Women of the Bible No. 16 The Queen of Sheba

"And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones."

I Kings X v. 2
Why did the Queen of Sheba make this journey? It was to see for herself that the wisdom and prosperity for which Solomon was famed was indeed true.

And after satisfying herself on this point, indeed finding that his wisdom and wealth far exceeded her expectations, they showered each other with many gifts and she returned to her own country.

The Queen was probably a pagan, but even she could appreciate that the Lord was the source of all Solomon's blessings. Indeed she was breathless with amazement at what she found at the royal court.

(Sheba, by the way, was c. 1200 miles from Jerusalem, a mountainous country, identified as the modern Yemen.)

Pink Lilies

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

St Luke Chapter 12: v. 27

Do not worry about your life, Jesus tells us. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and our needs will be met. This is teaching us to have a proper attitude to material things, not to covet them, but to have a simpler trust in a caring Father who knows our needs better than us. This to me has a particular resonance in this materialistic twenty first century, where more material wealth really does not make people happier.