"THE QUEEN OF SHEBA."
Intro. Chapter nine tells us of the visit paid to Solomon by the queen of Sheba. We are told that she had heard of his fame and she came to prove for herself if all that she had heard was actually true. We are told that his wisdom exceeded all men and that his fame had been known in all of the surrounding nations. She asked him many difficult questions and Solomon was able to answer them all.
I. WE READ THAT WHEN SHE SAW THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON AND THE HOUSE THAT HE HAD BUILT, THE MEAT AT HIS TABLE, AND THE SITTING AT HIS TABLE AND THE ATTENTION GIVEN BY HIS SERVANTS AND THEIR ROBES, THE CUPBEARERS, AND THEIR APPAREL, AND THE SACRIFICES THAT HE MADE AT THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, SHE WAS OVERWHELMED.
A. The wisdom of Solomon. We are told that Solomon wrote three thousand proverbs, and a thousand and five songs. That he lectured on trees from the cedar tree in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He also lectured on beasts, and fowl, and creeping things, also of the various fish.
1. Many people from the kingdoms of the earth came to hear the lectures of Solomon.
B. The meat at his table.
1. We are told that the daily requirements for the palace were 195 bushels of fine flour, 390 bushels of grain, 10 prime beef, 20 commercial cattle, 100 sheep, and from time to time deer, gazelles, roebucks, and plump fowl.
C. She said the rumors that I heard of you are true, however I did not believe it until I came to see it with my own eyes, however they did not even tell the half, you exceed all that I heard.
II. TURNING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT, JESUS SAID TO THE PHARISEES,
MAT 12:42: THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH SHALL RISE UP IN THE JUDGMENT WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SHALL CONDEMN IT: FOR SHE CAME FROM THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH TO HEAR THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON; AND, BEHOLD, A GREATER THAN SOLOMON [IS] HERE.
A. First of all Jesus taught that their will be a day of final judgment for all men.
1. The Bible tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die, and after than the judgment.
2. The prophet Daniel wrote: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt."
3. John wrote of his vision of the final day of judgment and said: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
4. When as John describes the dead small and great standing there to be judged, this includes the Queen of Sheba, and it includes the Pharisees of Jesus' day and everyone else who has lived upon this earth including you.
5. Jesus said that the queen of the South would condemn the Pharisees.
B. Well might she condemn the Scribes and Pharisees for she had only heard rumors of the greatness of Solomon, yet was diligent to seek out the truth.
1. Many of you have heard the stories of the Bible, but you have never made a diligent search to see if they are actually true.
2. Some of you even reject the Bible without even examining it for yourself. You have heard someone say, that there are many contradictions in the Bible and you just accepted their word.
3. Many college professors speak disparagingly of the Bible and because they are professors, the students take their word as truth.
a. A few years back we had a debate here with a college professor from Cal State Fullerton and Dr. Henry Morris.
b. The college professor in seeking to make fun of the Bible account of creation, said that people were foolish to believe the Bible for many believed that the forbidden fruit that Eve ate was an apple, he declared that in the Hebrew it was a pomegranate.
c. The Bible does not say, apple, nor does it even suggest what kind of fruit it was, only that God had forbidden them to eat.
d. If Dr. Morris had not corrected him, many people would go from the professor's class and declare that according to the Hebrew, the Bible says that Eve ate a pomegranate. After all, he is a college professor, and spoke of the Hebrew text.
4. You that say that you don't believe the Bible, but have never truly examined it, will be condemned by the Queen of Sheba, for she went through great difficulty to find out the truth of an amazing story that she had been told.
C. Well might she condemn this generation for she traveled a long distance to discover the truth.
1. Paul said that we do not need someone to try to ascend into heaven to bring salvation down to us.
2. Neither to send someone into the deep to bring it up.
3. The word of God is near to all of us; it is as close as our mouths, for if we will just confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.
4. Some of you have made no effort to determine whether or not the Bible is true. You have just rejected it without any honest endeavor to determine if it is true or false.
D. Well might she condemn this generation on that judgment day for the report that came to her was only a rumor, but she was determined to find out the truthfulness.
1. You have more than just a rumor.
2. You have the Bible that has stood the test of time.
3. You have the long history of the Christian faith and the radical changes that it brings to a society.
4. You have the witness of changed lives around you.
a. Men who were once strung out on drugs now preaching God's word.
b. Men who were given up as hopeless by the world's judgment who are now living happy productive lives.
c. Men who were once lying in the gutter a hopeless alcoholic by the world's standards, now successful businessmen.
5. You have the fulfilled prophecies of conditions that would come upon the earth in the last days, and they are the headlines of the newspapers today.
6. For many of you the report of the greatness of our Lord first came to you from someone whose word you never had reason to doubt.
a. Your mother told you of the love of Jesus for you.
b. Your mother told you of the beautiful place called heaven that Jesus is preparing for those who love Him.
c. Perhaps your grandmother also told you the stories of the Bible and encouraged you to live a good life.
E. Well might the Queen of Sheba condemn this generation for she came without an invitation.
1. Jesus Himself has invited you to come. He said: "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light, and you shall find rest for your souls."
2. She came not even knowing if Solomon would receive her, but Jesus said, "Whoever will come unto Me, I will in no wise cast out."
III. THERE IS A DAY OF JUDGMENT COMING, AND EVERYONE WILL GET A FAIR TRIAL, BUT FOR SOME OF YOU, THE QUEEN OF SHEBA WILL BE TESTIFYING AGAINST YOU FOR SHE CAME FROM A FAR COUNTRY TO SEEK OUT THE TRUTH, AND FOUND THE TRUTH.
A. The sentence you receive will be fair and it will be final.
1. You cannot say that you didn't know.
2. You cannot say that you didn't have the opportunity.
3. You will be without excuse.
4. The Bible declares:
HEB 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip away.
HEB 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was certain, and every transgression and disobedience received a fair punishment.
HEB 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect this great salvation; which at the first was spoken to us by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those that heard [him];
5. How shall we escape what?
a. The coming judgment of God.
b. The just punishment for our sins.
B. God's judgment will be according to truth.
HEB 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
DEU 32:4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] just: He is a God of truth and without iniquity, He is just and right.
PSA 9:8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
1. Speaking of the Messiah David said:
PSA 67:4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for You will judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
2. Solomon said:
ECC 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (You may think in your heart that you got by with your evil because it was not found out, but the day is coming.)
3. The prophet Ezekiel wrote:
EZE 18:25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
EZE 18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
4. Solomon said:
ECC 8:11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. You may think in your heart that you got by with your evil because it was not found out, but the day is coming, and the Bible says, "You can be sure that your sins will find you out."
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
