1Ki 10:1-5 | KingComments | STEP | The purpose of this chapter is to emphasize the incredible wealth of Solomon. He Possesses everything in quantities that exceed our comprehension. The queen of Sheba, a really rich woman, is overwhelmed by it. She is set by the Lord Jesus as an example to the scribes and Pharisees. The Lord tells them that this queen came from far away – most likely from Yemen, 1950 km south of Jerusalem – to hear the wisdom of Solomon, while they would not listen to Him Who is more than Solomon ( ). The coming of the queen of Sheba to Solomon is an example of the nations coming to Solomon and the God of Solomon ( ). She doesn’t just come to pay a courtesy visit or to see a rich and wise king, but to see a king who has a great God. She is not only curious about Solomon, but wants to know more about the LORD. She has heard about the fame of Solomon “concerning the name of the LORD”. She may have heard about this fame through the shipmen of Solomon’s fleet, which will also have visited her country. In this history we have a clear proof that we see here a picture of the kingdom of peace ( ; ). For us there is also an application. We are under the authority of Him of Whom Solomon is a picture. The queen of Sheba represents someone who wants to learn the mysteries of God and to hear the solution from the mouth of the true Solomon. These mysteries concern, in pictures, Christ and His church. In Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” ( ). We may come to Him with all our questions, including questions about our practice. She comes up with questions that occupied her in her heart, the big questions of life and no intellectual questions. Solomon answers all her questions. We don’t always get the answer we want, nor always in the form we immediately understand. Yet we never leave Him without an answer, even though we sometimes have to wait for what we have asked. The heart that is in His presence will experience that He is completely trustworthy.

‏ 1 Kings 10:1-5

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The purpose of this chapter is to emphasize the incredible wealth of Solomon. He Possesses everything in quantities that exceed our comprehension. The queen of Sheba, a really rich woman, is overwhelmed by it. She is set by the Lord Jesus as an example to the scribes and Pharisees. The Lord tells them that this queen came from far away – most likely from Yemen, 1950 km south of Jerusalem – to hear the wisdom of Solomon, while they would not listen to Him Who is more than Solomon (Mt 12:42).

The coming of the queen of Sheba to Solomon is an example of the nations coming to Solomon and the God of Solomon (1Kgs 4:34 ; 1Kgs 8:41-43). She doesn’t just come to pay a courtesy visit or to see a rich and wise king, but to see a king who has a great God. She is not only curious about Solomon, but wants to know more about the LORD. She has heard about the fame of Solomon “concerning the name of the LORD”. She may have heard about this fame through the shipmen of Solomon’s fleet, which will also have visited her country.

In this history we have a clear proof that we see here a picture of the kingdom of peace (Psa 72:8 ; 10; Isa 60:5-6). For us there is also an application. We are under the authority of Him of Whom Solomon is a picture. The queen of Sheba represents someone who wants to learn the mysteries of God and to hear the solution from the mouth of the true Solomon. These mysteries concern, in pictures, Christ and His church. In Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:2-3). We may come to Him with all our questions, including questions about our practice.

She comes up with questions that occupied her in her heart, the big questions of life and no intellectual questions. Solomon answers all her questions. We don’t always get the answer we want, nor always in the form we immediately understand. Yet we never leave Him without an answer, even though we sometimes have to wait for what we have asked. The heart that is in His presence will experience that He is completely trustworthy.

What the Queen Perceives

The Queen of Sheba perceives seven things. The question is whether we also have seen this, but in the spiritual application, or at least want to see it.

1. She doesn’t hear the wisdom of Solomon so much, but perceives it in everything he has made. This can be seen by us in creation and in the church. Christ is the “wisdom from God” (1Cor 1:30).

2. She sees the house he has built. She walks on to his throne room and also to his house. She sees what many Israelites have never seen. Solomon likes to show it to her. In this way the Lord Jesus also likes to show us what He has built: the church.

3. She sees the food of his table. Solomon will have offered her a meal. Have we seen what the Lord Jesus gives us to eat: His flesh and His blood (Jn 6:51-58)? As members of the church, the food He has for us is necessary to maintain and enjoy fellowship with Him and the Father.

4. She sees the dignity and happiness of those who surround Solomon. There are servants who are sitting, possibly his Council of Ministers. They sit with the king at his table and take part in the meal. The high place of the believer is in Christ in the heavenly places, a place he has been given by the good pleasure of the Father. This must be seen in the believer.

5. She sees servants standing: the attendance of his waiters. They are ready to serve Solomon and his people. In addition to a high place in the heavenly places the believer also has a task for the Lord to perform. This task requires appropriate behavior, which is reflected in the attire. That attire is Christ (Eph 1:6; Rom 13:14). He should be seen in our service.

6. She sees his cupbearers, who provide him and his company with wine, that is to say everything that makes them merry. The Lord Jesus wants us to share in His joy (Jn 15:11). This joy comes from engaging with Him as He is presented to us in God’s Word (1Jn 1:1-4).

7. She sees his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, or: his burnt offering which he offered, as it also can be translated. His burnt offerings represent everything with which he glorifies God. After leaving the meal, they may have gone to the temple to offer burnt offerings. She has seen how Solomon has glorified God and she has been amazed. She is introduced into the worship of God. Everything that we see of the Lord Jesus and everything that others see of Him in us should not be for our glorification, but should lead us to worship the Father (Jn 4:23-24).