Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

After building the Temple for God, and having the then known world come calling on a regular basis to consult with Solomon regarding wisdom, the highest point of Solomon’s reign is fulfilled with the Queen of Sheba. This Queen hears of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord and she came to prove him with hard questions. I Kings 10:1; II Chronicles 9:1 This statement is a wonderful testimony for Solomon for the Queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon’s fame concerning the name of the Lord. We know from Exodus 34:5-7 that the "name" of the Lord is to reveal His character. So for the Queen of Sheba to hear about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord would mean that she had heard how Solomon revealed the character of God and she wanted to come and experience this. There is no greater honor in this world than to reveal the name of the Lord in our lives. Ezekiel 36:23

Apparently the Queen of Sheba came to meet with Solomon and brought a great train with camels, spices, precious stones, and gold. This is very similar to the wise men that came to see Jesus in Matthew 2:1-11. They too brought spices and gold to see One who revealed the character of God.

When the Queen came to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart. I Kings 10:2 When she had shared her thoughts on the mysteries of life "Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not." I Kings 10:3 She had many questions and could not understand these things and God had instructed Solomon how to answer each and every question just as Phillip did to the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-39. God knew the issues that the Queen of Sheba wanted to discuss, and how she needed answers to the concerns of her heart. As God addressed the woman at Jacob’s well so He ministered to this woman through His ambassador Solomon. John 3 and II Corinthians 5:20.

After answering her questions, Solomon took her on a tour of the kingdom that God had placed him over. She had the opportunity to see the Temple of the Lord, the other things Solomon had built, what kind of health message Solomon had at his table (see Daniel 1), how his servants conducted themselves, how they were dressed, and how he conducted the affairs of the kingdom. When she had seen all of these things there was no more spirit in her. This testifies that the spiritual issues of the Queen of Sheba had been so moved that she was ready to testify to the glory of God. Her heart was melted with the beauty of holiness. She had experienced what her two sisters, Rahab Joshua 2:8-11 and Ruth Ruth 1:15-18,had experienced. She was ready to confess that the Lord of Israel was the true God of the world and the universe. This she states in I Kings 10:6-9:

"And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I had heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear they wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice."

Her heart had been filled with the joy of the Lord, her questions had been answered, and she was able to testify from her heart that the Lord God of Israel was the true God. She was converted.

When she left she gave many great gifts and much spices and gold to Solomon as testimony of the softness of her heart. She left to return home and like all converted people she to wanted to tell of the goodness and greatness of the God of Israel.

At this time Solomon was at the height of his experience with God and was giving a clear testimony in life and action of the glory, the character, of God. This is the opportunity of each and every Christian. This is also the testimony of the people who make up the 144,000. They have the name of God in their foreheads and thus testify of God, as did Solomon so long ago. Revelation 14:1