Preschool
Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:48
Come and See
Memory Verses
Primary
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:48
Junior
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. Acts 8:22
Background Scripture: 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 7
Lesson Scripture: 1 Kings 10:1–10
Introduction
“O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). This is a personal invitation for all to come and see. When we have come and have seen, our testimony becomes an invitation to others. When our lives bear witness to the goodness of God, surely the hearts of our fellow men will be touched as they behold in us the love of God. May our voices ring out as the disciple’s did, “Come and see” (John 1:46).
Key Verse
For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live (Amos 5:4).
Lesson Scripture
1 Kings 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
Studying the Lesson
King Solomon had built a magnificent temple to worship God. It was built according to the plan that God had written by his hand and given to Solomon’s father, David (1 Chron. 28:19). Attention was paid to every detail for the temple. It was built to worship God; He is worthy of the very best.
The church, the Lord’s spiritual house, is established in the top of the mountains, and exalted above the hills; and all nations flow into it (Isa. 2:2). We can go to any country in the world and invite the people to come to Jesus and to his church. All are welcome!
Solomon was the wisest of all men. However, the Scripture carefully tells us that his wisdom was a gift from God. “And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year” (1 Kings 10:24–25). Solomon received a letter from a neighboring kingdom in which was written, “Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them” (2 Chron. 2:11). The central theme of Solomon’s fame was always the glorious works of God.
Solomon’s wisdom was a foreshadowing of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. God’s Word teaches us that we should come and see One greater than Solomon. We should earnestly seek to know Him, for He is worthy of our worship. He is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
The queen of Sheba made a state visit to Jerusalem and brought a train of gifts, not because Solomon was in need, nor was it a bribe; it was a gift. She expressed thankful recognition for being able to see and experience all the glory she had heard about. Likewise, we cannot come to Jesus with a payment; we come only with the gift of appreciation for all that He is, has been, and will be.
Practical Truths for Today
It may have been through traders of spices and gold that the report of Solomon’s reputation came to Sheba. However it came, the report caused Jerusalem and Solomon to be highly esteemed by those who heard it. The Queen of Sheba later told Solomon that when she heard of his acts and wisdom, she found it hard to believe. Perhaps she did not believe the whole report, thinking some details must have been exaggerated.
Nevertheless, with a measure of faith she came from Sheba, a part of Ethiopia, to see if these things were true. She came to Jerusalem with a secret hope that she would not be disappointed.
Often people are skeptical and not convinced by words alone. Though the Scriptures are read and preached around the world, many are questioning the accuracy of its report. Others believe to a point where they “talk the talk” but fail to follow through and walk accordingly. To clearly glorify God’s name and show the world the truth of the gospel, we must love the Lord without reserve. Then his church becomes precious as well. Our devotion is manifested by a joyful, fruitful, consecrated life. “Happy is that people . . . whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 144:15).
It was no mere woman who came to Solomon. She was a queen with much wealth and many servants. She had a throne and a palace, but apparently it did not compare to Solomon’s. The queen did not come for material aid; she had more than enough. She did not come for gold; she came for God.
The Samaritan woman in John 4 said to the men of her city, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” Like the Queen of Sheba, she had hard questions for Jesus, but He answered them all and more. God will answer all our hard questions, such as what we must do to be saved, how a man can be just before God, and “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Perhaps we wonder if there is a Heaven and a hell and where we are going.
The Queen of Sheba came to see for herself the beauty of Jerusalem and the wisdom of Solomon. More than that, she saw the king in all his glory, a nation blessed, and happy citizens whose souls were fed with wisdom and whose bodies were fed with food. She was overwhelmed at the sight of it all.
The story could be read repeatedly, and still the half is not told, or understood, until we experience a personal relationship with Jesus. It is the confession of every sinner that comes to Christ that the reality exceeds the anticipation. Christ’s riches and blessings are far beyond our expectations. If we could live a thousand years, we could never exhaust the riches that are found in our Savior. Job said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (Job 42:5).
The story in our lesson does not end at verse eight. After having encountered the people of God, the queen worshipped the Lord. The touch of God will always quicken and inspire people to praise Him. The gentile queen heard, she came, she saw, and she blessed the Lord. “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed” (Ps. 72:17).
That is still not the end of the story, for we shall meet Sheba’s queen in the future. She shall rise in judgment and condemn these who have rejected the Lord (Matt. 12:42). She may say, “I put forth great effort and came from afar to see Solomon. Why have you been a sluggard and not used your energy to take one small step toward Christ? You have heard, yet you have not come. You have also heard of what lies beyond the judgment, and the report is true. Even so, the half has not been told. You have been relaxing in ease and pleasure when you should have been fleeing from the wrath to come.”
“It is only a step to Jesus. Then why not take it now”? 1
Many Scriptures encourage a serious endeavor to do the will of God. We are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God; to labor for that meat which endures unto everlasting life; to strive to enter in; to search the Scriptures, and more. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
Have you seen the beauty and wisdom of the King? Have you seen it for yourself? He is beautiful beyond description! Come and see.
Questions
- Why do so few of our neighbors ask about our faith in God?
- When should we simply accept the convictions of our brethren, and when should we endeavor to find out for ourselves?
- 1 Fanny Crosby
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).