Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-22
The Queen of
Sheba Visits Solomon
sermon D..
REV. FLOYD ". TOMkINS.
Text, ]. Kings \. ITO, IL.

Our Lord refers 10 this inciden, ,s,.
Matt. Nii so, and. therefore. i; must
lie thought to be or unusual si2nia-
'ance. whatever our Lord refers 10
is given inheritance. /, l. curious,
however. that It is impossible TO trace
clearly the history OF this. Queen or
inc place whence she came. Sheba
Is supposed to be in arabia. and one
Di the old jewish historians gives the
Queen the name Of Nil<aule. The fact
mat We cannot trace distinctly the per-
son, perhaps. makes all the more in
terestins the lesson. We are so
wrapped up sometimes in personal
ties that We forget the truth. and We
, arc SO human that sometimes the person
seems TO us more important than the
truth he declares. There can be very
little doubt concerning the truth which
the Bible brings TO US: there is a great
deal OF doubt concerning the exact
history OF many OF the persons men
TONED in the I'ible. They come and go,
and that IL all we know OF them. So
may be glad that God impresses
upon us the Importance Of His mes
sage and does not satisfy our curl
ohity regarding MANI important things.
WHY DID QUEEN or
SHEnt VISIT SOLOMON:
Why did the Queen OF Shcha come TO
visit Solomon? Probably the fame az
that nc had done "a me TO her through
messengers who passed from country To
country. Indeed. il may have bncu that
some OF the hcst material for the con-
struction OF tho temple came from
Sheha. ! am inclined To believe how
ever, that this Queen had some prob
lens for which she wished to fnh 4
solution. We arc told that she came
with hard uucstions. There TX no
reason to believe that she came 10
~,
TO have her doubts SGT ut rest concern
.ng many things in her own HE. How
many questions come TO every ono OF
We daily and hourly: questions con
corning ourselves and our duty. and ~uT
friends. and the future. II ia the
pressure OF these questions and the
failure to find solution for them that
drives people TO despair and ruin. The
Queen Of tn" Bible story did a wise
thing in comr, 10 solomon. We. TOO.
would do wiser II We came to the God
Of all wisdom and let Him answer our
questions for We need not he trou-
bled by the problems % life IL We
viii only bring them TO GU King, ,or
He is both able and willing TO help
US Before &C ask any human solu-
ton OF the many questions OF life. let
US always go 10 tho Master Who Is
waiting for us to come and ask Him
all that viii.
PICTURESQUE FEATURES
OF nIBIE NARRATIVE
The Bible is a wonderfully picturesque
book. OF course. there is no book iike
IL. and its language brings before us
the scenes described so viNidly that We
feel drawn by the very atmosphere
, OF the experience Though most Of US
have never been in the East. can we
not see the procession. accompanied
10y barbaric splendor. the Queen OF
Sheba came TO Solomon There is
l,ar
sad TO see this poor woman imagining
that she could influence tho king OF the
lsraelites by making display OF her
own wealth. Perhaps she thought she
could the more readily induce him to
answer her questions II she came with
gifts. When come TO our King. We
come simply
Nothing in my hand | bring.
Simply TO Thy cross cling
our Heavenly Father asks only tina,
VIC come with love in our hearts. min
gled with sorrow for our sins. He de-
sires no gift save that of our loyalty
He is waiting for us TO come. and He
hides our need and our poverty in the
riches which are His.
Q There is one little passage which has
always touched me very deeply in this
story: she communed with Him OF all
that was In her heart" In other words.
she simply revealed herself and her
needs TO Solomon. This was certainly
unusual. particularly in the East. where
,horc was, and still is. good deal OF
reserve.
GIVES US NEW IDEA
AND DEFINITION OF PRAYER
1t shows how deeply the Queen was
moved. Here We have a new definition
Of prayer. If we would commune with
God of all that is in our hearts. If we
would open every secret door and ask
and bless. how happy might be. /
am much impressed by the fact that
few people grasp the idea OF prayer
Some one said to me recently, concern
=. ing a minister in Boston whom know
well. that when he prayed he forgot
everything and seemed TO be looking
up into Gods face. That ought to be
the way with all of us when we pray.
1t is not the words we utter. nor is 1t
the request we make. but our PRAYER is
created by the relationship between our
souls and the loving Father. Communion
and fellowship are the most perfect
words TO describe the ideal association
between the human and the Divine
Solomon showed the Queen every
thing. He may have been a little TOO
forward in revealing. all his treasures
and his power but it spcans we'll for
his frankness that he kept nothing pack.
He ran the risk of betrayal but we
have no reason 10 believe thar lie GAS
boastful. as II he had gathered all Of
this treasure by his own merit. xvi.
IDENTIFY the experience overcame tn.
Queen, for in her address to the ling
she finds 1t difficult 10 choose words
TO express her wonder and admira, i'm
and Vet she utters words which NAV
we'll be used by us in or Worship or
God. Oversees to l0.) Many a Chris
tian who has felt the JOY and peace OF
believing has cried out with the Queen,
A.,
picture the JOY and strength AMI J,eace
Of, one who perfectly trusts Jesus
Christ? We cannot begin To de.c?ibe
the emotion Of one who finds ;lie lave