When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan – with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones – she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”
I Kings 10:1-9
Today’s text transports us to witness the story of a powerful woman whose stature and esteem largely impacted the eastern world. Her reputation created such an impact that she remains notorious to this day.
The queen’s priority was to meet the infamous King Solomon, a man with the reputation of being wealthy, wise, and righteous. So she made the journey to Israel with an elaborate caravan of servants. Can you imagine the queen stepping onto the stone pavement of the warm tropical courtyard at Solomon’s doorstep? The beauty that met her gaze powerfully engaged her senses. She was ushered through the entrance of a grand palace adorned with only the finest of riches.
Solomon’s home was unapologetically beautiful. Its elegant embellishments could only be purchased through extravagant wealth. Scripture says that the house Solomon built, the manner he handled his staff, and his offerings at the temple left the queen of Sheba overwhelmed.
Solomon and the queen of Sheba were both adorned in royalty. But Solomon possessed something the queen did not. He was dressed in wisdom and excellence – something that can only come from a life lived in obedience under the watchful eyes of God. Let’s issue the queen a challenge.
Pull up a chair, your Highness, and listen as the wisdom of God drips from the lips of the wisest man in the Middle East. Pose the hardest questions you can muster and watch as he serves answers that never passed through your mind, a mind you once thought so enlightened and so powerful, only to be proven feeble and inept in comparison.
Now let’s take a step back and look at the queen of Sheba’s transformation as scripture maps it out. It’s amazing!
From afar the queen heard the reports of Solomon (vs 1). So she made her way to Israel (vs. 2). When she arrived she witnessed with her own eyes (vs 7). As she listened to King Solomon she was enlightened (vs 6). When she was enlightened she praised the Lord (vs 9). Isn’t that what powerful witnessing is all about? They hear. They come. They see. They receive. And it all began with an excellent report.
The season has come for Faith Assembly to create a buzz in Hazleton, PA. As we ready ourselves to step into 2019 let us create an excellent report for the community around us. God is calling us to renovate His house, a house that should rightfully reflect His splendor and majesty. He deserves nothing less than the best. Just as the queen of Sheba was transformed by the sights and sounds of her experience in King Solomon’s courts so should every wandering soul who crosses Faith’s threshold. If the cost of a building renovation paves the way for a beggar to find an altar, then pave the way we must!
And David said, “Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I will therefore now make preparations for it.” So David prepared abundantly before his death.” I Chronicles 22:5
In the right hands, earthly resources do amazing things for the kingdom of heaven. And the fruit of great resources emulates our Father’s wondrous character. His goal is to impact the lost however He chooses. His is a standard of excellence and ours is the responsibility to deliver that excellence. Let us remember that we are ambassadors of the One who uses the finest gold to pave the streets of heaven only for horses to tread underfoot.
Here is a finishing thought. Please tuck this in your heart and allow it to marinade in your spirit. We are in a transitional season. What we do right now will ripple to the next generation. Just as the queen of Sheba’s impact on the ancient world echoes to this day, let us reach for excellence knowing we are planting seeds that will impact generations to come. We will never know what God will do with the work of our hands but I am certain it is surely beyond our wildest dreams or expectations.
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” – the things God has prepared for those who love him –“ I Corinthians 2:9
