"What's the Scoop on.....Rahab"

(Editorial note: Last year, the weekly blog post was basically a recap of Tuesday‘s teaching. This year, the weekly column has been more from my perspective on the ‘Woman of the Bible’ taught that day rather than strictly class notes.  Because many of our ‘regulars’ were not able to be here today, I think it would be helpful to give you a recap of the teaching on Rahab rather than my perspective.) 

As we looked at the full account of Rahab, we learned the answer to the following question: ‘What’s faith got to do with it???’ But before addressing this question, we were faced with a more germane one that would be foundational to this account regarding Israel’s conquest of Jericho.  Why were the Israelites attacking Jericho?  Were they just bully’s?  Were they just picking on the inhabitants of this city?

Read Psalm 105:8-11.

"He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.  He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant; ’To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.’”

Consider this time line.

In Genesis 12:2-3, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, promising unconditionally to give a land, a posterity, and spiritual blessing to the patriarch and his descendants. 

In Genesis 13:15, the Lord said he was giving the land to Israel forever!

In Genesis 15:18-21, the boundaries of the land were then given to Abraham.

Lastly in Genesis 17:19-21, God affirmed that the rightful heirs to the promised land were Isaac (Abraham’s son) and his descendents (that would be through Jacob).

Here is a somewhat brief history starting with Jacob.  Jacob had 12 sons and they did, in fact, live in the land that God had given them.  One of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, is kidnapped and brought to Egypt.  Famine comes to the land and Jacob and his family are forced to relocate to Egypt to get food.  It isn’t long after they get into Egypt that Egypt gets into them and they stay.  Fast forward about 400 years and we find the nation of Israel is under intense oppression by the Pharaoh of that time.  The people cry out and God sends a deliverer in Moses.  Moses does deliver them through signs, wonders and the parting of the Red Sea.  They journey to the Promised land, the land that God originally gave them, and they can not enter because of unbelief.  They are forced to wander 40 years in the desert until that generation died out.  Now they are back on the precipice of the Promised land once again prepared to enter the very land that the Lord had given them and they have a new leader, Joshua.  God is giving them their inheritance but they have to fight for it. (A parallel Arlene emphasized….in the same way that the Israelites had to fight to gain what was promised, we are also in a battle. Satan wants to keep us from walking in what God has promised us.)

Looking back at Israel’s history and ahead to Rahab’s story Arlene pointed out there were decisions made that affected the course of events.  The same is true in our own lives today.  She described three resources that we too may lean on to make these decisions through this biblical account.  

1) Our confidence in making decisions can be influenced by what we see around us. 

We are introduced to Rahab in Joshua 2.  In this passage Joshua sends two spies into Jericho to get a clear picture of what they would face as they attacked the city.  Before attacking Jericho, Joshua would need to have complete intel about this fortress – it’s gates, fortified towers, military force and the morale of the people.  Surrounding Jericho were two parallel walls that were each five feet thick, 12-17 feet high with a ditch surrounding them 27 feet wide and 9 feet deep.  It would seem to anyone living within the confines of those walls that they were safe.  But listen to Rahab’s declaration to the two spies. "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you….. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:9,11). Despite the strong fortress of Jericho, she is not moved by what she sees. 

Arlene asked us what is it that we see around us in our lives today that may influence our decisions.  A few of the things might be: the strength of our country, our bank accounts, our health, our educations, or maybe what everyone else is doing.  Where do we put our confidence?

2) Our confidence in making decisions can be influenced by looking at ourselves.

As you might recall, Joshua 2 is not the first time that spies were sent into the Promised Land.  In Numbers 13 we read, “The LORD said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders." So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites” (Numbers 13:1-3).   Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua came back with a favorable report.  “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it”“(Numbers 13:30).  

The other 10 spies spread a bad report – one filled with fear. “But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them”  (Numbers 30:31-33, emphasis mine).

