Scripture: 1 Kings 10:10 – “Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.” (NRSVue)
The Christmas season is winding down, and Friday marks Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the magi to Bethlehem, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These magi, who were Zoroastrian priests from the Parthian Empire of Persia trained in astrology. They recognized the star at its rising, knew it was a portent of the new king of the Jews, and came to pay homage to him. They had the wisdom to recognize God’s presence among the people, even if the people themselves did not.
I look at the magi and see them as part of a line of wise foreigners who blessed Jewish leaders when they saw God’s hand in their success. There was the mysterious Melchizedek, who gave gifts and blessed Abram after his success against warlords who had kidnapped Abram’s nephew, Lot. But perhaps the most famous of all was the Queen of Sheba.
Sheba, also known as Saba, was a people that consisted of lands on either side of the southern Red Sea, including parts of Yemen in southwestern Arabia and the horn of Africa, including Eritrea and Ethiopia. They were prosperous due to their spice trade, which included frankincense and myrrh. According to the First Book of Kings, Sheba had a queen who had heard of the wisdom and splendor of King Solomon and decided to see if the rumors were true. After testing Solomon with riddles, she was so impressed by him and his kingdom that “it took her breath away.” Many gifts were exchanged, and the Queen certainly gave Solomon gold, frankincense, and myrrh, as well as other things.
The Queen of Sheba was ridiculously wealthy, as was Solomon, but the Queen was not as impressed by what Solomon had as why he had it. She recognized that despite his wisdom and the support of his people, Solomon only received what he did through the favor of God. She said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”
Amid the Scrooge McDuck levels of gold, the Temple and other building projects, and beautiful foreign wives, it was possible that people began to overlook God in their daily lives and instead honor the king and his policies. Even Solomon himself fell into this trap, becoming distracted by pagan practices. He was so poor a king at the end that it led to the loss of half his kingdom.
Solomon forgot God. But the Queen of Sheba never did. As Abram’s faith waivered as the promise of a son never materialized, Melchizedek blessed him and reminded him of God’s favor. As Solomon’s eyes turned into dollar signs, the Queen reminded him that all of it was because of God. And as the Jews saw only misery under a tyrannical king in league with a cruel foreign empire, the magi reminded the people that God was with them and had sent a true king to them in the form of Jesus.
Today, I hope you can take a step back and try to look at your life from an outsider’s perspective. You may see God working in your life when before you were overwhelmed by pleasures or concerns. Take the time to find the blessings in your life and never forget the God who gives them to you.
Prayer: God, help me recognize you in all I see and do. Amen.
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