him, and much more (v.13). How true are the words of Psa 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
With a full and satisfied heart the Queen of Sheba returned to her own country. Thus, one who has learned of Christ returns to his own circumstances, but surely with a changed attitude that desires to tell others of Him.
SOLOMON’S WEALTH AND WISDOM
(vs.l4-29)
We are told now of the amazing wealth of the kingdom of Solomon simply because this is symbolical of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the millennium. Every year 666 talents of gold came to him, that is 87,245 pounds! (v.14). This did not include the gold brought in by traveling merchants and traders and that which was sent by the kings of Arabia and from the governors of the country (v.15). Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing 3 minas of gold (6 pounds) and put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. This was symbolical of the protection of his kingdom in its administration.
Also in the same place was his amazingly unique throne, made of ivory and overlaid with gold (v.18). Six steps led up to the throne, which was rounded at the back and having arm rests on either side, while beside the arm rests were two lions. But added to this were two lions on each of the six steps, that is, 12 lions (v.20). These were included as part of the throne, because we are told the throne had six steps, therefore all of these steps and lions were overlaid with gold. Nothing like this was true of any other kingdom. The gold speaks of the glory of God which will indeed be paramount in the glorious high throne of the Lord Jesus in His kingdom. His reign of great prosperity will be altogether for God’s glory.
All of Solomon’s drinking vessels and all the vessels in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold (v.21). Not only will Christ’s authority be for God’s glory, but the provision He makes for the people in the kingdom will also glorify God, even in regard to what they drink. Silver was not used because of its relatively less value. Silver speaks of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, putting emphasis on the great work He has accomplished for us. But Christ personally is greater than His work.
The friendship of Hiram was valuable to Solomon, for he profited by the sea-faring knowledge of Hiram’s fleet of ships which Solomon’s ships accompanied on trips to bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes and monkeys (v.22). Thus Solomon’s riches and wisdom surpassed that of all the kings of the earth (v.23). From every direction also people came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and they came always with gifts, silver, gold, garments, armor, spices, horses and mules. This indicates that many in the millennium will come to Israel to learn of the glory of the great King of kings and will bring gifts of homage to Him.
Solomon also gathered chariots and horsemen, 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stationed in cities designated as chariot cities as well as in Jerusalem. These were for the protection of his kingdom, reminding us that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus will have more full protection than this, though with no trusting in chariots and horses. Israel’s trust then will be simply in the name of the Lord (Psa 20:7).
Silver became as common as stones in Jerusalem and cedar trees as abundant as the lowly sycamores (27). Also Solomon imported chariots and horsemen from Egypt, chariots at a cost of 600 silver shekels and horses 150 shekels each. He used these in Israel, but also exported them to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria, thus making a profit. If he had read Deu 17:15-16, then he was deliberately disobedient, for the Lord forbad a king to multiply horses or to cause the purchase of horses from Egypt. This was depending on the world (Egypt) for the protection of his kingdom, instead of on the Lord.
10:1 And when the queen of {a} Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
(a) Josephus says that she was Queen of Ethiopia, and that Sheba was the name of the chief city of Meroe, which is an island of the Nile.
3. Solomon’s greatness ch. 10
This chapter summarizes with illustrations and statistics the wisdom, acceptance, and riches with which God blessed Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba’s visit 10:1-13
The writer seems to have included this event here to support his claim that Solomon’s reign was so glorious that rulers came from all over the world to meet him (1Ki 4:34; cf. 1Ki 3:16-18). It also shows that some of Solomon’s wealth came to him as voluntary gifts from admirers. Jesus used this queen’s example to challenge His hearers to listen to God’s wisdom through someone greater than Solomon, namely, Himself (Mat 12:42).
The site of Sheba was about 1,200 miles southeast of Israel (present Yemen and or Oman). A traditional site of the Queen of Sheba’s castle is Salalah, in southern Oman. This country had come to dominate the spice and incense trade that had made that region of Arabia famous. [Note: G. W. Van Beek, "Frankincense and Myrrh," Biblical Archaeologist 23:3 (September 1960):70-95.] The queen’s primary purpose in visiting Solomon seems to have been to make a treaty with him. Before she did so she wanted to make sure that he really was as wise and rich as she had heard. Testing with questions was a challenging activity among ancient Near Eastern monarchs. [Note: See Harry Torcszyner, "The Riddle in the Bible," Hebrew Union College Annual 1 (1924):125-49; Gray, p. 241; Gates, p. 321.]
"The hard (’enigmatic’, REB) questions (hidot) were not just ’riddles’, as in Jdg 14:12, but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions. According to Josephus, Hiram had made similar approaches. The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business partner and a reliable ally capable of giving help." [Note: Wiseman, p. 129.]
She noted that God had made Solomon a blessing to those around him (1Ki 10:8), as God had promised He would do for those who obeyed His covenant. She also blessed Yahweh (1Ki 10:9), the God under whom Solomon reigned. Her gifts, which included four and one-half tons of gold, appear to have been part of a covenant treaty she negotiated with Solomon for her country (cf. 1Ki 10:13). In her visit we see Israel fulfilling its God-given purpose of bringing the Gentiles to Yahweh. The name of this queen in Arabian history is Balkir.