“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” ?   Really?  They looked like grasshoppers to them.  Who told them that?  Arlene pointed out that we tend to think other people see us the way that we see ourselves.  If I think a certain way about myself, I perceive that that is probably the way everyone else sees it as well.  The ten spies were dealing with the one thing, that all of us face, that was going to keep them from their inheritance…insecurities.  Arlene spoke about ‘trash talk’ – this is how we talk to ourselves about ourselves (i.e. ‘you’re weak, you’re going to blow it’).  Satan can also use trash talk by putting thoughts in our head that prey on our insecurities.  Satan knows the very things that will trip our insecurity button and he isn’t bashful about filling our heads with them.  Arlene gave us several reasons why it is imperative that we deal with our insecurities:

A) We make bad decisions based on them.  How many bad decisions did we make in our pasts that were driven along by our own insecurities?  It keeps the focus on us and our weaknesses instead of on the greatness of God.

B)  Our insecurities affect others. In Numbers 14:1-4 we see that these insecurities caused them to dissuade all the Israelites from entering in.  Commentators tell us that the Israelite population had swollen to roughly a million strong at this point.  That is some hefty negative influence. 

C) The promised land is an Old Testament picture of what is often referred to as the abundant life in our New Testament theology. These insecurities will keep us from the abundant life God has for us.  Arlene described this life as one meant to be lived to the full…a life devoted to God and overflowing with the power of His presence.   It is our natural life with a spiritual component added to it. 

  

D) Lastly, and probably the most sobering reason to deal with our insecurities, is that God does not take them lightly. They are not an excuse for unbelief.  “Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times-- not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Numbers 14:22-23).

Going back to the story of Rahab, she certainly did not let her insecurities get in the way of her actions. 

3) Our confidence in making decisions can rest on God.

This is the place where we all want to be. Clearly Rahab’s confidence was in the Lord. “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient” (Heb. 11:31).  ‘By faith’ – believing that the God of the Israelites was God Almighty – she hid the spies and directed their escape route for the promise of deliverance for her and her entire family.  Her focus was on who God was and not on who she wasn’t.  She says in Joshua 2:9a, “I know that the LORD has given this land to you”.

In Hebrews 11:31 ‘by faith’ is contrasted with ‘disobedience’.   Arlene brought us to Hebrews 3:12-19 to clarify what is meant by ‘disobedience’ regarding the Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt.  God calls an unbelieving heart ‘sinful’.  “And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed.  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief” (Hebrews 3:18-19).

While the people of Jericho were looking to their own defenses, here is a youtube clip that Arlene played that portrays what Rahab was looking at.  Take a moment to watch it.  While they were like the baby bear looking at the mountain lion, Rahab had her eyes fixed on momma bear. 

Arlene pointed out that our actions will reflect what we believe.  Rahab’s actions were the proof of her faith.  “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:25-26).  Arlene gave us six evidences of Rahab’s faith: she hid the spies and lied for them, she gave them good ‘intel’, she verbalized her faith (Joshua 2:9a), she put out the scarlet cord, she had her family join her, and finally she aligned herself with Israel.

The final outcome of Rahab’s actions are found in Joshua 6.  “Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day” (Joshua 6:22-25).

Arlene pointed out the following verse in regard to Rahab: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6).  She asked the class how Rahab was rewarded.  The answer can be found in Matthew 1:5a “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab”.  The family of Rahab was saved and grafted into the Israelite community. She was the grandmother of King David and the ancestor of Jesus.

Arlene closed by asking us if it was ok for Joshua to send the two spies into Jericho.  Was Joshua acting in unbelief by sending them to scout out the situation?  After all, God didn’t tell him to do that as He had in the first account under Moses’ leadership.  So what gives?  If we are learning about faith and God’s word is consistent why didn’t God deal with Joshua the way that He dealt with the first group? 

