May the mumbling commence!
There is nothing like sitting and learning at the feet of the wise. At one time, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and neglected for a time to fulfill her role in society. When her sister Martha complained, Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen what was best and that would not be taken from her. Well, today’s reading from the chronological Bible tells of another woman who traveled a great distance to sit at the feet of another wise man. The Queen of Sheba traveled to sit at the feet of King Solomon. I marvel at what she learned. Read from 2 Chronicles 9:5-8 –
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness."
Indeed, seeing is believing. How wonderful it must have been for the Queen of Sheba to have her high hopes exceeded! High hopes being exceeded is the way of God. The Lord will grant us promises far beyond our dreams and imaginings. Our expectations are not even half the reality of the Lord’s love, mercy, grace, and care for us.
So I ask myself (and you ask yourself) – Am I happy? The Queen of Sheba would think it a crime if we were not. Let us learn to be happy in the Lord. Our hopes, too, will be exceeded.
Look at what the Queen of Sheba learned about the Lord through her interactions with King Solomon. She learned that the throne of Israel belonged first and foremost to the Lord. (This seemingly slight pronoun change from the 1 Kings’ witness speaks volumes.) She learned that the love of God made it possible for Solomon to obtain so much wisdom. And she learned that this wisdom and the throne of Israel were granted to Solomon for a purpose – to maintain justice and righteousness. With information comes great power. Wisdom takes root in information when information is used to establish and maintain justice and righteousness.
I find wisdom in the uses that King Solomon put the algumwood he received. Read the parenthetical comment from 2 Chronicles 9:10-11 –
(The men of Hiram and the men of Solomon brought gold from Ophir; they also brought algumwood and precious stones. The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)
Algumwood was used to make steps for the temple of the Lord, and algumwood was used to make harps and lyres for the musicians. How do we mount up to the presence of the Lord? We mount up through the steps of music. Indeed, nothing like them had been seen (or heard) in Judah nor has anything been seen (or heard) since. Think about it. When the right hymn is chosen for the right situation, we are taken directly into the Lord’s presence. Think of the chills and anticipation you have felt in worship. I am convinced that when music and worship dovetail together well we get a tiny foretaste of what heaven will be like – less than half of the awesome reality I am sure.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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