The Queen of Sheba

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her – 1 Kings 10:1-5

Journeying, seeking, discovering, finding, valuing. That is what a quest is all about. A quest begins with a noble question, a noble desire to discover the answer to some grand truth or ideal. A quest is about journeying, about daring to venture beyond what you know, to cross a panoramic sweep of varying landscapes, to grapple with rugged challenges, to link heart and soul with like-minded adventurers, to galloping pound the earth as you race towards the ultimate prize before the hourglass drains its last grain of sand. A quest is that daring and desperate search for a legendary gem, an ancient code – a golden key to unlock and decode timeless mysteries and wonders. A quest is bound by codes of honour which mirror the truth of that jeweled prize. A quest is the joy of a perfect answer to perfected heroes and heroines – a gold-gilded ending to a trilogy tale.

When the queen of Sheba sought out King Solomon, she embarked upon a quest. Clearly what was deeply inspiring for the queen was not his power, but the source of Solomon’s wisdom – the Lord Himself. So in all the grandeur of her state visit, she was really after one thing, the answer to one question – who is this God that you serve, Solomon? She donned her finest robes, loaded her camel trains with dignitary gifts and then braved unforgiving desert heat and dangers to fill her heart with treasures worth far more than the fragrant spices and sparkling gems which she offered her kingly counterpart. This was a lady of class who was consumed by profound issues of life and eternal matters of faith. Though she was a queen, power was not her ultimate prize. Indeed royal position and human might was but a mirage. She understood that kingdoms may rise and fall, and that life would ebb and flow, but that in the midst of the undulating landscape of life, that wisdom is the principle thing – and that if she could find the source of all wisdom, that she would find the secret to life and eternity.

Clearly she was not taken with only Solomon’s wisdom, but also with the royal structures and kingly protocol which the depth and breadth of his understanding allowed him to build and create. So she was a woman of not only probing questions, but also keen observation; much like Solomon who was able to find parallels principles between the natural world and spiritual truth. She was able to study the detail of his home (how he built his personal philosophies), the elegance of his servants’ robes (their loyalty to Kingdom values), the beauty of the order in which they served him (the pattern, designs and principles of God) and the sumptuous fare (the richness of God’s Word) and see something of God’s nature. In the end, her propensity to probe, courage of conviction, sense of nobility and taste for adventure, bestowed upon her the greatest gift – a sighting of God Himself, the Highest Royalty and Guardian of all Truth.

The queen of Sheba’s state visit was perhaps one of the most honourable of its kind. She peeled away the pomp and pretension of power, and ran her fingers through a treasure chest of glittering wonder – the glorious glow of God’s truth and the fragrant beauty of Kingdom life. She joyously cupped the springs of life which flowed from within Solomon and drank deeply of his sparkling insight. For therein she found the gift of life and the answer to all her heart – the great King whom Solomon served – God Himself.