1 Kgs 10:1-13 · Read 6 min · think and write 15 min
When the LORD’s house and the king’s house were finished, “The LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon” (1 Kgs 9:2). The LORD said: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kgs 9:3).
The LORD also said: “As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness … then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever” (1 Kgs 9:4-5); and he said: “But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them” (1 Kgs 9:6), this house too would be cast out of his sight.
This lesson reads of a queen who came from far away.
1When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
2She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.
3Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her.
4When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
5the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her.
6She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.
7However, I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.
9Blessed is 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.”
10She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees and precious stones.
12The king made of the almug trees pillars for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen to this day.
13King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
The fame. “When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test him with hard questions” (v. 1). The passage says: “concerning the LORD’s name.”
All that was in her heart. She came with a great caravan, spices, gold, and precious stones, “and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart” (v. 2). “Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her” (v. 3).
No more spirit in her. She saw his wisdom, his house, the food of his table, his servants and officials, “and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her” (vv. 4–5).
Not even half. “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom” (v. 6). “However, I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard” (v. 7).
Blessed is the LORD. “Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom” (v. 8). “Blessed is 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” (v. 9).
Home again. She gave the king gold, spices, and precious stones (v. 10); “King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants” (v. 13).
Later. The passage goes on to describe his riches: “So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom” (1 Kgs 10:23). “All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart” (1 Kgs 10:24). The next lesson is about the time when he was old.
On the day the house was finished, Solomon had prayed for people like her: “the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes out of a far country for your name’s sake” (1 Kgs 8:41), asking “that all the peoples of the earth may know your name” (1 Kgs 8:43). This is in Lesson 3.
Readers can see this: the queen of Sheba came because she “heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name” (v. 1).
Perhaps you have heard many things said about God: some said well, some said badly; perhaps you have not yet gone to see for yourself, and part of you, too, says ‘I didn’t believe the words.’
This lesson does not say that if you only come and see, you are sure to believe; nor does it say that God’s blessing is wealth you can see. What it shows you is this: the queen of Sheba heard of his fame and came herself, until “my eyes had seen it” (v. 7); and the one she blessed was “the LORD your God” (v. 9). In the New Testament, someone asked and someone answered like this: “Nathanael said to him, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see’” (John 1:46).
This week: Find a passage you have only ‘heard about’ and have not really read for yourself, and this week read it through from beginning to end. When you finish, write one line: was anything different from what you had heard?
The queen of Sheba came from far away to hear Solomon’s wisdom (vv. 1–7).
Many years later, some of the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you” (Matt 12:38). Jesus said: “The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here” (Matt 12:42).
These verses are only set side by side here: the queen came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and Jesus said, “and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here” (Matt 12:42).
Scripture: World English Bible.