If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. .. 1 Peter 4: 11
HARD QUESTIONS ANSWERED
(The Queen of Sheba)
1 Kings 10 vs 1-10 READ RELEVANT BIBLE TEXTS
© Karl Thompson, 1998
Hard Questions in Life
That life is full of hard and difficult questions is indisputable. Throughout history and at different stages of life humankind have been faced with questions that demand attention and answers. The search for answers account for the many different religions, ideologies and lifestyles that are found in countries across the whole earth. In modern parlance the greatest market is for the merchandise of answers to hard hitting questions. Whether the quest is regarded as merely superstitious or officially 'scientific', it continues. Presently, the Hubble Space telescope is acting as man's scientific eyes peering into space looking for what? What answers does man hope to find? How the world began? This is another one of man's way of saying that the record of this most ancient and Divinely inspired book the Bible, with its centuries of claim as the Word of God, is questionable and untrustworthy.
The Bible and those who have known the God of Gods, have consistently and authoritatively asserted throughout the centuries, ' In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth'. The reports from astronomers in early October of this year claim that Hubble's eyes can see galaxies stretching for billions of light years away suggesting some estimated 13 billion years for the existence of the Universe. In fact the claims go on to say that Hubble now sees light from stars/ galaxies that were sent when the Universe was only 5% of its current age. That's down from 10% when Hubble took an earlier peek in 1995. All this is described as 'a glimpse'. What the astronomers will not tell you is that this is a glimpse at an incredible supposition based on a mountain of other suppositions. In the year 2007 Hubble will be out-staged by a new piece of equipment called NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope). This will be able to peer even further than before into the origin of the universe they tell us – giving us an even more intensive study of the origins of the universe. This proves the point that man is ever seeking answers to questions, even the hard question of how it all began.
Other Hard and More Relevant Questions
So humanity is making a great scientific effort to prove the origin of the universe but what happens if you die trying to prove these things? What good is that to those who pass into eternity without the essential answers? What good is Hubble to the problem of man's depravity and on-going selfishness and greed? How does it solve his broken relationships – broken by hatred, jealousy, envy and pride. Does it solve murder, rape, nuisance, terrorism, war, disasters? Does it improve the divorce or murder rate? Will it end drug abuse, theft, lies etc. etc.? Does it help me to control my life – satisfy my spiritual need or does it simply increase or usurp the taxes of hard working people whilst helping to take away the bread from the mouth of the poor? Even if we found out how the universe began, which God's Word tells us can only happen by faith, then will this tell us why we are here and how we can inherit eternal life and have a personal relationship with the God Who made us? Can it solve the problem of my loved ones taken by death or the bitter pangs of grief? Does it insure my family, friends or neighbours from sickness, poverty, mental distresses? These are all questions, hard hitting questions.
Modern Attitudes to Hard Questions
Despite the plethora and multiplication of modern electronic devices and other gadgets; despite the inflated boasting of modern man - in no other age has he been so pathetically characterised by spiritual ignorance, superficiality and superstition. The superstition of modern man differs only in the way that it has been by him classified, documented and defended – and of course by the way in which it has been 'scientifically packaged' and sold to an unquestioning gullible mass. The technique man uses is simple – avoid the hard hitting questions. When the questions get tough modern man's response is to belittle, ridicule or dodge them.
Modern man is perfectly content to remain ignorant of the Bible – a book that has even at a human level, made one of the greatest impacts on societies in the ancient, medieval and modern world! Should he trouble to glance at some portion of it, he dismisses it as if he had read it and understood it in its entirety.
When answers are presented the response at best is to say that they are either outdated, simplistic or irrelevant. For example, the typical response to the problem of a broken relationships is – it was the other person's fault. Faced with the question, 'Do I have to give an account for my life to my Creator God?' – the answer typically is, 'Why should I?' To the question, 'How do I account for death?' the remarkable reply is often, 'Its not my problem, I am still here'. Again, to the question, 'Do I have an eternal soul?' – the typical answer is, 'Does it matter?' Asked, 'What is the purpose and meaning of life?' – modern men and women boldly answer, – 'It is what I make it'. Then we turn to the question of whether there are any moral absolutes or as Pilate put it, 'What is truth?' – this question man simply leaves to the whim of his convenience and imagination.
The superficiality of modern man is astounding. Even the media are amazed at what people find interesting to watch e.g. on television, or what people will actually spend their time reading or listening to. The silly entertainment industry based on almost zero intellect, the banal, mediocre and stale chat shows, soaps, game and quiz shows etc., keep the masses content! Pointless debates with non-existent or crazy conclusions, derived from circular arguments, keep the more educated guessing.
