1 Kings 10:1-13
"10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.
6 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 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, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.
13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants."
The real beauty of the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba lies in the illustration it affords of spiritual realities. For Solomon is a type of Christ, and her coming to him from afar gives an apt picture of the coming of the soul to Christ. She had heard reports of Solomon's glory and wisdom, and this had drawn her. So it is in the spiritual life. When men hear, through the preaching of the gospel, of the glory and wisdom of Christ, and His all-sufficien- cy, their hearts are inclined towards Him and they come. And having come they testify, like the queen, that it was a true report that they had heard. We are reminded by 7 of the incident in John 4 when the men of Samaria said that they believed not because of the woman's saying but because they had heard Christ themselves. So it was with the queen and so it is with all who come to Christ. First, the message is heard with the hearing of faith, then we come, and we taste and see that the Lord is good. Then we realise, as she did, that the half had not been told us; the reality is so much greater than the report of it. We can never hope to plumb the depths of Christ's love and grace when first we come to Him - all eternity will he too short in which to do that!