REWARDS OF SEEKING GOD
I Kings 10:1-13
Introduction: After a preacher died and
went to heaven, he noticed that a Boston cab driver had been given a higher
place than he had. “I don’t understand,” he complained to St. Peter. “I devoted
my entire life to my congregation.” “Our policy is to reward results,”
explained St. Peter. “Now, what happened, Reverend, whenever you gave a sermon?”
The minister admitted that some in the congregation fell asleep. “Exactly,”
said St. Peter. “And when people rode in this man’s taxi, they not only stayed
awake, they prayed.”
We all like rewards, don’t we? These days, we give away rewards so quickly,
just for everyday things that are expected of anyone; for example, teachers
reward students for just attending school, and parents reward their children
for brushing their teeth and keeping their room clean. Churches give away
Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts gift cards for newcomers just for showing up at
church. Do they need to be rewarded for what is expected of them?
We can
argue about the pros and cons of reward-based parenting, teaching, and the
whole system. But you will be pleased to know that it is God’s perfect plan and
will to reward those who faithfully trust and obey Him. And it is not
unspiritual to expect and anticipate those rewards if we do so in a spirit of
humility and gratitude.
In the
past two weeks, we learned about delighting in God’s Word and that the Church
is God’s dwelling Place. Today, we will know about how God will reward a soul
that seeks after Him. The best part is that we can already enjoy some of those
rewards here and now. We will look at how an Ethiopian Queen was richly
rewarded when she sought after the most esteemed King in the Old Testament and
how Jesus lifted her out in the NT as an example for us to follow. Rewards
Of Seeking God. I Kings 10:1-13
Background to the story: It was a crucial
time in the history of Israel. The Kingdom was handed over to Solomon after the
death of his father, David, Israel’s most beloved King. Solomon builds
and dedicates the temple to God to fulfill his father’s desire.
The fame
and splendor of Solomon spread far and wide as far as the land of Sheba, which
was 1500 miles away from Jerusalem. We read in Verse 1, “When the queen of
Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she
came to test Solomon with hard (difficult) questions.” Solomon’s fame was tied
to his seeking God, which drew the attention of the Queen. We see three
principles in this story that would help us seek God.
I. Finding the truth is costly (Vs. 1-3)
When the
Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame and relationship with the Lord, she
was intrigued by that fascinating story but did not believe it immediately. She
did not stop at simply saying what an incredible story it was. She wanted to
find out for herself how credible that report was. She desired to meet the
person in the story personally.
Hence, she undertook a nearly 1500-mile journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. To
give you an idea of what a trip of that nature entailed in ancient times: “She
had to cross the desert sands of Arabia, and travel along the coast of the Red
Sea, up into Moab, and over the Jordan River to Jerusalem. Such a journey
required at least six months since camels could rarely travel more than 20
miles daily.”[1]
She took
all the trouble, why? Because she wanted to know the truth. When she finally
arrived in Jerusalem and met King Solomon, she poured everything in her heart out
and asked Solomon difficult questions. She had an insatiable desire to know the
truth and was willing to go through any hardship to find out. How did she
respond when she saw Solomon?
II. There is an answer to every difficult question (Vs.3)
The
Queen of Sheba had some tough questions for King Solomon. One commentator says,
“Riddles are designed to stump the hearer.” It is like our news anchors asking
politicians “gotcha questions.” For King Solomon, it was not an issue. In
Vs. 3, we read, “Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for
the king to explain to her.”
What was her reaction when she perceived Solomon’s wisdom, the house he had
built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of
his waiters and their attire, and the lavish burnt offering Solomon offered
God?
In NIV, it
reads, “She was overwhelmed” in NASB, “there was no more spirit in her” in ESV,
and “no more breath in her, literally, the experience left her breathless.” Did
Queen Sheba get what she has bargained for? More than that, she had a life-changing
experience in the presence of the wise King Solomon. In Vs. 5, “She said to the
King, it’s all true!
Your
reputation, accomplishments, and wisdom that reached my country are confirmed.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself; they didn’t exaggerate!
Such wisdom and elegance far more than I could ever have imagined.” (The
Message)
Let me put
this into our context. What we hear about God being preached through
evangelists, pastors, and bible teachers is true. But no matter how eloquently
and scholarly they may explain God, his nature, and purpose to us, it is only
half of the actual reality of God.
There is
so much we don’t know about our God. The little we understand of Him is enough
to take our breath away. As it is written in I Corinthians 13:12, “For now we
see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I
know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. We are in for a
grander surprise when we see Jesus face-to-face. When we are willing to pay the
price by coming into God’s presence, God will reward us.
III. Rewards of Seeking God
The Queen of Sheba came to test Solomon and bless him with exotic gifts. She
gave him nearly five tons of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious
stones. The sandalwood she brought was used to make railings for the Temple of
the Lord and the royal palace. You can imagine the fragrance that filled God’s
temple and the royal palace. Whenever people visited them, they might have
inhaled the aroma of sandalwood and remembered the Queen.
King
Solomon gave the Queen all she “desired and asked for” besides
what he had given her out of his royal bounty.” The Queen of Sheba returned to
her country with her entourage, having been fully satisfied by seeing the King.
Let’s draw a few parallels from this story: Solomon
is like God in his wisdom, riches, splendor, and generosity. Queen of Sheba is
like a thirsty and seeking soul who is not satisfied with a second-hand
revelation of God but wants to experience the fullness of God. During his
earthly ministry, at one point, to a demanding crowd who wanted to see a sign
from heaven before they might believe, he said this, “The Queen of the South
will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came
from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something
greater than Solomon is here.” (Matt 12:42).
How this story of an African Queen could impact our lives today? Jesus, greater
than Solomon, stands here in our midst by his Holy Spirit. You have heard of
Him or read about Him, but now you can have a face-to-face encounter with Him.
Bring all your nagging and challenging questions to Him, and let Him answer and
satisfy all your curiosity.
There is
nothing Jesus needs, and nothing you can give him satisfies Him other than your
broken heart. Your sins will be forgiven, and Jesus will reward you with
eternal life. He will fill you with the Holy Spirit; you can leave this place
fully redeemed and satisfied.
[1] http://www.kingsolomonlegend.com/king-solomon-queen-of-sheba.html
