The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Riches” it comes from the Hebrew Word “osher” which means “riches, wealth.”
A foreign queen travels a great distance to test Solomon’s legendary wisdom for herself. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is 1 Kings 10.
Hearing of Solomon’s fame concerning the name of the Lord, the queen of Sheba comes to test him with hard questions, arriving with a very great entourage, camels bearing spices, gold, and precious stones. Solomon answers every question she brings, with nothing too difficult for him to explain, and when she sees his wisdom, the house he has built, his officials, servants, and even his ascent to the temple, “there was no more spirit in her.”
The queen tells Solomon that even the reports she had heard in her own land did not describe the half of what she now witnesses firsthand, blessing his servants and officials who continually stand before him hearing his wisdom, and blessing the Lord his God, who delighted in him enough to set him on Israel’s throne, since God loved Israel forever. She gives Solomon an enormous quantity of gold, spices, and precious stones, more spices than had ever come into Israel before, and Solomon gives her whatever she desires in return before she returns to her own country.
The chapter continues cataloging Solomon’s extraordinary “wealth,” “osher” in Hebrew, gold coming in yearly, a great throne of ivory overlaid with gold, drinking vessels all made of gold rather than silver, since silver was considered of little value in his days, and an enormous number of horses and chariots. “So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom,” with people from every nation seeking audience with him to hear his wisdom firsthand.
The queen of Sheba’s genuine astonishment, admitting that even the reports reaching her own distant land could not capture half of what she witnessed firsthand, reflects just how far Solomon’s reputation for wisdom and wealth had spread. Her blessing of God specifically, recognizing His love for Israel behind Solomon’s success, shows this fame pointed people beyond Solomon himself.
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