2 Chronicles 9
Solomon is known for two things. He is supposed to be ‘wicked’ smart and ‘wicked’ rich. In US politics, he is the JFK of the old testament. He was born into an aristocratic family and had the good fortune of being on the correct side of the most influential book ever written. History has no choice but to place him in the winner column. Is that really why we care? Do we read about Solomon because he has all the trappings of the world?
The Queen of Sheba certainly found it attracting. From far away in her kingdom, she heard about this king who seems to have it all going on for him and came check him out. She brought a whole bunch of gifts and swooned as Solomon “[mans]plained to her everything she asked about, and there was nothing so obscure that Solomon could not explain it to her” 2 Chron 9:2. He kindly accepted all of her gifts and then because he could, returned the gesture in fold. The queen, flushed, replied, “I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even the half of your great wisdom has been told to me.” 9:6) Not only does Sheba stand in awe of Solomon and Israel, the whole world does! “And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart” 2 Chronicles 9:23. This is part where we all put on our yarmulkes and start chanting “L’Chaim!”
In the famous words of Shakespeare, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”[1].
The Queen of Sheba came because she did not believe all that God was doing. She was blessed because she came to see. Like all major ideas in the Hebrew Bible, Jesus takes them captive and transforms them to His own purpose. Jesus is the new embodiment of all the greatness our Chronicles writer is trying so hard to convey about Solomon. Jesus himself takes disbelief head on. After Jesus’ tomb has been found empty and He appeared to two women, one of the disciples, Thomas, refuses to believe their story. Later, in a locked room where all of the disciples were meeting, Jesus shows up and does the biblical version of a smack down on Thomas. Thomas saw Jesus and believed he rose from the grave. Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29).
Here we have two stories about two different kingdoms. One kingdom is dripping masculinity, like the bench press in a Gold’s Gym. The other, affirming female testimony and showing Christ’s followers the blessings of believing and not seeing. The message we should take away is the development between the two. God takes our hearts from one kingdom that loves hyper-masculinity, riches, and wisdom and moves it to a place that loves Him. We read these stories, laughing and making fun of the farse of Solomon’s absurdity. But in the end, we must realize that the story is about us. Our lives are a sad parody until Jesus shows up and we follow Him, not because we see, but because we believe.
[1] Hamlet, By Shakespeare
Dad Devotional 