King Solomon, son of Israel’s greatest king David, was also a famous and renowned king. God asked Solomon what he wanted, and Solomon asked for wisdom to rule the people. In addition, the Lord also gave him “riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.”[1] His rule was likely the high point of Israel’s kingdom in terms of wealth. Surely Solomon was bound to draw the attention of other nations and their rulers.
One such ruler is the Queen of Sheba, and we learn about her visit to Solomon in 1 Kings 10. Sheba was apparently “Sabea,” far away from Jerusalem in southwestern Arabia. Visiting Solomon was a long and difficult trip for her, especially since she brought many people and gifts along. Why did she bother? She came because of reports she had heard of Solomon’s wealth, but also of his wisdom. 1 Kings 10:1 says “she came to test him with hard questions” to see if he was as wise as the reports said. Solomon answered all of her questions, and she responded that “Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.”[2]
Like the Queen of Sheba, we also hear reports of a King of Israel who surpasses all in wisdom: God Himself. But like the Queen, do we put as much effort into learning about this King? She traveled for days, maybe weeks, in order to meet Solomon in person. Do we set aside enough time to really get to know our King? Do we engage Him in tough conversations about our lives, testing Him with the hard questions we have? Or do we keep Him at a distance because we’re not sure how He is relevant for our lives?
Solomon’s father, King David, wrote in Psalm 34:8 –
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
David’s words don’t tell us to sit back and passively learn about God; they tell us to “taste” of God to see that He is “good.” God does not shower us with blessing upon blessing trying to convince us that He is good while we selfishly go about our lives. We must learn that He is good by trusting Him and learning to walk with Him. We turn to Him by learning that repentance is a good thing. That He is a God worthy of our attention.
When the Queen of Sheba became convinced that Solomon was a good and wise king, in 1 Kings 10:9 she proclaimed:
“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
Think of how much more blessed we are to have a King who is infinitely wiser and greater than Solomon! Learning more of Solomon caused the Queen to burst forth in praise for God, who loved Israel enough to give them a king that will “execute justice and righteousness.” God still loves His people and has given them a King, our Lord Jesus, who will “execute justice and righteousness” perfectly and for eternity. James 4:8 tells us to “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
Even if it requires taking a long, difficult trip, like the Queen of Sheba’s. He is worth the effort.
Driving Toward the Morning Sun 