By Henry Mahan
1 Kings 10:1-9
It is quite evident that the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon is a picture of the sinner coming to Christ, for our Lord himself referred to it in Matthew 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!'
v. 1. The queen 'heard of the fame of Solomon.' She heard from others of the wisdom of Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14; 1 Kings 4:29- 30). She heard of the wealth and glory of his kingdom (1 Kings 10:6).
Have we not heard of the person and work of Christ? (Gal. 4:4-5; Isa. 7:14; Isa. 9:6). Have we not heard of the deity and glory of Christ? (Heb. 1:1-5). Have we not heard of the wisdom and power of Christ? (Col. 1:16-19). Have we not heard of the death and resurrection of Christ? (1 Cor. 15:20-28). As Paul told Festus, 'These things were not done in a corner!' (Acts 26:25- 26).
vv. 1-2. The queen, having heard of Solomon, came to him to see and hear for herself. The queen took the right course; she came directly to Solomon.
Is this not the thing for the sinner to do? Come to Christ; come directly to him; do not be satisfied with only hearing of him (Matt. 11:28; John 7:37-39; John 6:37-39). Robert Howie was asked by a man, 'Please write down in black and white what I am to believe. There are so many texts; give me one to read and believe.' Howie replied, 'It is not any one text nor any number of texts that save, anymore than a man-slayer could be saved by reading the sign posts on the road to the city of refuge.
He must go to and enter the city. Salvation is in Christ and in coming to him. When a man is thirsty, he is not satisfied by studying the well, but by drinking (John 6:53-57; Col. 1:27; Gal. 4:1-9).
The queen came to prove Solomon with many hard questions. She communed with him all that was in her heart.
She asked questions she could not answer and others could not answer, but Solomon could. Christ is the wisdom of God; Christ is the truth. If a man would 'Know God and the mysteries of redemption and life, let him ask of Christ (Luke 10:22; John 1:18) great and hard questions.
How can a man be just with God? How can he be clean that is born of woman? (Rom. 3:19-23.)
How can God be just and justifier? (Rom. 3:24-26.)
How can a man be born when he is old? (John 3:4-8.)
If a man die, shall he live again? (John 11:25-27.)
Who can solve the mystery of the Gentiles? (Eph. 2:11-16.)
How is it that God sees and knows all things, yet he does not see nor remember a believer's sins? (Heb. 10:11-17.)
All Old Testament prophecies, pictures, types, and sacrifices point to someone and to some great event.
Who is he? (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 10:43.)
v. 3. 'And Solomon told her all her questions' for, as a type and picture of our blessed Lord, 'there was not anything hid from the king' (John 3:34-35).
vv. 4-7. When the queen had seen Solomon's wisdom, the house he had built, his riches and piety, she was quite astonished, like one in ecstasy who had no power to speak because what she saw and heard so affected her. She said to the king, 'What they told me of you was true, actually, the half was not told me Your wisdom and prosperity exceed anything I thought or heard. It was not until I came and saw that I really believed.'
Though we heard of Christ's love, mercy, grace, and glory, it was not until we came to him in faith that we saw and experienced Christ, the wisdom and power and glory of God (Job 42:1-6; Isa. 6:1-4; 1 John 1:1-4). We stand amazed in the presence of our Lord, realizing that it is impossible to put into words the riches of his grace and glory (2 Cor. 12:2-4).
v. 8. The queen exclaimed, 'Happy are thy men, happy are thy servants, blessed are all who dwell in thy house, in thy presence, and hear thy wisdom.'
We can say with greater emphasis, for a greater than Solomon is here, 'Blessed is the man whom thou chooseth' (Psalm 65:4) 'Blessed is the man whose sin is covered' (Psalm 32:1-2). 'Blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear' (Matt. 13:16). 'Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Lord' (Psalm 1:1-3). Blessed are those who know him, love him, and dwell by faith in him.
v. 9. Then the queen blessed the Lord God who delighted in Solomon, who put him on the throne of Israel to do judgment and mercy. The Lord loved Israel forever and made Solomon their king.
The Father loves the Son and has given 'all things' in his hands (John 3:35). The Father delights in the Son and gave him preeminence (Prov. 8:23-30; Matt. 3:17). The Father made Christ the surety, prophet, priest, and king of spiritual Israel because he loved them all in Christ with an everlasting love.
Christ came to the earth to honor God's law, satisfy God's justice, to do judgment and justice that God may be just and justifier of all who believe (Rom. 3:25-26).
