Historical Books 1 Kings

Jesus is Greater Than Solomon

Discover Jesus as: Something Greater 1 Kings 9-10 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 261 of 730
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INTRO

Yesterday, we talked about Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple. After the prayer, Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep in offering to the Lord. Israel was in a good season of peace.

TEACHING

1 Kings 9:1-9: Solomon had finished the temple, the royal palace, and everything on his to-do list. The Lord appeared to Solomon a second time and instructed Solomon to walk as David had (vv. 2–4). God promised He would establish Solomon’s royal throne over Israel forever as long as Solomon kept His commands, but He would cut off the line if Solomon or his sons turned away from Him (vv. 5–9).

1 Kings 9:10-14: Solomon gave 20 cities in Israel to King Hiram in return for Hiram’s gold, but Hiram was not satisfied with the towns and called them the Land of Cabul (vv. 10–14).

1Kings 9:15–23: The rebuilding of storage cities with forced labor is outlined.

1 Kings 9:24–28: Here is a report some of Solomon’s other activities—his wife moved to his palace, he offered sacrifices on the Lord’s altar three times a year, and he built a fleet of ships. Wiersbe describes Solomon as “a great entrepreneur. He made trade agreements with many nations, built a navy, and hired Hiram’s expert seaman to manage it for him.”1Solomon was an importer of goods, an international figure, and a witness to the Gentiles about his God. He managed a massive budget and possibly even had a zoo (Ecclesiastes 2:4–9).

1 Kings 10:1-22: People throughout the world knew of Solomon. Despite Solomon’s greatness, Jesus said there was “something greater than Solomon” (Matthew 12:42). I want to take the conversation between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba to prove how Jesus is Something Greater. Sheba was located in the Arabian Desert (what is considered Yemen today). The queen would have traveled somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 miles on her journey to Jerusalem.

How is Jesus Something Greater than Solomon?

  • Solomon: The queen heard about Solomon and came to see for herself (v. 1a).

Jesus: The crowds came to Jesus because of who He is and what He was doing (John

12:9, 12).

Solomon: She came to test Solomon with difficult questions (v. 1b).

Jesus: The religious leaders came to test Jesus (Matthew 22:12, 23, 34–35, 46).

Solomon: Nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her (v. 3).

Jesus: Jesus knows all things! (John 16:30; 21:17b)

Solomon: Solomon’s wisdom took her breath away (v. 5).

Jesus: Everyone was in awe and astounded; awestruck (Matthew 9:8; Luke 5:25–26).

Solomon: She didn’t believe what she heard until she came and saw (vv. 6–7a).

Jesus: No eye has seen . . . what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Solomon: Solomon’s wisdom and prosperity far exceeded what she had heard (v. 7b).

Jesus: All wisdom is hidden in Jesus (Isaiah 11:2; Colossians 2:3).

Solomon: Solomon’s servants were happy (v. 8).

Jesus: There will be no more tears/pain (Revelation 21:4).

Solomon: She gave Solomon gifts (v. 10).

Jesus: Wise men brought gifts. Nations will bring wealth to Israel again (Isaiah 60; Matthew 2:11).

Solomon: Solomon granted the queen’s every desire (v. 13).

Jesus: Jesus gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:3; Matthew 21:22).

Solomon: Solomon amassed great wealth (vv. 14–22).

Jesus: All things belong to Jesus and He became poor for our sakes (Psalm 50:10–11; 2 Corinthians 8:9).

1 Kings 10:23-29: Solomon had great wisdom, and everyone in the world wanted to hear his wisdom (v. 24). Kue (v. 28) was probably the city of Que. An inscription found in the 9th century in Asia Minor mentioned the city. This was one of the places from which Solomon obtained horses. His collection of horses brought Solomon perilously close to actually violating the prohibition of acquiring a great number of horses (Deuteronomy 17:16). Solomon had even become a horse trader (v. 29). While Solomon was enormously rich, Jesus’ wealth is greater (Psalm 50:10–11; 2 Corinthians 8:9).

CLOSING

Jesus is Something Greater than Solomon. Jesus is the ultimate King!

Philippians 2:9–11: “For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Revelation 5:12–13: “They said with a loud voice: ‘The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say: Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’”

Through the Queen of Sheba meeting Solomon, it ultimately points to the one who is greater than even Solomon. Jesus is always Something Greater!

  1. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Exposition Bible Commentary: 1 Kings (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2003), pp. 436–437.

Questions

  1. In 1 Kings 9:2, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time. When was the first time and why? (1 Kings 3:5)
  2. In 1 Kings 9:12, why do you think Hiram was not pleased with the cities that Solomon had given him? What does Cabul mean? (1 Kings 9:13)
  3. If Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, why do you suppose he was marrying foreign women and multiplying horses? (Deuteronomy 7:3–4; 17:16–17; 1 Kings 9:16; 10:26)
  4. 1 Kings 10:9 (NKJV) says, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” Is it possible the Queen of Sheba realized through the beauty of all of Solomon’s kingdom that his God was the one true God? (Matthew 12:38–42)
  5. How does Solomon’s earthly kingdom compare to the kingdom of heaven? (1 Kings 10:18–20; Revelation 21:10–21)
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in 1 Kings 9—10 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin 1 Kings 10:6–8a

“She said to the king, ‘The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. How happy are your men.’”

The Temple and King Solomon’s palace were completed and dedicated. Now Solomon grew his kingdom with wisdom from the Lord. He so surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom that the Queen of Sheba came to confirm that what she had heard about King Solomon was true. Solomon’s kingdom took her breath away because, yes, the things she had heard were true. Solomon’s kingdom was great indeed, and even his servants were happy.

What if you received a visit from someone to see if the things said about you were true? Would their visit make you nervous or would you be free to say, “Come on in!”? The Lord desires for you to live your life with integrity and a clear conscience so when a surprise visit happens, your life will reflect the words of your mouth. But what if the “surprise visitor” finds something you’d rather he or she not know about? Take a deep breath. It’s okay. Because someone greater has come since King Solomon—someone named Jesus. Yes, Jesus knows everything about your life. He knows where you struggle, and He is there to walk with you. He loves you through it. When you surrender your life to Christ, He provides the grace you need to press on and keep walking. Rest in His greatness today. There is no reason to strive in your own power for perfection in this world because His grace is great within you!

“She said to the king, ‘The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. How happy are your men.’”

—1 Kings 10:6–8a

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Matthew 12:42 — “The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here!”
  • 2 Corinthians 8:9 — “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.”
  • 1 John 4:4 — “You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”