A Savior was born “for all the people”. 1 Kings 10:1-9

On Christmas Eve the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” [1]. I imagine those words struck those Jewish shepherds as odd. For centuries, God had given special attention to one people—Israel. There were Jewish religious leaders who taught that only members of that special people would be saved. Not according to the Christmas angel! The birth of the Savior was good news for all people: good news for the shepherds living out in the fields nearby, the residence of the Little town of Bethlehem, and the descendants of Abraham, but also good news for the Europeans to the North, good news for the Africans to the South, good news for the Asians to the East, and good news for the Americans to the West.  Today we are celebrating Epiphany.  Epiphany has been referred to as the Gentiles Christmas because on this day we celebrate a Savior who was born for “all the people”. 

A typical Epiphany celebration tends to focus on the Three Oriental Kings who followed a star to Jerusalem that they might worship “the one who has been born king of the Jews”.  We actually don’t know that these travelers were three in number, oriental, or kings, we just like to imagine them that way.  Saint Matthew simply tells us they were Magi from the east who came to worship their savior with “gifts of gold and of incenses and of myrrh”. 

We focus on the Three Kings as we celebrate Epiphany because as gentiles from a distant land, they are prime examples of the sort of “all people” Jesus was born to save, but they are not the only sort of people for whom a savior has been born.  Long before the Three Kings journeyed from the east to worship their savior, a Queen journeyed from the south to do the same.  In 1 Kings 10:1 we read, “1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.”

This Queen is as mysterious a figure to us as the Magi, though unlike the Magi, whom we imagine to be kings, this woman is directly identified as a queen.  All indications are this is not a symbolic title given to her but that she rules over her land as sovereign and, as it would seem, she rules without the assistance of a man.  Though it was not unheard of, it was uncommon for a woman to rule.  3,000 years ago, most ancient civilizations were patriarchal, and men held most of the power.  However, the sovereign of Sheba was a queen.

Exactly where the land of Sheba was, we do not know.  The Jewish historian Josephus identifies this woman as “queen of Egypt and Ethiopia”[2].  Other historians are convinced the queen of Sheba is none other than Hatshepsut, one of the 6 female Pharos of Egypt and perhaps the sister of one of Solomon’s wives.  Still others identify Sheba as the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula.  All we know for certain is Sheba was south of Jerusalem.  In Luke 11:31 Jesus refers to the Queen of Sheba as “the Queen of the South”.

Wherever Sheba was located, it was clearly a prosperous land.  In 1 Kings 10:2 we are told the Queen of Sheba arrived “at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones.”  Verse 10 elaborates further, “she gave the king 120 talents (about 4 metric tons or $2 billion) of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”  Based on the gifts she gives, the queen of Sheba appears to be an incredibly wealthy woman.

By most estimations the powerful and wealthy Queen of Sheba was doing all right for herself.  Yet there was something she was missing; something more she desired, so much so that she was willing to travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to get.  The Queen of Sheba knew “the name of the LORD”; that’s capital LORD, the covenant name of God who promised all people a savior from sin.  How she learned of the name of the LORD we do not know for certain.  Perhaps, as descendants from Noah’s son Ham, knowledge of a Savior God persisted.  Perhaps rumors of the Savior God were spread along the many trade routes that went out from the Promised Land.  Regardless of how she knew, she knew, and she wanted to know more.  Which is why she came to Solomon. 

As we take a closer look at the Queen of Sheba’s visit with King Solomon, I want you to notice five things Solomon did that made it possible for him to share the good news of great joy with the Queen of Sheba.

The first thing Solomon did was build a reputation as a believer.  We are told the Queen of Sheba “heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD.”  It is not all that difficult to have a faith about which rumors may occasionally be spread.  It is, however, exceedingly difficult to build a reputation as a believer.  Unlike rumors, a reputation can only be built by repetitively consistent behavior.  It is not enough to occasionally play the part of a believer, but rather, being a believer is something that must be part of your daily life, every day of the week, every week of the year.  That is not to say one must be perfect for in both our fruits of faith AND our seeking forgiveness we can show ourselves to be believers.  Solomon’s behavior in his personal and professional life was so consistent that he gained a reputation as a believer. 

