The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 205

And yet men will not listen to Him, will not learn of Him. It is said that ninety-five per cent. of our labouring classes do not statcdly e.ttenrl any place of Christian worship. And of those who do, how many do His bidding? In the great 11ssize all these will meet the Queen of the South. She will witness of the journey she took, of the sacrifices she made, of the risks she incurred, to sit at the feet of Solomon. She will tell of Solomon's "ascent," &c., and she will put to shame and everlasting contempt those to whom the words and wisdom, the sacrifice n.nd ascension of the Lord were unholy or indifferent things (Heb. x. 29). And not the Queen of the South alone. The kings of the East, Melchior, Jasper, Balthasar-so tradition calls them-they too came a long journey to see the child Christ. And how many pagans in Africa, in India, in the islands of the sea, have gone long miles just to hear one sermon from the passing missiona.ry ? Will not all these condemn the men of this generation ? III. HER OFFERINGS TO SOLOMON. It was the custom of those days to approach king, seer, &c., with a present (ver. 25; Psa. lxxii. 10; 1 Sam. ix. 7 ; Judg. vi. 18). And she did not come empty. We read of "camels bearing spices," of 120 talents of gold, &c. (ver. 10). Now observe: (1) She gave of what ahe had. Her country produced or imported gold; it produced spices and precious stones (note on ver. 2). Other visitors to Solomon gave garments, horses, &c. (ver. 25). These she had not, but she gave what she could (2 Cor. viii. 12). (2) She gave what Solomon needed. We know how much gold he required; not for the temple only-that was apparently completed-but for his great and varied undertakings. She brought 120 talents of the" gold of Arabia ''-literally the ransom of a province (eh. ix. 14). She brought spices-in ver. 16, we read of " the traffick of the spice merchants "-and precious stones-in 2 Chron. iii. 6 we find that Solomon garnished the house with these. So that, like Hiram, she helped to prepare a. shrine for the Holy One of Israel. (3) She gave generously. Her munificence was UDexampled-11 very much gold" (ver. 2). "There came no more such abundance of spices," &c. (ver. 10). And shall not her gifta, too, condemn our parsimony? For Christ, the Divine Solomon, has need of our spices and silver and gold. He too is building a temple (1 Peter ii. 6). He too plants store cities and treasures in His realm. He would have the whole round world girdled with Christian temples. He would make it oue vast " Paradise" (Eccles. ii. 4, 5). And He needs our agency and our offerings. He wants the perfume of sacrifice on our part (Phil. iv.18; Eph. v. 2; 2 Cor. ii. 15). The Queen of the South did not offer to Solomon of that which cost her nothing. But how seldom is the widow's mite offered to our king. " All these of their abundance have cast in," &c. (Luke xxi. 8). Compared with her gift how miserable are our subscriptions and offertories. Note: There is a striking similarity between her gifts and those of the Magi Both too were offered to a. king. IV. SoLOMON's GIFTS TO BEB. She was not the loser either by her long journey or her costly presents. A prince like Solomon could not perm.it her to make sacri- fice~. Noblesse oblige. His generosity must exceed hers. So he gave her II all her desire,'' "whatsoever she asked" "according to the band of the king" (ver. 18, Heh.) We see here a picture of the recompenses of our God. "According to his riches in glory" (Phil. iv. 19). 11 Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. iii. 20). "Ask and it shall be given you'' (Matt. vii. 7). His gifts too are "according to the hand of a king," and what a king I He oannot remrtia in a.ny man's debt. '' A cup of oold water only" He will abundantly reoompen.se.  208 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ell, X. 1-18°