Could it be that God saw the heart of one woman who given the opportunity would follow God with everything that she had?  Could it be that God sent the spies into Jericho whose sole purpose was really to rescue this one woman and her family?  Would God really do that?   While the spies were seemingly sent to secure valuable information regarding the city’s fortifications, in God’s mysterious ways maybe they were sent to rescue a sinful woman who had a heart of faith. How awesome is that!!  Consider the lengths that God would go to rescue one woman today who would have the courage enough to believe Him.

Arlene concluded her lesson by asking us if we have the faith to believe God in whatever our current situation might be.  She also pointed out that sometimes God is asking us to do something and sometimes He is asking us not to do something but to just trust Him.  Each one of us has something that we need to believe God for and we were each given a scarlet cord to tie around our wrist to a remind us that faith has EVERYTHING to do with it.  Will you do the same?

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:11-12).

The God of My Choices

By Cinda Adams Gaskin
After reading about Lot’s wife in Genesis 19, it was clear to me that the reason she turned into a pillar of salt was simple—she disobeyed God. And, since it’s always easier to see someone else’s shortcomings, reading about her this time was pretty much like all the other times—except for one new twist. God seemed to be highlighting, underscoring, and putting a bull’s eye on top of my own relationship to the word obedience.

In the past I had been completely capable of letting those pricks and twinges that this word evoked in my heart pass, like a mild case of indigestion. This time, though, the Lord wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily. I couldn’t get the picture of Lot’s wife frozen as a pillar of salt out of my head. For about a week after reading the account, Lot’s wife stood before me as a timeless cautionary tale of what I was not to do when God speaks clearly to me concerning obedience.

What had made the word obedience so unsettling to me was its inherent air of dominance. I mean, really, a 21st century woman does not willingly take orders that come packaged as “musts” too easily. It’s too much like a threat, which we highly personally-developed, professional, and well-read women don’t stand for. Not one bit. Perhaps that was how Lot’s wife felt. No, she wasn’t a 21st century woman, but even in her day, would she allow herself to be told what she could or couldn’t do? Not likely. And even though I saw the similarities between my own stiff-necked disobedience and Lot’s wife, I still felt that she was somehow more disobedient than I had been—as if disobedience comes in degrees.

And, since I was keenly aware that a public admission to my Christian friends that I choked hard on the word obedience would hurt my alpha woman status, I simply kept it to myself. But, God knew my heart. And, of course, He knew that I was in desperate need of a triple bypass regarding my secret aversion to obedience.

First Bypass

The first step God led me through toward transforming this blockage in my heart was to show me how smug I had become about judging Lot’s wife. I mean, for goodness sake, why couldn’t she have simply listened to the angels and not looked back? That seemed like an easy enough request. Her choice to look back or not didn’t come close to half the things I had struggled with in obeying God over the years. Something like tithing, and I’m talking cheerful, full-on 10 percent tithing, had to be much harder than not looking back at two burning cities! And refraining from willful sins and not forgiving others were the biggies, right? All Lot’s wife had to do was to not look back. How could she have messed that one up? But, while I arrogantly measured my really “tough” struggles with obedience against what seemed like the easiest choice in the world for Lot’s wife, the Holy Spirit brought me face-to-face with His truth.

I suddenly became profoundly aware of how much God has to say about obedience in His Word. Scriptures on obedience began chiming in my mind. Specifically, the Scripture in I Samuel 15:22, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry” began repeatedly ringing, clanging, and eventually gonging within my heart.

Second Bypass

Next, the Lord led me to move beyond the painful acknowledgement of my distance from the word obedience, towards action. I considered what it would be like to actually turn the reins of my life over to Him. Could I fully obey God to the point of giving every area of my life over to Him? Well, by now my heart was tenderized enough to begin slowly yielding some of my most difficult issues to Him. And, one-by-one, I relinquished all the previous justifications and rationalizations I had used for my disobedience.

I used to believe that obedience was an Old Testament model that only radically legalistic Christians fully adhered to. But, Lot’s wife—Old Testament figure that she is—was the tool God used to bring my free-willed New Testament heart into alignment with God’s desires.

