Verse 1-13 - Queen Sheba heard of Solomon and his relationship with God so she came to test Solomon. She brought spices, gold, and precious stones. Solomon’s answers exceeded all that she heard. After she saw the abundance of food, servants, officials, and burnt offerings he made at the temple, she concluded that God loved His people so much that He gave them such a wise and great king. She paid tribute to Solomon with gold, spices, and precious stones that no one had ever given Solomon. In response, he gave Sheba what she wanted. When people hear about us, do they hear only what we accomplish or is it our relationship with God? Our relationship with God must not only be heard but display the glory of God and they may glorify, and praise God as Queen Sheba did.

Verses 14-29 - Solomon received six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold annually as tributes which did not include the revenues from the merchants and traders and the Arabian kings and governors. He used the gold to make two hundred large shields, six hundred shekels of gold for each shield. He also made three hundred smaller ones of hammered gold, three minas of gold for each shield, and put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. He made a great throne that no one had made before of gold. His goblets and household articles were made of gold. Nothing was made of silver as it had little value in those days.

Solomon had a fleet of trading ships along with other ships of Hiram. The ships returned every three years with gold, silver, and ivory, apes, and baboons. He became the richest and wisest king on earth. People from all over the world came to listen to him and paid homage to him with silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. His army included fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses that he kept in the chariot cities and Jerusalem. Silver was as common as stones. He had plenty of cedar and sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. He imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and chariots from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and horses for a hundred and fifty each and sold them to the Hittites and Arameans kings for a profit. Wisdom was given to Solomon to build his wealth and support from his subordinates, allies, and even enemies. Wealth or support gained by force will not last but only those gained from wisdom. Trust in the Lord as the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

Solomon's reign illustrates how wisdom and faith in God can lead to prosperity and influence. It suggests that our relationship with God should be evident in our dealings with others, in the way we conduct ourselves, and in the outcomes, we can achieve. When people witness the impact of God's presence in our lives, they are more likely to acknowledge and praise the God who had blessed us and would want to know Him.

Applying these principles can indeed lead to a life that reflects God's glory and draws others to Him. It is also a reminder that our wisdom is not to benefit ourselves but to be used to serve as a testament to the transformative power of faith and draw people to God.

Prayer: Dear God, grant to us your wisdom that can testify to others of Your greatness! As we seek Your wisdom, may it not only benefit us but also serve as a testimony to others of God’s greatness. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.