adapted from the Bible Study: She, Delighting in the example of the women of the Bible, Volume 4
I knew she was in the Bible, but she is another of the women I don’t remember hearing much about or studying. However, after spending some time reading through 1 Kings 10, where we find the largest part of her limited story, I am both inspired and convicted by her. While it isn’t an extensive story, it is evident in the few details we are given that she is meant to be an example of how we should seek the Lord diligently and with determination to know all that we can about Him, and also the encouraging hope that when we do, we will find Him.
The Queen of Sheba, according to the biblical narrative, was a woman of great wealth, beauty, and power. Sheba, believed to be either in Ethiopia or Yemen by most biblical scholars, was a well-established city, and, although there is little evidence outside the Bible as to the nature of the monarchy and how it was established, it is clear that the Queen of Sheba ruled alone and was not enamored with the religions in her own land. ~Gotquestions.org
As the story goes, when the queen heard of Solomon’s fame, she also heard of the fame of the LORD. Her interest was more than mere curiosity. So great and serious was her interest in Solomon and his relationship to the LORD that it is said she traveled over 1500 miles to Jerusalem so that she could not only meet him but also question him with “hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1). I love that God’s Word makes it clear that Solomon was not offended or angered by her questions, but without offense or difficulty answered them all. She was more than impressed with Solomon’s answers and all that she saws, as the author of 1 Kings writes, “she was overwhelmed,” or as one translation puts it and David Guzik explains, “She was left breathless (“no more spirit in her”) by not just Solomon’s wealth, but the happiness, organization, and wisdom of the people he governed.” [1]
As short as her story is in 1 Kings, she is mentioned again by Jesus in the New Testament, although He refers to her as “Queen of the South” (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). He uses her as an object lesson to “illustrate the point that despite being originally pagan in belief and Gentile in race, the Queen of Sheba recognized the truth and reality of GOd unlike the religious leader who opposed Jesus. As such, they would be condemned for their ignorant and defiant nature. 1
Reflection and Application
Gotquestions.org suggests that “two lessons can be learned from the story of the Queen of Sheba. First, like King Solomon, believers are to show evidence of God’s favor in their lives, whatever their role, profession, or environment. Second, the reputation of believers should precede them by their godly words and actions, for we are ‘Christ’s ambassadors'” (2 Corinthians 5:20). However, I would offer a third and very valuable lesson to that list. We should seek the Lord diligently and with determination. More specifically, we should make every effort to know all about Him, giving persistent attention to His words, imitating His actions, studying His likes and dislikes, and living accordingly. Like the queen, we should seek the wisdom of others who know Him, asking the hard questions, pressing in to understand and know the truths concerning Him. When we pursue Him with such audacity, not only will we find Him, but like the queen, we will discover that He is far greater than we could have even imagined.
Jesus himself used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker (Matthew 12:42), challenging later generations to seek Him with at least the same determination she showed in seeking Solomon. (AI overview of David Guzik’s commentary)
Friends, let’s live in such a way that when others look at us, they see Jesus and the relationship that we have with Him, and may we be ready with answers for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15).
Song (Let me tell you about my Jesus)
- gotquestions.org ↩︎
Me From the Inside Out 