Should you doubt modern man's incredible superstition then you have not seen how s/he staggers between meaningless fashions. You have not seen the marketing ploys of insurance companies. There is now an insurance policy against most things you can think of. Indeed at the heart of modern Westernised societies and societies globally is the Stock Market. How does that work if it is not by superstition and chance? Within his superstitions modern man is intensely and mysteriously religious, preferring to worship anything and anyone except the God of the Bible. No one can doubt that even the media pundits and an entire British nation found themselves baptised into the death of a Princess – in life media fodder, in death a goddess! Ask yourself, what caused such outburst of emotion? Is it not the spiritual poverty of a nation turning its back on the God of that Ancient book the Bible to a modern form of idolatry? Can you not hear the same cry coming from history when another nation - Greeks, cried, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!?' The rise of National lotteries provide a further example of man's superstition married to his greed. Finally, to the question, 'How do I account for my existence on earth?' – the typical answer from those who claim modern intellect and those who are duped by them is, 'I evolved from apes, purely by unproven chance' By this response it is hoped that there will be no need for any further hard hitting questions.
The Queen of Sheba and Her Hard Questions
It was around 2950 (circ.950BC) years ago that a woman of no mean status and position decided she would take steps to deal with her own 'hard hitting questions'. This woman was the Queen of Sheba (an absolute Monarch) whose journey and person is known throughout the ancient world – most notably surviving into the modern traditions of Christian and Muslim faiths. In Ethiopia the tradition of Makeda marks her presence in history. In the Jewish Old Testament and the Bible can be found the account of her in 1 Kings 10. In the writing of Josephus (first century AD) and many other sources there is the account of this woman, her great journey and her interaction with the Jewish King, Solomon. The Queen of Sheba journeyed from the land that is today called, Yemen, in Southern Arabia - at that time a vibrant trading country, trading in pungent and aromatic spices and precious stones, including pearls.
Her Long Journey
The trade route followed by these ancient peoples on camels ended in Israel during the time of King Solomon – a contemporary of the Queen of Sheba. Her land was then called 'Sheba' or the 'Kingdom of Sheba' of which Marib in Yemen, was the capital. American archaeological digs in the early 1950's discovered evidence of this ancient kingdom and in particular evidence of the Temple of Moon near Marib.
Her Journey would have taken her some 1250 miles from Marib across the Arabian desert in parallel with the Red Sea into Jerusalem. This distance may seem like a short journey by aircraft today but it was a considerable journey to undertake at that time. She is described in the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Christ as coming from the 'ends of the earth to hear Solomon'. That is no exaggeration comparatively speaking because at that time it would have been an equivalent feat to undertake. Her purpose for going to Jerusalem sprang from the stories that had travelled the great distance to her home, most likely by merchants and traders. As a Queen she would have had opportunity to meet many influential people. Yet the person she most desired to meet was King Solomon of Israel, then a world leader and considered the most remarkable intellect alive – no less than a genius of geniuses.
Solomon's Unique Intellect
The source of Solomon's great intellect was the God of Israel. Like the Queen of Sheba the modern mind may be at first tempted to think, How can this be ? How can a man know so much and be so wise? The answer lay in the Divine source of his great inspired wisdom and intellect. Like all great wonders of the world, Solomon's remarkable judgements, arguments, sayings, songs and science spread like 'wild fire' across the known world. Everyone, everywhere was talking about and commenting on it. Tourism boomed in Israel with the two remarkable attractions, Solomon and the great Temple he had built to the God of God's – YAHWEH. All nations on earth had in the cliché 'to sit up and take notice'. True religion is by its very nature distinctive and distinguishable from false claims, sham cults or phoney ideologies. That is because it is self evident and self authenticating. Again, it is important to make this point in an age when there is the temptation to market everything. True religion does not require any marketing ploys. Jesus Christ Who is the One Who is greater than Solomon by his life, acts and words demonstrated that He Is the Only true Son of God.
Seeking Answers
The stories this Queen heard about Solomon would have seemed to her fantastic – practically unbelievable, the claims of his wisdom almost impossible for any mortal. They were however compelling, so compelling and requiring further enquiry as to merit a very long and arduous journey. Some modern scholars who dismiss her journey simply as a trading enquiry to drum up more foreign trade have missed her own explanation for why she made this journey. She had hard questions she wanted to put to this great mind, King Solomon. She was going to test him with the hardest questions and riddles that the shrewd and complex Arabian mind could foster.
