The Preeminence of Solomon (1 Kings 10)
1 Kings 10 (10:1-10)
By reading that text to begin our study,
You are all familiar with the scene that is unfolding.
Solomon’s fame has reached enormous status.
In fact, look at the end of this chapter.
1 Kings 10:23-25 “So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.”
Solomon had become quite an attraction to the world.
They all wanted to come, they all wanted to hear.
And people knew who was responsible for Solomon’s wisdom.
(24) “All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.”
It was obvious, that God had placed something in Solomon,
And that something was worth seeing.
THERE IS A SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS
In fact, Jesus preached part of a sermon about this very concept.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 1nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
God has made you what you are, He has placed something in you,
And He expects for you to use what He has given you for His glory.
God has poured into us flavor (salt) and understanding (light)
And we are obligated to share it with others.
ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
The Psalmist understood this:
Psalms 67 “God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us — Selah. That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”
In our study today, you will see that Solomon
Was a good example of one who did this well.
This morning we are talking about THE PREEMINENCE OF SOLOMON.
God had endowed him with splendor.
And that splendor came with a purpose.
Many people don’t realize it,
But EVANGELISM WAS PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TOO.
In fact, did we not hear Solomon pray earlier?
1 Kings 8:41-43 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.”
Solomon understood that God’s presence
Was not just for his own personal enjoyment,
But also for the evangelism of a lost world,
And ultimately so that God would be glorified by all.
Solomon knew that he was to be salt and light in the world.
And this morning, this is seen in the life of Solomon.
As we read earlier, the Queen of Sheba has come for a visit,
And I want you to see 4 aspects about this visit.
#1 A SEARCH
1 Kings 10:1-2
You notice the motivation for this visit.
“Now when the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon”
Somehow the news of Solomon’s great splendor
Had reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba.
But it was not just fame about temple building or economic policy.
“When the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,”
She had heard that Solomon understood God
In a way that other men did not.
Solomon had knowledge of the divine, and it sparked her curiosity.
“she came to test him with difficult questions.”
Literally she came with “riddles designed to stump the hearer”
Now I would hope that everyone in this room
Has had a situation like this happen in their lives.
That is one of the bi-products of shining the light of God in a dark world.
People can be skeptical, and they come to question what you believe.
The actual riddles that this queen brought are not listed here,
But we understand riddles that are posed today.
• Why does a good God allow bad things to happen?
• How can a loving God send someone to hell?
• How can you say that Jesus is the only way of salvation?
AND IF PEOPLE COME TO YOU WITH THOSE RIDDLEDS,
THAT IS A GOOD THING.
People see a light in you, people see a confidence in you,
And so they bring to you the questions that they struggle with.
That is what this queen is doing.
There are some real issues that keep her from believing,
And so she is coming to address this King with the reputation for having a relationship with God.
And look at how she comes.
(2) “So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones.”
We don’t know why she came with such a great caravan.
Maybe she wanted to pay for her education…
Maybe she wanted to impress Solomon…
What we do know is that her search was not a material one,
For she had plenty of material things.
HER SEARCH WAS A SPIRITUAL ONE.
(2b) “she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.”
That really paints a picture doesn’t it?
This woman had some confusion in her soul.
She had some issues that troubled her.
We don’t really know what she is struggling with,
Other than the fact that she is on a spiritual journey.
It is not uncommon for people to reach a pinnacle in life
Only to find that what they were searching for wasn’t there.
(Kirk Cameron was saved because his success was unfulfilling)
It could be that this is precisely what is happening in the life of this queen.
Whatever it is, her heart is troubled.
And because Solomon has a reputation for being near to God,
She has traveled to put him to the test and seek out some answers.
AND LET ME JUST SAY:
Way to go Solomon!
He was doing what Jesus would command many years later.
If he hadn’t been letting his light shine, this queen would have never come.
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SPIRITUAL CONCERNS, DO THEY COME TO YOU?
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE HARDSHIP IN LIFE, DO THEY SEEK YOU?
If they do, that is because they see the light in you.
They may cuss you 95% of the time, but when life gets bad,
They recognize that you have what they need.
If people don’t recognize a light in you,
Maybe it’s time to get the bucket off of it, and start living for Jesus.
Solomon is shining his light, and the Queen of Sheba searched him out.
A Search
#2 A SALVATION
1 Kings 10:3-7
This queen has come and hit Solomon with every dilemma she has.
If it was confusing to her, she is going to lay it on him.
She purposed to hit him with all the hard questions.
(2) “she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.”
THAT COULD BE VERY INTIMIDATING
To think that someone is about to hit you with
One of those perplexing “what if” issues.
But notice what happened when she did this.
(3) “Solomon answered all her questions;”
WOW! Solomon must have been a smart dude,
NO, THAT WASN’T IT AT ALL.
(3) “Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the kings which he did not explain to her.”
DID YOU CATCH THAT?
“nothing was hidden”
As the Queen of Sheba supplied the questions,
Someone else supplied the answers.
Those of you who have been studying Corinthians with us
Understand this concept.
1 Corinthians 2:9-13 “but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
You may not know everything there is to know about God,
But God does, and He can answer any question.
That is what He does here for Solomon.
It echoes the promise that Jesus gave to us.
Matthew 10:18-20 “and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
And that is precisely what happened to this King as he spoke to a Queen.