I wondered, ‘What made her look back? What was so important to her that she willfully chose that thing over doing what God said to do?’ Was she looking back at the loss of her possessions, her status, her recreational activities, and her friends? As I pondered these questions, I realized that my own concerns about losing these things were the same reasons I disobeyed God. My heart began to break as I remembered all the times I chose disobedience over honoring God because obedience would have meant giving up a prized possession, jeopardizing what I perceived as an important status, changing my recreational habits, or having my friends ridicule me about my new choice.

Ultimately, I made the choice to obey God and much to my stunning surprise I didn’t lose a thing! In fact, I gained so much from obedience that the choice to disobey Him—with all the pain, fear, and distance from God those choices had cost me—seemed utterly ridiculous.

Third Bypass

In the final analysis, what I learned was that obedience is not some Old Testament, do or die, ego-assaulting, gloom and doom concept that I previously thought it to be. Allowing God to become the God of my choices has given me peace—freedom from fear because I know that I can trust God’s choices for my life so much more than I can trust my own. Handing the reins of my life over to the Lord has given me joy—that inner ‘Hallelujah!’ that expresses my unbridled happiness of knowing that my life pleases Him. Finally, giving God full rights and the title deed to my choices has caused my journey with Him to become a wonderful adventure of sonship—actually, “daughter-ship” in my case— that has beautifully crystallized His Lordship over my life. And for that I can rejoice without even one grain of salt.

“What’s the Scoop on…….Jael”

A few weeks ago we were first introduced to Jael as we studied Deborah (see "What's the Scoop on Deborah").  You might remember that Deborah was a judge of Israel – a woman of godly influence.   Today Jan gave us ‘the rest of the story’ that began with Deborah.  It ends with Jael - a woman available for the Lord’s use. And what a story it is!!  

Here is the recap.  Deborah was the civil Judge of Israel when the nation was being oppressed by the Canaanites.  King Jabin of Hazor ruled the Canaanites and Sisera was the commander of his armies.   After 20 years of oppression the Israelites called out to the Lord for help.   He raised up Deborah and Barack. 

Deborah was the civil leader of Israel as well as a prophet of the Lord. Barak was the military commander of the Israelite forces.  He insisted that Deborah accompany him to the battle.  "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh”  (Judges 4:9). The Canaanite forces were subsequently destroyed except for Sisera.  He fled and sought refuge in the tent of Jael.  

According to Judges 4: 17b Sisera went to Jael “because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite”.   As Sisera expected, Jael opened her tent to him with hospitality and safety. “But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died” (Judges 4:21).

As women, we are sometimes critical of other women.  From our 21^st century perspective Jael’s actions were barbaric.  I admit in our group discussion we spent some time critiquing Jael’s perceived faults, we couldn’t understand why she did what she did. After doing a little research while writing this post, I saw Jael’s actions from a different perspective. 

As a group, we were assuming that Jael worked against her husband’s wishes. This was probably not true.  There is something important to consider regarding Jael’s loyalties. Her husband, Herber, was a descendant of Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law).  Although their clan was not of Hebrew descent they did have ties to the Israelites.

We don’t know the exact reasons behind Jael’s actions from what re read in Scripture. It does seem that she was confident in her relationship with her husband.  She was also able to act decisively in Heber’s absence.  According to ‘Every Woman of the Bible’ (Richards, 1999) Jael’s actions pointed to the fact that she was not just a possession of her husband (which was how women of the times were viewed) but as a participant in their marriage.  It goes on to say that Herber trusted Jael to act in his absence and she trusted him not to be angry or change her decision. This reminded me of Proverbs 31:11-12, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

Based on scripture, Jael’s actions were clearly God’s will.  When Deborah initially told Barak what he must do, he objected yet Jael acted.  Back in Judges 4:9, Deborah prophesies that the victory would go to a woman. Something  was pointed out to me about Jael that I hadn’t considered. Not only was Jael a woman – she was also a pagan. How awesome it is that God will use any person who makes herself available to him! Chapter 5 of Judges is a song that both Deborah and Barak sang after the victory:  “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women” (Judges 5:24).  If God is calling her ‘blessed’, then so she is!  That is how God wants us to remember her!

