Sermon Central
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The Hunger And The Hunt
Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Nov 13, 2010 (message contributor)
THE HUNGER AND THE HUNT
"She was not beautiful but her eyes were magnificient. They were piercing and caught the light as jade shards and occasionally as she passed into shadows you could catch glimses of the hunger betrayed in the depths of their opalescent gaze.
As the inquisitive marvelled at her entourage, she walked with poise towards the door, her femininity couched in trained self assurance. No-one saw the dissonance of heart and mind as the huge doors opened and she was ushered into his presence.
She entered without hesitation as befitting a queen, her eyes adjusting to the light and her mind alert, enquiring, curious. She thought she heard a voice whisper her name as the doors shut behind her and the muted echo of it's thud sounded within the hall, but surely no-one knew her name here.
It was beautiful, the curtains and tasteful articles of furniture, and as she met his gaze, she could see that her hunt was at an end. She would find the elusive treasure that would satisfy her soul, her mind, her heart?"
Jesus speaks of this visit of the QUEEN OF SHEBA to Solomon's court many years later. He describes her as one who came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. He says that as a result of that visit she will "stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it." He says, "Now someone greater than Solomon is here-but you refuse to listen" (Matthew 12:42 NLT).
I don't know a whole lot about the Queen of Sheba but it seems as if she comes on a QUEST. She has an OVERWHELMING DESIRE to seek spiritual wisdom and her quest for truth leads her to SOLOMON. In 1 Kings 10:1 (NLT) it says "When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, which brought honour to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions."
This isn't just a cursory visit on the way home from a royal holiday. This is an INTENTIONAL SEARCH to discover spiritual reality. She leaves her kingdom responsibilities behind and enters into Solomon's territory and sphere of authority. She comes PERSONALLY and travels a great distance to get there. There is a HUNGER and questioning thirst after the things of God. She is WILLING TO LISTEN. Surely when a woman is willing to listen that says something (and of course when a man listens it is no less amazing).
Jesus says that if I am to discover spiritual wisdom and truth then the queen of Sheba is an example in the INTENTIONALITY of that search. Proverbs 2:2-6 (NLT), written by Solomon, puts it this way "Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT) speaks of our search for God and assures us that "if you SEARCH for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him."
Jesus claims to be GREATER than Solomon. Not only does He HAVE THE TRUTH but He claims to BE THE TRUTH. He says in John 14:6 (NLT) "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." He goes on to say that it is only "...the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth." (John 14:16-17 NLT)
God bless you in your spiritual quest as you search for Him, listen to Him, respond to Him today. Solomon expresses the timeless response of God to your quest in Proverbs 8:17 (NLT) as He speaks to you today "I love all who love Me. Those who search will surely find Me."
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