It is to be noted that her questions were not pointless, superficial questions - merely designed to tease – she was obviously after concrete answers to the difficult questions of life i.e. the questions she pondered in her own mind and heart were personally relevant questions about the meaning and purpose of human existence and life. Do you come to God's word or to God's people with these serious questions to learn the way of salvation or do you come to poke fun, with a closed mind? Time in this life is short and may even be expensive and it pays no one to waste it on stupid pointless, meaningless questions and answers.
How much more a Queen with pressing and important matters of State – this is why the argument that she simply came as a tourist to see what business she could get is a rather superficial one. She had many officials who could do that for her. She came personally because the questions she had were so important she wanted to hear, see and learn the answers for herself. In short, the Queen of Sheba was a seeker after truth itself. Are you surprised at this? Did you think these ancient peoples simply made wars and grunted at each other? Do you think their minds were so underdeveloped that they would not have troubled themselves with the great and deep questions about life's meaning and purpose. On the contrary, many would do well to take a lesson from this Ancient Queen and begin to ask the important questions of life even though it will mean that they will have to take time out of their over-busy lives and do it.
'What does it profit a man or woman if they gain the whole world and yet finally loose their own precious souls?'
Her Character
The Arabian peoples were great merchants and loved a good business deal when they saw one. They were experts at trading. Their knowledge of commerce was very sophisticated as many of their descendants clearly demonstrate. The Queen of Sheba was not a weak or gullible woman. She belonged to a proud line of South Arabian Queens who successfully commanded the respect of all their subjects, including the men. The fact that she boldly undertook this long and difficult journey when she would have had to forego some of her opulent home comforts demonstrates the sort of resilient and determined character that she had. She would have done many modern 'liberated' women the excellent service of the ideal role model. More importantly, her humility, and tenacity in her quest for the true God of Israel should also be emulated by modern women and men.
What Did She Find?
When the Queen of Sheba set out on her long journey for Israel, in a sense she was taking a risk. It was based upon sound judgment. She went out to seek answers from someone who claimed to have those answers. Those claims were based on the reports of people from many countries including her own. Over a period of time hearing these accounts this ancient Queen of the South made her quest. When she arrived in Israel she met with King Solomon and spent a considerable time putting to him her questions about life. From observing his answers, his order, his servants, his kingdom, his worship of his God she formed a more intimate relationship with him. So intimate was this relationship that she began to tell him about herself, her personal problems and difficulties.
Solomon would have told her the source of his great wisdom. At one time Solomon, like herself, was charged with leading a great nation and he quickly realised that in himself he was insufficient for this task. The problem was, how could he do justice to so great a task? He knew he needed the help of One far greater than himself. Solomon shared with this queen his prayer to God for wisdom and the remarkable answer to prayer he received from God. It is unmistakable that the Queen of Sheba was fully persuaded about Solomon's God because she attributes his great intellect to the God – The Great God of Israel. She was convinced that this great wisdom did not spring merely from human learning, nor indeed could have. It was a spiritual wisdom spiritually discerned. Are you tempted to trust in human learning as the source of all answers? The Queen of Sheba learned from the great wisdom of Solomon, that the fear of the Lord i.e. the reverence and respect for the God of the Bible is essential to the beginnings of real genuine wisdom.
A life without the Creator of the Universe, the Holy One of Israel – A life without Jesus Christ is a foolish and dangerous life. All the learning of all the Universities and Research Institutes is pointless and meaningless without that spiritual knowledge that comes from the Father of Lights. Today, as it was then, the principle remains the same; a life without God is a dead and barren life. It is a living death – a zombie life. The Enemy of Souls – Satan, will provide the only impetus to such a life. The stirrings of sinful passions and the enslavement to self interest and alienation from God are the only fuel that gives it force. A life without God is out of control and heading for the rocks. It is not uncommon for a Godless life to make great boasts and claims of security but that kind of life is no better equipped to stay afloat than the Titanic which sank after hitting an iceberg earlier this century.
What did the Queen find? She found more than she had hoped to find when she set out on her journey. She did not simply find the great intellect of King Solomon and the answers to her many perplexing questions – She found JEHOVAH – the God of God's; the Almighty, the One who forgives sin, the Creator of the ends of the earth. She found the very Source of this wisdom and that meant she too could have access to God and a personal relationship with Him.
