1 Kings 10:1-9 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
The Epiphany of Our Lord Sunday, January 5, 2025 “See How the LORD Loves Israel”
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” That’s the instruction to the yellow-brick-road travelers who had arrived in Emerald City. Dorothy and her companions were shown a flashy, smokecircled depiction of the great Wizard of Oz. Of course they were impressed, but then the curtain was pulled back, and they realized that it was all show. Everything was an illusion caused and controlled by that man behind the curtain. In our reading from 1 Kings today, we hear about another journey to see something very impressive on the outside. The whole kingdom of Israel gives evidence of being run well, and enjoying great wealth. Its fame had spread far and wide. And the reality was even better than the rumors suggested. What went unseen by many was noticed by this traveler: that there was someone behind the scenes in this instance as well. There was someone behind the curtain. The difference was this was not a disappointment or a letdown. What was behind the curtain was even greater than the wealth, power, and wisdom that was on display. Looking behind the curtain allows us to see how the Lord loves Israel. The traveler in our 1 Kings account is the Queen of Sheba with her entire entourage. We don’t know a whole lot about her for certain. This same account is also found in the book of 2 Chronicles, and Jesus talks about it when he rebukes the Pharisees in Matthew 12. It’s real history, but we don’t know with confidence some of the details that we might be interested in. How long was the journey? What was her name? Scholars have found some intriguing possibilities where other evidence outside of the Bible could match up with the biblical account, but nothing absolute. What we do know is clear from the verses in front of us. Sheba was a rich country to afford sending an entourage laden with gold and spices and precious stones. However long the journey, the Queen made it with camels and men and riches. And why did she come? Because she had heard about Solomon. You might recall that God had blessed Solomon with the opportunity to make any request, and Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God’s people. And that was an amazing request. God spoke highly of Solomon, praising him for not asking selfishly for riches or long life or the death of his enemies. And God promised to not only give Solomon incredible wisdom, but to give him riches and honor as well. The report that the Queen of Sheba heard was evidence that God had kept his promise. In fact, the wealth and wisdom of Solomon was even greater than she had heard. She asked Solomon difficult questions. She watched how his ministers and officials conducted their business and ate their meals. She was impressed to say the least. It took her breath away. She hadn’t even believed what had been reported to her, but on seeing it concluded that she had not even heard half of how impressive these things were. What was even more amazing than what the Queen of Sheba saw, however, was the conclusion she reached. Listen again to her words: “Blessed are your men, blessed are your servants, who stand before you continually hearing your wisdom! May the Lord your God be blessed, who was pleased to put you on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loves Israel forever, he made you king to administer justice and righteousness.” The Lord had allowed the Queen of Sheba a peek behind the curtain. She confessed that what she saw was more than just Solomon’s doing. It was God’s. He wanted his people to have justice and righteousness. He wanted his own name to spread. He wanted his people to serve his purposes. He loved Israel, and so he blessed them with a great king. Too often we settle for what we can see and hear. We look at impressive things like great wealth and success and fame, and that’s what we fixate on. You can look up the richest people in the world. You might even be able to name some of them. And you can be impressed. You can try to find the wisest people in the world, and you can be amazed by what they can explain and describe. But if you stop there, you will be ultimately disappointed. There’s something that happens behind the curtain. There is a spiritual reality. God is the Creator of the Universe, and while he extends his providence over good and