GOD WITH US

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 18 November 2012

Hi all,

3000 years ago the morals of people were not the same as they are today. People were very aware of bloodlines. The Queen of Sheba was no exception. She visited the world’s wisest man – or so she had heard. She went to “check it out” and found it to be true. When Jesus implied He was wiser than Solomon, He had a mixed reception. Today’s meditation looks at Solomon, the Queen of Sheba and Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 18 November 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	GOD WITH US
None of us know what Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem really looked like. It must have been quite a sight. I’m told that it was the most expensive building ever built. We are told that the design was David’s. We also know that David’s personal fortune was donated to the building of this temple. The fame of this place along with Solomon’s great wisdom resulted in him having an international reputation for prosperity and wisdom. How long it took for this information to reach the ears of the Queen of Sheba is not known. Much depends on the location of Sheba. The most likely place is in the South Western portion of the Arabian peninsula. The Sabeans or people of Saba or Sheba, are referred to as traders in gold and spices, and as inhabiting a country remote from Jerusalem. Such traders would, no doubt, have brought news of Solomon and his prosperity fairly quickly to the queen of Sheba. Some believe she was the queen of Sheba was queen of what we now call Ethiopia. The visit of the Queen of Sheba was not merely an exercise in satisfying her curiosity. The Bible tells us of some of the questions she posed to Solomon to test his wisdom. 1 Kings 10 gives details of her visit. It is said that in her society, women had equality with men. We know that she gave Solomon 9,000 pounds of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. 1 Kings 10:10 GW. We also know that Solomon gave her anything she wanted along with considerable gifts. It’s been suggested she returned to Sheba proudly pregnant by the world’s wisest man! It is thought this child went on to become king of Ethiopia. In Matthew 12:42, Jesus, speaking angrily to the Pharisees, referred to the visit of the Queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba) to Solomon. He pointed out she came to see if he was as wise as she had heard. Indeed, she found him to be wiser than anything she had heard! Jesus, standing in front of the Pharisees, was far wiser than Solomon had ever been. Jesus was telling them the truth. They didn’t believe Him! I must say I feel a morsel of sympathy toward the Pharisees at this point. Only the Wisdom of God could be wiser than the wisdom of Solomon. Here was Jesus telling them He had that wisdom! He was either a liar or a direct representative from God. Two thousand years later, we know He was speaking the truth. But to men brought up in that tradition, it would be very hard to believe. Thank God, some of them did. For many, such a thought was unthinkable. What would you think if a baker from Bloemfontein stood in front of you today and said to you he is God? Have some sympathy for those sad religious leaders. They were blind guides. We should learn from them. Listen carefully to what you hear. Then commit it to God for a decision! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 But I (Queen of Sheba) did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom (King Solomon) and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 1 Kings 10:7 ESV 42 On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she travelled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon's is right in front of you. Matthew 12:42 MSG 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 TNIV 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NLT 9 But as Scripture says: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him." 10 God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 GW 17 Your eyes will see the king in all his splendour, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. Isaiah 33:17 NLT 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 ESV 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, Job 19:26 ESV 15 I will see your face when I am declared innocent. When I wake up, I will be satisfied with seeing you. Psalms 17:15 GW	We know the Queen of Sheba, could not believe her eyes. She’d heard about King Solomon; she’d heard that he was wise. But when she came to visit him, she said she’d never seen, Such wisdom and prosperity. Not in her wildest dream, Had she expected anything as wonderful as this. She was so glad she saw it. The thought of what she’d miss, By never seeing Solomon and all that he had done. This was a vast accomplishment by God, through David’s son. Now Jesus said in Matthew Chapter twelve verse forty two, This Queen wanted to find if what she’d heard of him was true. She went to visit Solomon. She’d travelled from afar. But standing now before them, was a more illustrious star! Solomon had been the king. But Jesus was far more! The day would come when Solomon would worship and adore. The One Who came from heaven. Right from His Royal throne. The Son of God incarnate, sent here by God alone. Some had seen His Glory. Full of God’s truth and grace. Some of us had walked with Him and seen His Holy face. Those who had accompanied Him, listened to Him speak. Never complicated and He would always seek, To talk to them in parables and never to complain, About the people whom He loved. He would not cause them pain. But He was very caustic with religious hypocrites. He would take their customs and smash them into bits If, by through their teaching, they opposed God’s written Word, They would be lambasted. “Woe unto you” they heard! He did His best to teach us, but we could not digest, Much of what He told us. Although we did our best, We found what he was saying was so far above our heads. We couldn’t comprehend ‘til by His Spirit we were led. We saw Him in His splendour; we saw Him crucified. We watched Him in His suffering; we watched Him as He died. The grave could never hold Him; He walked out of the tomb. His resurrected body walked right into our room! The risen King of Glory; we met Him by the lake. We witnessed His ascension. We know, when we awake, From “sleeping through life’s journey”, we know whom we will see. The “richest and the wisest One”; both Man and Deity. Jim Strickland  Written 18th November 2012