"The royal family of Ethiopia claimed descent from Solomon and the queen of Sheba. It was asserted that the queen gave birth, as a result of her visit, to Menelik I, the traditional founder of the Ethiopian royal line. This is difficult to prove, but it is also difficult to disprove. Though the queen of Sheba did not come from Ethiopia, it is quite clear that Ethiopia was colonized by Sabeans from South Arabia, crossing the Red Sea. Her descendants could have gone to Ethiopia, and Arabic legends give details regarding the queen who married Solomon. It may be added that Josephus speaks of a relationship which the queen of Sheba had with Ethiopia (Antiq. II. 10. 2; VI. 5. 6)." [Note: Wood, p. 328.]
Other scholars are less sure of this connection. [Note: E.g., Patterson and Austel, p. 102; and Rice, p. 81.] Josephus called her "the queen of Egypt and Ethiopia," but that identification is probably incorrect. [Note: Antiquities of the Jews 8:6:2, 5-6. For a survey of the traditions connected with the Queen of Sheba, see Edward Ullendorff, "The Queen of Sheba," Bulletin of John Rylands Library 45:2 (1963):486-504.]
SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY
1Ki 10:1-20.
“O Luxury! thou cursd by Heavens decree!
How do thy potions with insidious joy
Diffuse their pleasures only to destroy!
Kingdoms by thee to sickly greatness-grown
Boast of a florid vigor not their own.”
GOLDSMITH, Deserted Village.
“The Queen of the South shall rise up in judgment against this generation, and shall condemn it: For she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”
– Mat 12:42.
THE history of the Temple is the event which gives supreme religious importance to the reign of one who became in other respects a worldly and irreligious king. It is for this reason that I have dwelt upon its significance, and on the many interesting questions which its worship naturally suggests. Solomon gave an impulse to outward service, not to spiritual life. His religion was mainly that form of externalism which rose but little above the
“Gay religions full of pomp and gold”
of the surrounding heathens. The other fragments of his story which have been preserved for us are mainly of a political character. They point us to Solomon in his wealth and ostentation, and contain nothing specially edifying. Our Lord thought less of all this splendor than of the flower of the field. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Princes who have once begun to build find a certain fascination in the task. After the seven years devoted to the Temple, Solomon occupied thirteen more in building “halls of Lebanoniac cedar” for himself, for his audience-chamber, and for Pharaohs daughter.
Chief of these were:-
1. The house of the forest of Lebanon, a sort of arsenal so called from its triple rows of cedar pillars, on which hung the golden shields for the kings guards when they attended his great visits to the Temple.
2. The justice hall, the “Sublime Porte” of Jerusalem, built of gold and cedar. It contained the famous Lion Throne of gold and ivory, with two lions on each of its six steps. It is not known whether these buildings formed part of the palace and harem of Solomon, nor is it worthwhile to waste time on the impossible attempt to reconstruct them.
Solomon also built the fortification of Jerusalem known as the “Mille,” and the wall of Jerusalem, and repaired the breaches of the city of David, as well as the fortresses and treasure cities to which we have already alluded, and the summer palaces in the region of Lebanon known as “the delights of Solomon.” {1Ki 9:19} Amid these records of palatial architecture we hear next to nothing of the religious life.
He further dazzled his people by an extensive system of foreign commerce. His land-traffic with Arabia familiarized them with spicery (necoth), gum tragacanth, frankincense, myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and with precious stones of all kinds. From Egypt he obtained horses and chariots: They were brought from Tekoa, by his merchants, and kept by Solomon, or sold at a profit.
He found a ready market for them among the Hittite and Aramaean kings. Emulating the Phoenicians, and apparently invading the monopoly of Tyre, he had-if we may take the chronicler literally-a fleet of “ships of Tarshish” which sailed along the coasts of Spain. {2Ch 9:21} Above all, he made the daring attempt to establish a fleet of Tarshish-ships at Ezion-Geber, the port of Elath, at the north of the Gulf of Akaba. This fleet sailed down the Red Sea to Ophir-perhaps Abhira, at the mouth of the Indus-and amazed the simple Hebrews with the sight of gorgeous iridescent peacocks, wrinkled chattering apes, the red and richly scented sandal wood of India, and the large tusks of elephants from which cunning artificers carved the smooth ivory to inlay furniture, thrones, and ultimately even houses, with lustrous ornamentation. Cinnamon came to him from Ceylon, and “sapphires” (lapis lazuli) from Babylon. Other services which he rendered to his capital and kingdom were more real and permanent.
1. Jerusalem may have been in part indebted to Solomon for its supply of water. The magnificent springs of pure gushing water at Etam are still called “Solomons fountains,” and it is believed that he used their rocky basins as reservoir: from which to irrigate his garden in the Wady Urtas (Lat. Hortus). Etam is two hours distant from Jerusalem, and if Solomon built the aqueduct which once conveyed its water supply to the city he proved himself a genuine benefactor. There was immense need of the “fons perennis aquae” of which Tacitus speaks for the purifications of the Temple, soiled by the reek and offal of so many holocausts.
