(16) The Queen of Sheba

Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
KINGS and Queens have doubtless visited one another frequently from the beginning of national history. In days when rulers had absolute authority, such visits usually had political significance. Alliances and treaties were thus planned which had far-reaching results. But the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon was of a spiritual character. In her distant land she heard of Jehovah, the God of Israel, and her heart was attracted. She desired to learn more about Him from His servant who then reigned in Jerusalem. Serious questions exercised her heart, which none around her could answer; and she rightly felt that Solomon, with the wisdom given him by God, could help her. Thus she undertook the journey, and earned thereby the public commendation of the Lord Jesus a thousand years later. It is not absolutely certain just where her dominions lay, but it was probably in Southern Arabia in the regions settled by the descendants of Joktan of the line of Shem (Gen. 10:2828And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, (Genesis 10:28)).
This Queen’s visit was the first answer to Solomon’s prayer. In 1 Kings 8:41-4341Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; 42(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name. (1 Kings 8:41‑43) he besought God to take notice of the stranger who was not of His people Israel who might come to His house from a far country for His name’s sake. The Holy Spirit expressly records that it was “concerning the name of Jehovah” the Queen of Sheba consulted king Solomon (1 Kings 10:11And 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. (1 Kings 10:1)). Blessed be God, He has always had true sheep outside the fold, and some notable examples are shown us in the Word―the Queen of Sheba, Ittai the Gittite, Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, etc. Whatever His dispensational dealings, and these in that age were with Israel, there has always been room in His great heart for those who wanted Him, wherever and whatever they might be.
What the Queen’s “hard questions” were we know not, but they were all answered in divine wisdom. The woman of Sychar referred to the anxious problems of her own day when she said, “I know that Messiah cometh: when He is come, He will tell us all things” (John 4:2525The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. (John 4:25)). How little she realized that she was actually conversing with the promised One! “I that speak unto thee am He.” We cannot now speak face to face with Him; but His voice is to be heard in the Scriptures, and there all our soul’s need is perfectly met. What the Queen heard satisfied her; but what she saw overwhelmed her. She found herself in the presence of the man whom God had exalted; she beheld his glory and majesty; she observed the dignity and happiness of those who served him; and there was no more spirit in her. In like manner our need drew us to the Christ of God, and His revelations of grace set our consciences at rest, and settled all our problems; then, being no longer harassed with a sense of need and danger, we were free to contemplate Himself. He is God’s glorified Man, the One who finished the work He gave Him to do, the center of His counsels of grace, Head of His body the Church, and of God’s “universe of bliss.” Stephen was so exhilarated by the sight of His present glory that he was strengthened to die in triumph; Paul was so filled and delighted with the same sight that he was strengthened to live, serve, and suffer for His name’s sake. Do we not sometimes sing:
“O fix our earnest gaze,
So wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That with Thy beauty occupied,
We elsewhere none may see.”
How far do our hearts go with our words?
If dignity and joy marked those who surrounded Solomon, what shall we say of the portion of those who are identified with the exalted Christ? They (we) are the aristocracy of the universe, blessed beyond all present conception, and we shall ere long be displayed in glory in His company, to the wonder of all beholders (2 Thess. 1:1010When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)).
The Queen of Sheba perceived that it was love that prompted Jehovah to give Israel such a king. “Blessed be Jehovah thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because Jehovah loved Israel forever, therefore made He thee king, to do judgment and justice” (1 Kings 10:99Blessed 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. (1 Kings 10:9)). The same love has provided us with a wonderful Saviour and glorious Head, and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Him. Every favor that we now enjoy, and all that awaits us in “God’s eternal day,” is the fruit of His great heart of love.
Our blessed Lord put together two Old Testament characters as a testimony to the unbelieving generation around Him―Jonah and the Queen of Sheba. The preaching of Jonah was heeded by the heathen Ninevites; His preaching was rejected. The Queen of Sheba came a long way to hear the wisdom of a servant of God; the men around the Speaker were unwilling to listen to the wisdom of the Son of God. No toilsome journey was necessary in their case; the Eternal Son had come from Heaven into their very streets. The rejection of Him, greater than Jonah, and greater than Solomon, is the ruin of men. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the Only-Begotten Son of God” (John 3:1818He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)).