In 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself "the Great," and was the monarch who made the famous statement, "I am the state!" His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, "Only God is great." -Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 24.Jesus Christ made some amazing statements while He was here on earth. Here are some classic quotes from the lips of the Lord Jesus.
“Before Abraham was I am...”, John 8:58.
“I and My Father are one.”, John 10:30.
“...he that hath see Me hath seen the Father...”, John 14:9.
“...I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”, John 14:6.
“…I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst,” John 6:35.
Through statements like these, Jesus plainly declared Who He was. But, His enemies were not content to take Him at His word. In fact, they demanded a sign (Matthew 12:38-42; 1 Kings 10:1-13). They didn't want to hear a thing He had to say; what they wanted was for Him to perform a miracle to prove that He was the Messiah.
Now, His response to them is clear. They will receive no sign but the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish, Jesus would spend three days in the heart of the earth. He fulfilled that sign when He arose from the dead!
Then, Jesus pronounced judgment upon them. He told them that the men of Nineveh would testify against them in the judgment. Nineveh had repented under the preaching of Jonah, but a "greater than Jonah" had come and they would not hear Him. He then told them the Queen of Sheba would testify against them as well (Matthew 12:38-42).
She traveled a great distance, at great effort and with great expense, to hear the words of Solomon, but a "greater than Solomon" had come and the Jews refused to listen to what He had to say. They didn't have to travel to hear Him, still they would not come. When Jesus said that a Gentile queen had more faith than they did, it infuriated them!
I want to take this statement by Jesus, “a greater than Solomon is here”, and show you that it still stands true today. Jesus Christ was, and is greater than Solomon! Turn to 1 Kings 10:1-13 in your Bible and examine the facts related to King Solomon. I want you to see what the Bible has to say about Solomon’s glory; and how Jesus is greater. In this week's message, I want to try show you the ways.
Let's begin by examining how Jesus is greater in his ways. Sheba was a well-established city, probably somewhere in Ethiopia, or Yemen by most biblical scholars. (Note: The Queen of Sheba is mentioned again in the New Testament, by another title, the Queen of the South, Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31).
As this pagan queen (a woman of great beauty, wealth, and power) reigned in her country, the sailors and merchants that passed through shared the word of the greatness of King Solomon (1 Kings 10:7). This undoubtedly piqued her interest! Furthermore, she heard of: the great kingdom he had built (1 Kings 5-9); the Temple he had constructed for his God; and of the great palace he had built for himself.
The Queen also had heard of his intellect, and that he could answer deep questions (1 Kings 10:1-3, 6-7). She came to prove him, and get her questions answered! Referring back to 1 Kings 10:1, notice where the fame of Solomon was in the mind of this woman; “concerning the name of the Lord.” What impressed her more than his position, more than his power, more than his prosperity and more than his prestige, was his powerful, personal relationship with his God.
When she learned that Solomon's God was the One responsible for his glory, she wanted to know more! She wanted to know about this connection he had with God. History says that Solomon had a covered walkway connecting his palace with the House of God. The Queen watched him worship and saw the sacrifices he made to His God and she was amazed (1 Kings 8:63; 1 Kings 9:25). Yes, she was definitely interested in the God of Solomon!
Next, let's examine how Jesus is greater in his wealth, than Solomon. When the Queen of Sheba arrived at Jerusalem, she was astounded at the greatness of this king's wealth (1 Kings 10:5). She saw his house and his wealth (1 Kings 10:4, 13). All of his possessions were in plain view, as were his provisions. It required massive amounts of food required to feed those who ate from his table (1 Kings 4:22-23).
The Queen must have been in awe when she saw his people (1 Kings 10:5). She watched his servants as they ministered to him; and noticed how they sat in his presence listening to his voice. She observed how others hastily carried out his wishes. She was amazed because they received joy from their service! It wouldn't be too far-fetched at all to say that when the Queen of Sheba saw the riches of King Solomon, she was totally flabbergasted!
And finally, even with all of this going on, we see that Jesus is greater in His wonder. Remember, the Queen of Sheba had heard about Solomon, but she didn't believe it until she had seen it for herself (1 Kings 10:7). What she saw when she came to Solomon most-assuredly left her greatly astonished!
I'd like to recap what we have discussed here. Certainly, the Queen of Sheba's trip to Jerusalem led her to some personal conclusions. Regarding her personal discovery upon visiting Solomon, she found that:
1. He Was More Wealthy Than She Had Heard - She got more from him than she gave him. And, so it is with Jesus. I, myself, have received for more than I have given.
2. He Was More Wise Than She Had Heard - He was able to answer every one of her riddles (1 Kings 10:1, 3). Jesus has given meaning to life. It all makes sense with His!
3. He Was More Wonderful Than She Had Heard - She concluded that she hadn't even heard the half of his glory and greatness! No matter what we say about Him, we can never exhaust His glory, His power and His wonder!
The Queen also had some things to say to Solomon about what she saw. Her profound declarations were as follows:
1. Regarding His Servants - She commented on the happy nature of his servants!
2. Regarding His Savior - She commented on the greatness of Solomon's Lord. She bragged on His goodness and she bragged on His love. She was convinced that there was nobody like Solomon and nobody like His God!
Friends, every person who has ever heard about Jesus Christ, and has responded by coming to Him for salvation, can echo everything the Queen of Sheba discovered. He will always give you back far more than you give up! He will reveal to you the answers to the riddles and problems of life. He will always prove to be far more glorious than anyone could ever articulate. He will leave you flabbergasted, astounded and amazed!
Scripture: Jeremiah 10:6; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Psalms 96:4; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Nehemiah 1:5; Isaiah 12:6; Psalms 136:4
Now, let's pray...
O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen
Until next time...
Have a blessed week!
Bibi
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.