2. Maritime allusions now began to appear it Hebrew literature; {2Ch 9:21} and maritime enterprise produced the marvelous effect it always produces on the character and progress of the nation. Along the black basalt roads-the kings highways-of which the construction was necessitated by the outburst of commercial activity flocked hundreds of foreign visitors, not only merchantmen and itinerant traffickers, but governors of provinces, and vassal or allied princes. The isolated and stationary tribes of Palestine suddenly found themselves face to face with a new and splendid civilization. Admiring visitors flocked to see the great kings magnificence and to admire his foreign curiosities, bringing with them presents of gold and silver, armor, and spicery, horses and mules, the broidered garments of Babylon, and robes rich with the crimson, purple, and scarlet dyes of Tyre. {1Ki 10:25} Instead of riding like his predecessors on a humble mule, the king made his royal progress to his watered garden at Etam drawn by steeds magnificently caparisoned. He reclined in “Pharaohs chariot” richly chased and brilliantly colored. He was followed by a train of archers riding on war-horses and clothed in purple, and was escorted by a bodyguard of youths tall and beautiful, whose dark and flowing locks glittered with gold dust. In the heat of summer, if we may accept the poetic picture of the Song of Songs, he would be luxuriously carried to some delicious retreat amid the hills of myrrh and leopard-haunted woods of Lebanon, in a palanquin of cedar wood with silver pillars, purple cushions, and richly embroidered curtains, wearing the jeweled crown which his mother placed on his head on the day of his espousals. Or he would sit to do justice on his throne of ivory and gold, with its steps guarded by golden lions leaning upon the golden bull of Ephraim which formed its back, in all his princely beauty, anointed with the oil of gladness, “his lips” full of grace, his garments breathing of perfume. On great occasions of state his Queen, and the virgins that bore her company, would stand among the crowd of inferior princesses, in garments of the wrought gold of Ophir, in which she had been carried from the inner palace upon tapestries of needlework. In the pomp of such ceremonials, amid bursts of rejoicing melody, the people began to believe that not even the Pharaohs of Egypt, or the Tyrian kings with “every precious stone as their covering,” could show a more glorious pageant of royal state. {Eze 27:1-36; Eze 28:1-26; Zec 9:3}
This career of magnificence culminated in the visit of Balkis, the Queen of Sheba, who came to him across the desert with “a very great train of her camels, bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones.” She saw his abounding prosperity, his peaceful people, his houses, his vineyards at Beth-Haccerem, his parks and gardens, his pools and fruit trees, his herds of cattle, his horses, chariots, and palanquins, and all the delight of the sons of men. She saw his men singers and women singers with their harps of red sandal wood and gold. She saw him at the banquet at his golden table covered in boundless profusion with delicacies brought from every land She saw his hosts of beautiful and richly dressed slaves with layers, dishes, and goblets all made of the gold of Uphaz. She saw him dispensing justice in his pillared hall of cedar, seated on his lion-throne. She saw the golden shields and targets carried before him as he went in state to the Temple over the Mount, across the valley, and mounted from the palace to the sacred courts by the gilded staircase with its balustrades of aromatic sandal wood. Perhaps she was present as a spectator at some great Temple festival. And when she had tested his wisdom by communing with him of all that was in her heart, “there was no more spirit in her.” She confessed that the half of his wisdom and glory had not been reported to her. Happy were his servants, happy the courtiers who stood by him and heard his words! Blessed was the Lord his God who delighted in him, and who, out of love for Israel, had given them such a king to do justice and judgment among them. The visit ended with an interchange of royal presents. Solomon, we are vaguely told, “gave unto her all her desire, whatsoever she asked,” and sent her away glad-hearted to her native land, leaving behind her a trail of legends. Before her departure she opened her treasures, and gave him vast stores of spicery and gold.
And to sum up the accounts, which read like a page of the story of Haroun al Raschid, the king made silver to be as stones in Jerusalem, so that it was nothing accounted of in the day of Solomon, and the cedars made he to be as the sycamores which are in the “Shefelah” for multitude.
It is around this epoch of Solomons career that the legends of the East mainly cluster. They have received a larger development from the allusions to Mohammed in the Quran. They take the place of the personal incidents of which so few are recorded, although Solomon occupies so large a space in sacred history.
“That stately and melancholy figure-in some respects the grandest and the saddest in the Sacred Volume-is in detail little more than a mighty shadow. Yet in later Jewish records he is scarcely mentioned. Of all the characters in the sacred history he is the most purely secular; and merely secular magnificence was an excrescence, not a native growth of the chosen people.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Fixed fate, freewill, foreknowledge absolute.”
Fills universal nature.”
Thy rainbow-circled throne,
Were left for earthly night,
For wanderings sad and lone.”
Odours of Edom and offerings Divine;
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
“Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gifts would his favour secure;
Richer, by far, is the heart’s adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.”
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary