2 Chronicles 9:1-12 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

Solomon's queenly visitor.

I. HER JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM . ( 2 Chronicles 9:1 .)

1 . The country whence she came. Sheba. Not Meroe, or Ethiopia, as Josephus ('Ant.,' 8.6. 5), Grotius, and others say, following Abyssinian legend; but Sabaa, a country in Arabia Felix. Its capital Saba, or Mariaba, still exists under the name Marib, six days east of Sanaa. The district was extremely fertile, and abounded in frankincense, gold, and precious stones ( Jeremiah 6:20 ; Ezekiel 27:22 ; Isaiah 60:6 ; Psalms 72:15 ). Its inhabitants had become, through extensive commerce, among the most prosperous of Arabian tribes. The caravans of Sheba brought costly products to the markets of the world—to Tyre, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia ( Job 6:19 ; Ezekiel 27:22 ). That a high degree of civilization prevailed from an early period in South Arabia is attested, not only by the so-called Himarytic inscriptions found in that region, in which the name Sheba frequently occurs, but by the above-mentioned ruins of Marib, which, according to Arab tradition, was destroyed, probably in the second century after Christ, by the bursting of a great dam in the upper part of the valley (Ritter). Arabian tradition, more communicative than Scripture concerning this queen, names her Balkis, and makes her a wife of Solomon (Koran, 'Sur.,' 27).

2 . The occasion of her journey. The fame of Solomon. In 1 Kings 10:1-29 . i the words, "concerning the Name of Jehovah," are added; but whether inserted by the author of Kings or omitted by the Chronicler cannot be determined. If the latter, they were probably intended to suggest that Solomon's fame rested chiefly on his temple-building for the Name of Jehovah ( 2 Chronicles 6:10 ), which showed him to be pre-eminently endowed with wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 2:12 ). (For other explanations, see Exposition.) There is reason in the conjecture that Solomon's voyages to Ophir were, in part at least, the means of extending Solomon's fame and bringing it to the ears of the queen.

3 . The object of her visit. "To prove Solomon with hard questions." It is hardly supposable that the queen simply aimed at a trial of wit between herself and Solomon in propounding riddles, resolving enigmas, and untying word-puzzles, such as, according to Menander and Dins (Josephus, ' Ant., ' 8.5. 3), Solomon once had with Hiram, and such as in ancient times formed a common pastime with the Arabs. The "hard questions" doubtless related to deep and important problems in religion and life. The serious words addressed by her to Solomon ( 1 Kings 10:7 , 1 Kings 10:8 ) make this the most plausible hypothesis. Great, rich, cultured, and powerful as she was, she was obviously troubled at heart about the solemn mystery of existence, and wished to have her doubts resolved, her questions answered, and her anxieties allayed by one who seemed specially upraised as an embodiment and teacher of wisdom.

4 . The grandeur of her train. Attended by "a great company" of followers, courtiers, and servants, as well as by a numerous cavalcade of camels bearing the products of her country—gold, spices, and precious stones—intended for presents to Solomon (cf. Genesis 43:11 ), this royal lady, setting forth in search of wisdom, accomplished her long and painful journey, and eventually reached Jerusalem.

II. HER INTERVIEW WITH SOLOMON . ( 1 Kings 10:2-8 .)

1 . The wisdom she heard. "Of all that was in her heart she communed with Solomon; and Solomon told her all her questions." If these did not include gravissimas et sacras quaestiones, i.e. questions relating to the mysteries of religion and the worship of God, one fails to see why they should exclude these, as has been suggested (Keil). That they concerned not metaphysical problems may be conceded. The story bears upon its surface that the wisdom she chiefly inquired after and Solomon principally discoursed about was that whose beginning is the fear of the Lord, and whose end is the keeping of his commandments ( Psalms 111:10 ; Proverbs 1:7 )—that which concerned the dignity and glory of human life, and promoted the attainment of human happiness ( Proverbs 2:2-12 ; Proverbs 3:13-18 ; Proverbs 4:5-13 ; Proverbs 9:9-12 ). But whatever her queries were, they were all answered. None were too abstruse or recondite for this Heaven-endowed king to explain.

2 . The splendour she beheld. She saw the wisdom of Solomon embodied in his works as well as heard it distilling from his lips. "The house that he had built"—not the temple, but the palace, which had occupied thirteen years in construction, and upon which he had lavished all that the architectural and decorating arts of the time, assisted by his enormous wealth, could procure—this royal residence which, in magnificence, rivalled, if it did not eclipse, the dwelling of Jehovah, was locked upon with wonder and astonishment. In particular she was fascinated by the splendour of the royal table.

3 . The admiration she felt. Sincere and intense. Solomon's wisdom had been

4 . The sentiments she expressed.

5 . The presents she made.

6 . The gifts she received. Besides the solution of her questions, she obtained handsome and valuable presents from Solomon, partly in compliance with her own request ( 2 Kings 23:12 ), partly in payment of the costly gifts brought to him by her, and partly over and above out of his own royal liberality ( 1 Kings 10:13 ).

III. HER RETURN TO SHEBA . ( 2 Kings 23:12 .)

1 . The termination of her visit. How long this visit continued is not recorded, but at length the queen departed on her homeward journey, attended by her servants and accompanied by her train of camels.

2 . The spoils of bet visit. Besides carrying home the presents given by Solomon, she bore with her, what was of greater moment for herself and her subjects, the impressions she had received upon her travels and the lessons of earthly and heavenly wisdom she had derived from her interview with the king.

3 . The historicity of her visit, That the preceding narrative is no fable is guaranteed by Christ's use of it in the First Gospel ( Matthew 12:42 ), and by recent archaeological research.

LESSONS .

1. The privilege of Christians in having as King a greater than Solomon—him "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" ( Colossians 2:3 ).

2. The obligation of the world to hear the wisdom of him who, besides being greater, is also nearer to them than was he to the Queen of Sheba ( Matthew 12:42 ).

3. The blessedness of such as hear Christ's wisdom, waiting at his throne and standing in his presence, first on earth and afterwards in heaven ( Proverbs 8:34 ).

4. The certainty that Christ will give to them who seek his wisdom all that they ask and more of his royal bounty ( Ephesians 3:17 ).

5. The duty of those who come to know Christ's wisdom to carry the tidings of it back to their own country ( Matthew 5:19 , Matthew 5:20 ).—W.