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Biblereading: 2
Chronicles 9:1-12
1 And
when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came
to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very
great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in
abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to
Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her
heart. 2 And Solomon told her all her questions:
and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her
not. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the
wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4 And
the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the
attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers
also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into
the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 5
And she said to the king, It was a true report which
I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and
mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the
greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou
exceedest the fame that I heard. 7 Happy are
thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand
continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. 8 Blessed
be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his
throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God
loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee
king over them, to do judgment and justice. 9 And
she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of
spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there
any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon. 10
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon,
which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious
stones. 11 And the king made of the algum
trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s
palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were
none such seen before in the land of Judah. 12 And
king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire,
whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought
unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she
and her servants
This history has
been considered, 1Ki.10; yet because our Saviour has proposed it
as an example in seeking after him, (Mt.12:42), we must not pass
it over without observing, that those who know the worth of true
wisdom will grudge no pains or cost to obtain it.
The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and
expense to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and yet, learning from him
to serve God, and do her duty, she thought herself well paid for
her pains. Heavenly wisdom is that pearl of great price, for
which, if we part with all, we make a good bargain.
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