A word that kept coming to my mind as I studied Jael was ‘complacent’ because this was so opposite of her actions.  Jael lived in a time of warfare.  She acted courageously. She used the skills she had to accomplish the will of the Lord and is celebrated because of that.  What about us?  We are in a battle. Many of us are dealing with serious issues that threaten our families and our faith.

I wonder if these very issues were wrought from our own bent towards complacency.  I can’t help but think what a difference we might make for the Kingdom of God if we would collectively and individually arise from that complacency and take a stand.  I wonder how God would respond.  As Jael had opportunity to make a difference, I pray that God would give us courage to take a stand against the oppression that surrounds us as well.     

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6).

 

I Serve the King's Pleasure

The drama was at its peak. The suspense was thick in the air. How would the Marcher lord respond?
The setting is roughly around the year 1211. King John of England has just declared his intention of invading Wales to take over the Northern territory of Gwynedd. Several Marcher lords (strong and trusted noblemen appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales) were present and reeling from the shock. One of the more courageous lords pointed out the enormity of what King John was proposing with an impassioned plea for reason.

This invasion wouldn’t seem overly ambitious were it not for three things. The man that they chose to challenge on the other side of that border, Llewelyn ab Iowerth, Prince of Gwynedd, was an unusual and ambitious man who was as brave as he was intelligent. A formidable adversary.

In addition, wars with the Welsh, from the English stand point, had never been profitable. They were usually long and drawn out filled with bloodshed and brutality. The Welsh were men who knew how to use their terrain to their advantage by hiding in the crevices of rocks and disappearing into the foliage not unlike illusive spirits in the night. The use of ambushes and surprise attacks often left them the victor in battle.

Lastly, King John’s daughter was Llewelyn’s wife. Surely the King could see the irrationality of such a venture. It bordered on insanity and would produce nothing but bloody carnage, insurmountable expense and alienation from the daughter that King John loved. This couldn’t be what the King was asking.

After the March lord finished voicing his concerns, the King challenged him with a subtle yet imposing question. “If I were to order you, would you beg off from you duty?”

Filled with terror knowing full well the ramifications of how an ill conjured response could amount to a charge of treason, he replied;

“I serve the King’s pleasure. As your Grace commands, I obey?”

That response pricked my heart to its very core. The marcher lord’s devotion and commitment to the King’s service was radical by today’s standards. His charge was to follow the King’s orders even though the outcome whispered inevitable defeat if not death. In the King’s service he would readily lay down his life.

“I serve the King’s pleasure. As your Grace commands, I obey?”

Weighty words and ones that challenged my own royal dedication. The Bible is filled with imagery of kingship and service but against the backdrop of today’s culture we lose sight of the potency of that imagery. While we greedily grasp the concept of kingship when we set our sights on the richness and pageantry that is the accepted portrayal of royalty, we overlook the less attractive aspects that go hand in hand with this privilege. We find, however, one verse in scripture clearly brings everything into balance.

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabah. But David remained in Jerusalem.”
                                    2 Samuel 11:1

This is the opening verse of the account of David and Bathsheba. David decided not to accompany his men into battle and the result was devastating for him. He fell into temptation with another man’s wife and she became pregnant. To cover up his sin, he arranged to have Bathsheba’s husband put into such a dangerous situation that he would be sure to lose his life. He did. Most commentators agree, if David had been doing what a king should have been doing, this event might not have occurred nor all the turmoil that followed it.

We find in scripture, part and parcel with kingship was warfare and it was waged to protect what was given to them by God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites inheritance was represented as land. As New Testament Christians we have been given a spiritual inheritance. It is as rich and majestic as any physical kingdom filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The enemy is forever trying to kill, steal and destroy that very inheritance that Christ died for us to have. While they had physical battles with territories to conquer, we have spiritual battles that need vanquishing.

