1 Kings 10:1-13 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.… I. ADMIRE THIS QUEEN'S MODE OF PROCEDURE WHEN SHE CAME TO SOLOMON. We are told, in the text, that "she came to prove him with hard questions." 1. She wanted to prove whether he was as wise as she had been led to believe, and her mode of proving it was by endeavouring to learn from him; and if you want to ascertain what the wisdom of Christ is, the way to know it is to come and sit at His feet, and learn of Him. He has Himself said, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." 2. The Queen of Sheba is also to be admired in that, wishing to learn from Solomon, she asked him many questions; — not simply one or two, but many. If you want to know the wisdom of Christ, you must ask Him many questions. 3. The Queen of Sheba proved Solomon "with hard questions." II. LET US IMITATE HER EXAMPLE, IN REFERENCE TO CHRIST, WHO IS "GREATER THAN SOLOMON." Let us prove Him with hard questions. 1. Here is the first hard question. How can a man be just with God? 2. Here is another hard question: How can God be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly? 3. The next question is one which has puzzled many: How can a man be saved by faith alone without works, and yet no man can be saved by a faith that is without works? 4. Here is another hard question: How can a man be born when he is old? At first sight, it seems as if that were unanswerable; but Jesus Christ has said, "Behold, I make all things new." 5. Here is another hard question: How can God, who sees all things, no longer see any sin in believers? That is a puzzle which many cannot understand. 6. Here is another hard question: How can a man see the invisible God? Yet Christ said, "Blessed are the pure in heart" for they shall see God; "and the angel said to John:" His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face." 7. Moving upward in Christian experience, here is another hard question: How can it be true that "whosoever is born of God sinneth not," yet men who are born of God do sin? 8. This helps also to answer another hard question: How can a man be a new man, and yet be constantly sighing because he finds in himself so much of the old man? 9. Here is one more of these hard questions: How can a man be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing? 10. I have one more hard question: How can a man's life be in heaven while he still lives on earth? III. LET US ANSWER CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF A PRACTICAL CHARACTER. 1. Answer first, this question — How can we come to Christ? 2. "Well," says one, "supposing that is done, how can we ask Christ hard questions?" You may ask anything of Him just the same as if you could see Him. 3. "But," you say, "if I ask of Him, how will He answer me?" Do not expect that He will answer you in a dream, or by any vocal sound. He has spoken all you need to know in this Book. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. |
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