The second thing Solomon did was He practiced what he preached.  One of the things the Queen of Sheba noticed about Solomon was the offerings he gave.  We are told when the Queen of Sheba saw “5… the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed.”  Read through the book of Proverbs and Song of Solomon and you will quickly discover Solomon was prolifically poetic and profound when he talked about his faith.  But Solomon did more than talk the talk, he also walked the walk.  The burnt offering was a special offering that symbolized one’s total commitment and dedication to the LORD.  Solomon did not always do the good he wanted to do, and Scripture is full of examples of Solomon doing the evil he did not want to do, but he never stopped dedicating and rededicating himself to the LORD, which is why I say he practiced not perfected what he preached.

The third thing Solomon did was equip himself to answer questions.  We are told the Queen of Sheba “came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.” To be fair Solomon had an advantage over us.  Scripture tells us the LORD granted Solomon a wisdom that was greater than anyone before or after him.[3]  However, as Solomon himself once wrote “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”[4]  Solomon’s wisdom was a gift, a gift that he cultivated through study of the Scriptures.  In other words, Solomon read his bible because in the pages of scripture the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life are revealed.  Solomon’s study of Scriptures prepared him to give an answer to everyone who asked him to give the reason for the hope that he had.[5]

The fourth thing Solomon did was treat people with kindness.  We are told the Queen of Sheba was “overwhelmed” by her visit with Solomon.  I am sure she was impressed with his wealth, but honestly, she was rather wealthy herself (true he was probably the equivalent of a trillionaire, but she was likely the equivalent of a billionaire).  Look closely at our text and you will see what truly impressed the Queen.  It was the food he provided his household to eat, the fine houses he provided for his officials to live in, the beautiful clothes he provided his servants to wear.  Solomon was not stingy with his resources.  He used what the LORD had given him to make the lives of the people around him better.  When the Queen of Sheba saw the kindness with which Solomon treated other people, she said, “8 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!”

The fifth thing Solomon did was give all glory to God.  We are told the Queen of Sheba proclaimed, “9 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.”  The Queen praised the LORD as the “secret” to Solomon’s success; she proclaimed it was the LORD who had placed Solomon on his throne and she proclaimed the reason the LORD put Solomon on the throne was because of the LORD’s eternal love.  How did she know this?  When asked about their success, most successful people are quick to tell tales of hard work, dogged determination, and grit.  Solomon no doubt had as much right as anyone to tell such a tale.  But none of that was the headline of Solomon’s story.  Solomon knew all that he possessed all that he had accomplished were gifts from the LORD.  With a humble heart the most powerful man on the planet praised God from whom all blessing flow.

Solomon built a reputation as a believer, he practiced what he preached, he equipped himself to answer questions, he treated people with kindness, and he gave all glory to God.  I want you to take note of these five things because the Queens of Sheba and the Kings of the East have come to us.  Here in Johns Creek Georgia, we are surrounded by Europeans from the north, Africans from the south, and Asians from the east; we are surrounded by people for whom a Savior was born.  You, like the Queen of Sheba are a gentile, but honestly, because of the work of the Holy Spirit, you have more in common with King Solomon.  You know the name of the LORD.  You know who Jesus is and how He saved you from your sins.  Like the Queen of Sheba the people living around you are doing all right for themselves, but still there is something they are missing, something they desire, which is why they might come to you.  You know the Christmas story; you know it from Bethlehem beginning to Calvary conclusion, and you know what it means for people now and in eternity.  You have that something the Queens of Sheba and the Kings of the East are missing.  Therefore, I urge you to build a reputation as a believer, practice what you preach, be equipped to answer their questions, treat people with kindness, and give all glory to God.  Do what Solomon did so that you might be able to share the good news of great joy the Christmas Eve angel shared with the shepherds.  A savior has been born for me, a Savior has been born for you, a Savior has been born for all the people.  Amen.

[1] Luke 2:10

[2] Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII

[3] 1 Kings 3:12

[4] Proverbs 9:10

[5] Cf. 1 Peter 3:15