Women In The Days Of The Kings
"The Queen Of Sheba"
The Queen Of Sheba: (She'-ba) "She came to prove"
Key Scripture: 1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12; Matthew 12:42
Her Character: She was beautiful and bold. She appears to have been intellectually gifted, with a good head for business and diplomacy.
Her Joy: That her quest for wisdom was rewarded beyond her expectations.
Pre-Story: The Queen of Sheba is one of the most famous figures in the Bible, yet nobody knows exactly who she was or where exactly that she came from. The Bible does not mention either her given name or the location of her kingdom. She was a woman of great wealth, beauty, and power. She was believed to be either in Ethiopia or Yemen. .
Her Story: Among all the queens of the Bible none is so fascinating as the one who came from somewhere on the Persian Gulf to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon.
(1 Kings 10:2). Hers was not a State visit to make a new treaty of some sort nor to behold the magnificence of the court of Solomon. She was a seeker after wisdom. She was inspired to make the visit because the fame of Solomon as the wisest man in the East had reached her. The Bible distinctly says that
“she came to prove Solomon with hard, or perplexing questions,” and her questions were both numerous and varied.
The queen of Sheba had heard that Solomon knew all about
“the name of the Lord,” and it was this particular aspect of his wisdom that attracted her to Jerusalem. She had not come to see the king’s material possessions and trappings of wealth, for as a queen of considerable importance she had plenty of these herself. She came to see and hear
“the Wisdom of Solomon.”
Word had reached her that it was Solomon’s God who had made him so remarkably wise, and as a worshiper of other gods she wanted to know about this Jehovah who had favored the king in an outstanding way. She was seeking for a deeper knowledge of his God. While she gave utterance to religious expression such as
“Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, and set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made thee king to do judgment and justice,” we have no Bible evidence that she was converted from her heathen gods to worship the God of Solomon.
Not only did Solomon’s
“wisdom excel the wisdom of the children of the east country.” God also added to his wisdom, countless precious possessions. Although accustomed to grandeur herself, the magnificence which the queen gazed upon in Jerusalem was beyond her conception. Such external wealth and prosperity overwhelmed her until
“there was no more spirit in her,” implying an almost speechless condition because of all the wonders she had seen.
After expressing her heartfelt gratitude for all she had seen and heard, she bestowed upon Solomon rare and costly gifts. The queen was accompanied by
“a very great train” numerous attendants and servants to care for all the camels bearing her gifts. The price represented by spices and stones must have been fabulous. The queen’s gifts doubtless seemed lavish—and they were—yet they were in the nature of tribute for what her ears had heard, and her eyes seen. When Solomon loaded her with gifts he gave
“of his royal bounty.” We read that he gave the queen
“all her desire, whatsoever she asked.”
As the Queen of Sheba returns to her own country, the curtain falls, and we do not know how she acted upon the knowledge of God received from Solomon, or when she died. We hear no more of her until the Lord
Jesus Christ came into the world, and when, exercising His public ministry He said to a crowd gathered around Him
"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." (Matthew 12:42).
Her Place in God's Divine Plan: Try as I may, I could not find a documented reason why The unnamed Queen of Sheba's story was written for today. Perhaps, it was to glorify Israel and the reign of King Solomon?
Her Challenges Along the Way: The Queen of Sheba journeyed some 1,200 miles to hear and see Solomon.
Her Victories: The queen
“communed with Solomon of all that was in her heart.” Learned herself, she found Solomon’s knowledge supreme. The greatest treasure she took back with her was the spiritual and moral wisdom God had put into the heart of Solomon.
Lesson We Can Learn from Her Legacy: If only in our hearts there reigns the One who is, in every way, greater than Solomon. Loving wealth and wonders, she loved wisdom more, and made the long and patient journey to the throne-city of the king. Is it not the height of folly to despise all which the King of kings, who is closer to us than breathing, so freely offers us out of His royal bounty?
Genealogy:
Born: 1001 BC · Agame, Ethiopia
Death: Axum, Ethiopia
Romance: Armatleko, King of Sheba, King Solomon,
Children: Menelik (Son)
Parents: Queen Bashteth Agazyan (Mother ~ KingAgabos or Psusennes (Father)