God revealed everything to him that he needed to know.
And this is a huge concept of evangelism.
When you shine the light, don’t be intimidated by those tough questions.
The God you represent, will supply all you need to know.
And look at the result of God using Solomon to answer her questions.
(4-5) “When she perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.”
Now this again is a significant statement.
We know she was aware of Solomon’s great wealth, and wisdom.
But all of a sudden, while Solomon was answering her questions.
The Bible says “she perceived”
It is like all of a sudden her eyes were opened.
It clicked within her.
WHAT DID SHE SEE?
She saw the hand of God upon Solomon,
And the effects of a life with God’s hand upon it.
And when she finally saw the truth, notice the response.
“there was no more spirit in her.”
This is also significant.
Commonly people seek to come to God in arrogance and pride.
Even when God reveals to them that life could be better,
They resist what God says, and hold on to their old way of life.
But in order to come to salvation,
A person must come to a very strategic point.
Jesus actually listed that point.
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
To be saved, a person must come to a point of genuine humility,
Where they realize that what God has and is, is much better than what they posses, and that they will never possess it on their own.
This is precisely where the Queen of Sheba was.
She showed up in Jerusalem amidst great pomp and prestige,
But while she was there, her eyes were opened,
And she recognized that in reality, she had nothing.
I believe this woman was saved under the evangelism of Solomon.
She was attracted to the Light Solomon possessed,
And when she got there, she accepted it.
Notice the attitude of this woman.
• There is no arrogance, there is no bitterness.
• This woman is in a state of worship.
(6-7) “Then she said to the King, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.”
DON’T YOU LOVE THAT!
I didn’t believe what I heard then, but I believe it now.
This woman is seeing things differently.
She has understood the blessing of God in a life.
AND WHY WOULDN’T SHE.
Jesus gave us a promise.
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”
Jesus said it very clearly.
If you seek, you find.
She sought, she found.
A Search A Salvation
#3 A SALUTE
1 Kings 10:8-9
Continuing to look at the attitude of this woman,
After seeking and perceiving, notice her attitude now.
This woman is overcome with an attitude of praise and worship.
First she blesses the messenger
(8) “How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.”
She states that Solomon’s men are blessed to have Solomon around,
Simply because they have such easy access to the wisdom of God.
But then the real recipient of her worship is seen.
She blesses the Master
(9) “Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
You will notice that God is the true recipient of her worship.
And if you will read verse 9 closely,
You will even see her theology.
Look at the three reasons she praises God.
1) FOR HIS GRACE
“Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel;”
She sees “God’s unmerited favor” toward Solomon.
She is praising God because of His grace.
2) FOR HIS LOVE
“because the LORD loved Israel forever”
God Himself played a specific role in setting up the leader of Israel.
WHY?
Because He loves Israel.
3) FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
“therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
God put Solomon on the throne for a purpose.
The Queen of Sheba recognized Him as a righteous God,
And one who played a role in the nation of Israel.
We don’t know what Solomon talked to her about,
But it is apparent she was able to discern
God’s grace, God’s love, and God’s righteousness.
And here she is worshiping God for it,
Which is yet another indication of her salvation.
When you shine your light,
People come to you with their questions.
God gives the answer, they’re led to salvation, and God is glorified.
Isn’t that what Jesus said would happen.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
It is working according to plan.
A Search A Salvation A Salute
#4 A SACRIFICE
1 Kings 10:10
And here is the final indicator of this woman’s salvation.
She made a sacrifice.
This is not a payment,
This is a gift of gratitude for what she has received.
And the gift was significant.
“Never again did such an abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.”
This was no small token of appreciation, this was a big thank you.
WELL, WHY DOES THAT SHOW SALVATION?
Because of what Jesus said:
Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“Follow the Money”
(in sports…in politics…and in Scripture)
And if you follow the queen of Sheba’s money,
You will find that her heart was given to the King
Who represented the God of Israel.
If you want further proof of her salvation,
You simply must look to the New Testament.
Jesus actually referenced this woman.
Matthew 12:38-42 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, ” An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
Jesus actually referenced the sincerity in this woman
As she sought out the truth of God through Solomon.
Not only that, but Jesus said she (along with the repentant Ninevites)
Would stand up and condemn the Jews of Jesus’ day.
• She wanted what they didn’t…
• She saw what they wouldn’t…
• She accepted what they rejected…
Because Solomon shined his light, this woman was saved.
She “heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD” and she sought that God out.
Solomon drew near to God, and Solomon shined his light.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
• Have you drawn near to God as Solomon did, and are you now shining that light to a world lost in darkness?
There are people out there who have burdens on their heart,
And questions they can’t answer.
You are the one equipped to answer those questions.
Are you living in such a way that God is glorified in the lives of others?
Maybe you are here and do not know Jesus Christ.
The Queen of Sheba condemned Israel
Because she followed the Light, when they would not.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Jesus said:
John 12:36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”
He said:
John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ” I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
But not everyone responds like the Queen of Sheba.
John 3:19-21 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
SO WHERE DO YOU FIT?
• You are either a believer in Christ who is shining their light…
• You are a believer in Christ who has hidden their light…
• You are a non-believer who has no light to share, and needs to get it…
This morning, give your heart to Jesus Christ,
And then shine your light to a lost and dying world.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
