Today’s passage: 1 Kings 10:1-13
Helpful thoughts:
- About the queen of Sheba:
- Sheba was in southwestern Arabia.
- A retinue is a group of assistants or advisors.
- The queen brought questions to test Solomon out first, but then shared with him her whole heart.
- Everything that the queen of Sheba saw and heard took her breath away.
- The passage serves as an independent verification of the wisdom and wealth of Solomon.
- The passage also shows that even a foreigner could see, the Lord has loved Israel.
- Many riches were exchanged on this occasion. We aren’t even told what the queen left with, only that she was given everything she asked.
Questions to consider:
- Whom did the queen credit for all the wonderful things she heard and saw in verse 9? In what ways did her views fall short? Did she see the Lord as the one true God or just as Israel’s God? Did she exalt the Lord more or Solomon?
- In what ways did the queen’s views (Being a foreigner and NOT a follower of the Lord) end up being more respectful and accurate than how Israel saw the Lord’s blessings on their nation?
- How does this passage inform our understanding of Matthew 12:42? (Be encouraged to keep studying the Word and seeking Jesus. It’s worth it!)