In the story about Solomon (1 Kings 10) we have the Queen of Sheba travelling to his palace in Jerusalem to see if all she had heard about his wisdom was true.
The record says that she certainly tested his wisdom, but it was “the house he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD” (vv4-6) that left her breathless. Why?
You’ve got to remember that she had come “with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones” (v2). Here was a queen already familiar with wealth, sumptuous food, the organisation of a royal household, the attire of many servants and their service. What was so different about the royal affairs of Solomon?
I believe the answer is tucked away in the way that Solomon went up to the house of the LORD. Solomon’s demeanour when he worshipped God put her in awe of what she was beholding. Here was a man deeply respecting God’s laws and this was a fulfilment of the promise of God:
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth….Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you (Deut. 28:1,10).
The same promise holds true for us today. Under our King Jesus, if we respect God and His statutes, we will be blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
Did you notice that God’s blessings for us in Christ go way beyond physical blessings of wealth and prosperity? Jesus pointed out that all the legendary splendour and wealth of Solomon counted for nothing against a simple lily (Matt. 6:29). It is the eternal blessings of forgiveness and status as sons and daughters of the Living God that set us apart as blessed.
For Solomon and us, our greatest blessing always rests in the presence of God Himself.