Our King Jesus, was willing to give His life for us. He asks us to lay down our lives for Him. The apostle Paul understood this kind of following when he wrote to the Philippian church from a Roman prison “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21). Paul also used battle imagery when instructing Timothy in his second letter to him. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.” (2 Tim 2:3-4)

What have you gone to war against that you know is part of your inheritance in Christ? Are you fighting for you family? Are you fighting for your community, state or country? Are you determined to live for Christ? Are your priorities His? Are you taking your orders from your commanding officer? Have you joined Him in the battle? If you haven’t, I encourage you to take a look at your King. He is suited up, armed and ready to fight. Are you ready to join Him?

"There is a war going on. All talk of a Christian’s right to live luxuriously “as a child of the King” in this atmosphere sound hollow – especially since the King himself is stripped for battle."                                                                                                          John Piper

"What's the Scoop on.......The Queen of Sheba"

Today Janet taught on the Queen of Sheba.  So exactly who was the Queen of Sheba? One of my very dear sisters had frank reply to the question. To paraphrase my friend, "I don’t know who she was but as a child I must have been having an identity crisis as my mom asked me “Who do you think you are….the Queen of Sheba??” Funny – I think my mother had said the same thing to me!

Very little is actually known about this woman – not even her name.  According to some of the sources I looked at, she was probably a queen in Arabia – possibly Ethiopia or Yemen.  What we do know about her can be found in 1 Kings 10. The bible says that she was exceedingly wealthy.  It also says that  she had heard about King Solomon of Israel.  “When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. She wanted to see for herself if what was being said about him was true” (1 Kings 10:1).  Janet pointed out that this queen traveled a great distance to attain something she desired. 

  

But what was it she actually desired? The queen had brought King Solomon extravagant gifts – the worth of which is probably beyond our comprehension.  I don't think that she was seeking Solomon for a physical blessing.  He had something that she did not. The bible says in 1 Kings 4:34 “Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom” .

Something that caught my attention in the above verse was that she and other kings had heard about Solomon.  Solomon had a reputation.  There are quite a few references to this is in 1 Kings: “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice” (1 Kings 3:28), and  “Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:30).

Solomon was a man of influence because of the wisdom he possessed. In our bible study this year a recurring theme has been ‘influence’. If you remember, we ARE women of influence.  We have a choice of the kind of influence we are going to be.  A woman with the reputation of godly wisdom….that is something we all want to be!

I am sure that there are volumes written on the subject of wisdom. The bible has an entire book, Proverbs, dedicated to this very subject (written primarily by King Solomon) not to mention 100’s of verses that speak of it!   A blog entry can certainly not do this subject justice.  As I was reading these passages I saw three basic things that I thought might help us in becoming women of wisdom.

1)   Fear of the Lord:  “And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding (Job 28:28)’”. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding “ (Proverbs 9:10).  The ‘fear’ in these passages does not mean being afraid. It means to have reverence and awe for the Lord God Almighty.

2)   Ask for it:  Solomon asks of God “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.  So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,  I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart” (1 Kings 3:9-12a). In James we also see the precedent for asking for wisdom:  “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

3)   Study God’s Word:  “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple,  knowledge and discernment to the young” (Proverbs 1:1-4, NLT).  As I have heard many times, God’s word is like a manual on how God wants us to live. If we want to know what pleases God and what is best for us we need to know what God says.

  

There is something important that we don’t want to miss about the queen of Sheba.  She realized that the wisdom Solomon possessed was not of himself. “Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9). The queen recognized that what Solomon had was from God. Going back to 1 Kings 10:10a, we also see this “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,”. She was probably a pagan queen, from a pagan land…..yet she saw God in Solomon.  And is that not the point? To make God recognizable to the world around us. Halleluiah!