SCRIPTURE: 1 KINGS 10
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA VISITS SOLOMON (vs. 1-13)
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She brought with her with a very great caravan – with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones – she came to Solomon to talk with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon was able to answer all her questions and she was impressed with the wisdom and the palace Solomon built. She gave Solomon 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones.
Hiram’s ship also brought Solomon gold from Ophir, great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. King Solomon also gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and she left and returned to her country.
SOLOMON’S SPLENDOR (vs. 14-29)
Solomon received 666 talents of gold yearly and also revenues from merchants and traders from all the Arabian kings and queens of the land. King Solomon made 200 large shield of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield. He also made 300 small shield of hammered gold with three minas oof gold in each shield. He put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
The king also made great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had 6 steps with lions on each steps. The king led a fleet of trading ships at sea carrying gold, silver, ivory, and apes and balloons.
King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all other kings of the earth. The whole world sought wisdom with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Everyone who came to visit him brought gifts – silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
Solomon had accumulated fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horse. His horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue. they imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.
THOUGHTS:
In accumulating chariots and horses and incredible wealth, Solomon was violating God’s command for a king. These activities would hurt the nation both politically and spiritually. The more luxurious Solomon’s court became, excessive taxes were being taxed creating unrest and revolution. Solomon allowed pagan influence to enter his covenant with pagan wives and corrupted the spiritual condition of the nation.