Before she came to find true Wisdom she was just another world leader, another queen of another Godless aimless, idolatrous people. Now she could take back the true knowledge of JEHOVAH and salvation to her own people. Finding God brought hope and light to a people who were sitting in darkness, tucked away at the other end of the earth; away from the Israel of God. Before she was far from God much further than the 1250 miles she journeyed, much further in distance than what astronomers today speculate for the age of the earth. Man without God is billions times billions light years away from God. The only hope for modern men and women to be brought near to the Infinite all knowing and all seeing God is by that greater than Solomon, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Her Expensive Gifts – Gratitude to God
The excitement of this ancient Queen now enlightened made her heart abundantly generous. She gave to Solomon the amazing gift (amongst other) of 120 Shekels of Gold. Consider that 1 shekel is about 66lbs, i.e. 7,920lbs of gold from this one queen! There are probably few if any similar matches of generosity coming from a foreign dignitary in history. From this remarkable gift we learn something of the sheer wealth of this ancient queen in addition to her generosity. She clearly valued the wisdom she learned from Solomon and Solomon's God as being far more valuable than gold, pearls or human wealth. Should you be tempted to think that Solomon did very well financially out of his interaction with the queen of Sheba, think again about how well Sheba did spiritually and ask yourself the question which one of these gifts seem the more attractive to you at this time.
The Queen of Sheba returned to her home very much in the same spirit that the Ethiopian eunuch returned to his – rejoicing. Later her descendants who tradition has it went to Ethiopia may have been the start of that very long tradition of the worship of the One true God and his Son Jesus Christ. Later another Ethiopian would come on a journey to Jerusalem seeking in that great tradition - truth. Opening his copy of the prophesies of Isaiah he would humbly ask Phillip the Evangelist ' When the prophet speaks of this man ( meaning the despised and rejected Christ) does he speak of himself or some other man.
Like Isaiah, Solomon spoke of the True Wisdom who was to come - Jesus Christ and not of himself.
A Greater than Solomon
The Queen of the South, took that great trouble and long journey and gave so much of her wealth to see and hear Solomon and yet today reader, a greater than Solomon is spoken of in the Word of God. He is Jesus the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of sinners. He is wiser than Solomon. Solomon in all his wisdom was still a sinner with recorded faults – he was swayed by women who led him for a time from the true worship of his God. This greater than Solomon is full of grace and truth. He is righteous and good. There is no spot or blemish in Him. He lived a perfect life - a life that was suddenly ended by the injustice of being condemned for being good. He was tormented, he was whipped, he was insulted, dragged to a hill and crucified on a Roman cross. As he was stripped of all his rights and driven up that hill by the shouts of, `crucify him!', 'crucify him!' He kept his mind steadfastly focused upon the souls he would rescue from hell.
The Son of God continued to the great suffering of the cross through bitter agony and indescribable suffering and when he was finally impaled to the cross in this crude and barbaric form of death devised by the sick and brutal minds of Romans, he hung until he drew his last breath and gave up His life.
Among the few words uttered throughout His great suffering were the remarkable words of compassion for His enemies, 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do'.
Forsaken by God, the Son of God was left to suffer alone, in His own soul - what sinful man should justly bear in an eternity of hell for his own wrongs.
Terrible as it was Christ the Messiah endured the pain that only God could describe and man could not comprehend. All of this so that man could find wisdom, forgiveness, and understanding escaping the inevitability of eternal death. Jesus Christ was substituted in the place that every sinner deserves to be so that sinners can escape this unbearable hell which our own wrong-doing deserves.
Having done all that and more, beyond description, Jesus rose again on the third day, having been buried in a tomb hewn out of a rock. He is not here, He is risen. The Wisdom of the ages, the conquering Lion of Judah ascended into heaven as Lord and King of the Universe. He will reign and all nations upon the face of the earth, all spiritual and other forms of existence must bow before Him and acknowledge him as Lord of the Universe. He is coming, He is coming to judge the Earth with righteousness. Will you come to Him before He comes or will the Queen of the South rise up and condemn you for failing to come because she came from far to hear the wisdom of Solomon and look, a Greater than Solomon is here !
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. Kings I 10: 2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. Kings I 10: 3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. Kings I 10: 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
Kings I 10: 5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. Kings I 10: 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Kings I 10: 7 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 heard. Kings I 10: 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
Kings I 10: 9 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. Kings I 10: 10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
HEBREWS CHAPTER 11: vs 1- 3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11: 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. Hebrews 11: 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
LUKE CHAPTER 11: 31
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.