Reputation

Description

A. Solomon’s reputation spreads throughout the known world. He is famous. He is wealthy. His wisdom is beyond reproach. Dignitaries throughout the world seek an audience with him. As Solomon’s respect increases so does Israel’s estimation in the political scene. One dignitary who sought an audience with Solomon is the queen of Sheba. We know very little about this woman. But she comes from a great distance approximately 1000 miles to talk with Solomon. Given the description of everything she brings with her, she is probably on a trading mission as well. But the fact that she would come personally to attend to such matters and to speak to Solomon says a lot about Solomon’s reputation and her curiosity.

B. Notice in 10:1, two reasons are given for the queen of Sheba’s arrival. First, she has heard about Solomon himself. Solomon is bigger than life. Israel’s fame has spread from fairly obscure country to major political power in a short period of time. Solomon’s wealth is beyond belief. The queen of Sheba has heard the rumors. She has heard the stories. Now she must see for herself. Verse 5 tells us that she is overwhelmed with what she sees. And in verse 7, she confesses her disbelief until she saw things with her own eyes. And what she saw has far exceeded the reports she has received. It must have been quite breathtaking for this dignitary from the south.

C. But the second reason for coming to see Solomon is most interesting. She came because she had also heard about his relationship with God. This relationship intrigued her. It was not uncommon to associate nations with particular gods. Such associations often led others to worship similar gods to receive similar blessings. But it appears that the queen of Sheba has an appreciation for Solomon’s relationship with God which exceeds a pagan view. Obviously, the report she had received before about Solomon’s success included something about wisdom which came from his God. She comes to find out on her own just what this relationship is like. Notice in verse 5 that among the things which intrigue her is Solomon’s offering of sacrifices. Is she intrigued by the number of sacrifices he makes or the way he makes them? Is there is a certain respect and connection with God that she has not seen and does not have with her god? What we are told is that she sees Solomon’s religious intensity and this along with the vast wealth overwhelm her.

D. She is so convinced about Solomon’s relationship with God being real that in verse 9 she expresses her own praise to God. She sees in Solomon and Israel the work of God. She praises God for his work among these people and that it is only because of God’s great love that Israel and Solomon succeed.

E. The latter part of chapter 10 is a further rehearsal of the great wealth and success in Israel. Gold abounds. There is so much gold that silver is worthless. What an interesting way to describe the wealth of this tiny nation. Solomon has a vast army, gold shields probably used in ceremonial marches are tucked away in storage, a large fleet of trading ships, and the political alliances formed all result in vast wealth for Solomon and the nation of Israel. Over and over again superlatives are used to describe what is happening in Israel. Solomon is at the top of the political world. No wonder the queen of Sheba is overwhelmed by what she sees. So what does all of this have to do with us?

Lessons

A. First, God must be given credit for the good in our lives. Perhaps this is a trite lesson. Perhaps we have heard it so many times that it has lost its impact. Let’s try once again to hear anew. Look at verse 9. Who does the queen of Sheba acknowledge as the one who decides Solomon’s fate? God placed Solomon on the throne. God made Solomon king. But didn’t David make that decision? Didn’t David express the command that Solomon was to be the next king? Yes. David expressed his desire. But even the queen of Sheba recognizes that without God’s power, Solomon would have none. Remember the promise of God was that he would honor Solomon with extreme power and wealth if he would remain faithful to him. Solomon amasses a fortune because of God’s power. ILL. “God: sovereignty.”

1. When we begin to take credit for the good in our lives, we push God's work aside. Of course, we must work with God and not against him, but the one who gives us good things is God. James affirms that truth in 1:17, "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

2. It is easy to take credit for the good in our lives. We do work hard. We do use our brains. We do figure things out. We do play a role in the things which happen to us. But like the queen of Sheba we need to recognize that our work is far less than God's work. Like the queen of Sheba our lives and our words need to be a praise to the Lord for his goodness.

B. Second, we must pursue that which is good with all that we have. This lesson doesn’t come from this particular text but from Jesus in Matthew 12:42. Let’s read 12:38-45. We’ll not pursue this text too much except to notice that Jesus knew the story of the queen of Sheba pursuing the truth about Solomon. She wanted to be in the presence of greatness. Solomon’s wisdom was enough to convince the queen of Sheba of God’s appointment. Jesus says he is greater than Solomon and so his hearers need to pursue him. The queen of Sheba came to see Solomon because she was intrigued by his relationship with God. Solomon was on a world stage. All looked to him. His demonstration of faithfulness led others to consider God.

1. We pursue many things in our lives. We find it easy to pursue the good and comfortable life. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But do we find it difficult to pursue Jesus? What does it mean to pursue Jesus?

2. Having a personal relationship with Jesus must move beyond the simple scripture reading and personal study times. Coming to an auditorium while important may not be a pursuit of Jesus as much as a duty or habit to fulfill.

3. ILL. "Purpose." Our pursuit of Jesus with all that we have means developing a relationship with him that goes beyond externals. Like a good friend; like a brother whom we love, we pursue Jesus. Prayer.

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