11(1Kings 10)A Greater Than Solomon is Here

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A greater than solomon is here

Matthew 12:42; i kings 10:1-5

Take you bibles and turn with me to matthew 12 and look with me in verse 42. Because i want to continue in theme of what we have been doing, and that is to give honor to our dear savior, for who's glory and in who's name this house has been built. Now the lord jesus was facing, on a certain day, some enemies. They were scribes and pharisees. They had questioned him. They had castigated him. They had interrogated him. They had picked at him. They were saying, give us a sign. Prove yourself to us. And the lord said a remarkable thing to them, in matthew 12 and verse 42, look at it. The lord said, "the queen of the south shall rise in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of solomon, and behold a greater than solomon ts here." now, solomon was the greatest builder isreal had ever known. And dwelt with more wealth and more power and more affluence and more presttge, than any other ruler. Now here was the lord jesus, a peasant prophet. And the lord jesus was saying to them, if you only knew ha ha ha, a greater than solomon is right here in your midst. And the queen of sheba, why she came all the way from the uttermost part of the earth. Bible scholars believe that was somewhere around ethiopia. She came all the way to jerusalem to learn of the wisdom of solomon. And jesus said, if you don't get right with me, hara, she's gonna rise up in the judgement and condemn you because a greater than solomon is here. Now, can you imagine what must have gone through thelr minds, when he said that? Haha! They said, 'why solomon was a king's son, you're but a peasant's son, a carpenter's son. Solomon was born in a palace. You were born in a stable. Solomon was born in mighty magnificent jerusalem. You were born in little bethlehem. Why solomon had thousands of servants. You don't have any. Solomon wore his kingly robe. You have just a seamless garment. Why solomon drank from vessels of gold. Hahaha! You have to get a drink from a harlot woman. You didn't even have anything to draw water out of the well with. Solomon was rich. You are a peasant and a pauper. Solomon had armies. You have a few stragglers following you around. Solomon built great cities. You're a carpenter. You build plows and chairs. Solomon lived in a palace. You don't have anywhere to lay you head. Why solomon had fourteen hundred chariots, twelve-hundred horsemen, forty-thousand stall of horses, and when solomon rode forth he rode in comfort. You ride a donkey, if you're not walking. Why solomon ate with the queen of sheba and you eat with publicans and sinners. And you have the nerve the audacity to say a greater than solomon is here?' friend i want to tell you six ways, very quickly, that jesus is greater than solomon. Now if you want to find the story of the visit of the queen of sheba, turn with me to i kings 10 in the bible. I kings 10, and i want you to see what the queen of sheba saw when she came to meet solomon. The very first thing she saw was the wisdom of solomon, but the wisdom of jesus is greater. Now watch this, i kings 10:1, "and when the queen of sheba heard of the fame of solomon, concerning the name of the lord, she came to prove him with hard questions." she said, i'll bring every cunnundrum, every enigma, every question, every riddle i 'll find out just how intelligent he is."and she came to jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bear spices and very much cold and precious stones. And when she was come to solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And solomon told her all her questions. There was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of sheba had seen all solomon's wisdom..." and so forth. She saw his wisdom. Why the bible tells us in i kings 4:31, "...that solomon was wiser than all men..." he had incredible wisdom. To know how much wisdom solomon had, all you have to do is read the book of proverbs. One of 14y favorite books in the bible. That was written primarily by solomon. Did you know it is said that solomon had memorized three thousand proverbs and choir he had memorized fifteen-hundred songs. This man had an incredible mind. For example he knew all about creation. I kings 4:33, the bible says, "he spoke of trees from the cedar tree that is in lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. He spoke of beasts and of foul, creeping things and of the fishes." i mean here was a man, who knew biology. He knew all of these things. He knew botany. Hahaha! But oh my dear friend, everything he that he knew about creation, jesus in his wisdom had created. All things were made by jesus, and without him was not anything made that was made. Solomon knew about all of the ways of the fish that verse tells us. He knew about fishing, but the lord jesus on a certain day caused some fish to swim in a net. There was so many fish in that net that he almost two boats. Why solomon knew all about hydrology and the wind cycles, but the lord jesus christ spoke to the winds and calmed the storms and made that raging sea like a moonlit pond on a on a uh mill pond in a spring evening. Listen, the lord jesus is so much greater than solomon in wisdom. You know what solomon said about all of his wisdom after a while? Solomon looked back on all that he knew and he said in ecclesiastes i and verse 17, "and i gave my heart to know wisdom and behold, it's all vexation of spirit." it's all just splendid nothingness. Solomon said it could not satisfy. Solomon knew dear friend, that you can have a full head and still have an empty heart. He said it's just it's just vexation. It's just vanity. "all of this that i know.." because let me tell you something friend, the man that really knows, knows that he doesn't know. Did you know that? The man that really knows, knows that he doesn't know! The more a han learns, the more he discovers what he doesn't know. Who was the most brilliant man of all time. Well, you"d say einstein said in 1955, before he died? He said i feel like a man chained; if i could only be free from the shackles of my intellectual smallness, then i could understand the universe in which i live. Mr. Einstein, the answer to the universe tn which you live is the one who made it, the lord jesus christ. And the bible says, "the wisdom of god is in christ" and the bible says in i corinthians 1:30, "that of him are ye in christ jesus, who is made unto us wisdom" and ephesians 1:8, "he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom" now, we've got some learned people here today. We have some doctors and some philosophers and some scientists, and thank god for your wisdom. Thank god for your knowledge, but i want to tell you that at a greater than you is here! His name is jesus! And if you know all about biology and the study of life, and you don't know jesus, the giver of life; you"re still ignorant. If you all about botany and the study of flowers and you don't know jesus; sharon's sweetest rose, my dear friend you're still ignorant. If you know all about geology and the ages of stones, and you don't know jesus, the rock of ages, my dear friend, i want to tell you - you still have so much to learn. Solomon knew all of that and he said, 'all of this is just vanity to me.' that there is one who's mind is greater than all and his name is jesus, and he says to you, with the wisdom that really counts,"if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of god and it shall be given him liberally." oh my df-ar friend, jesus is greater than solomon in wisdom but i'll tell you something else she saw. Not only did she see the wisdom of solomon, she saw the works of solomon. She saw his workmanship. Continue to read. Look if you will in verse 4, "and when the queen of sheba had seen all solomon's and and the house that he had built,..." you see that in verse 4? He built a house. Now this speaks of his palace. It was an incredible building. If you want to read about that house, put this in your margin right by that verse, i kings 7:2-12. Read about it. It defies description. I want all you architects to read that. Solomon built a home. He prepared a house, but i want to tell you my dear savior, the lord jesus christ has prepared a better house. You read there in the gospel of john 14:1, jesus said, "let not your heart be troubled, you believe in god, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions, if it were not so i would've told you. I go and prepare a place for you, and if i go prepare a place for you, i will come again and receive you unto myself, that where i am there you may be also." in my father's house. Dear friend, there is glory there is joy. But not only had solomon built a house, but solomon had also set a table. Look if you will in verse 5, "and the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup bearers! Oh she saw this, not only did she see the palace that he lived in. Oh oh, he set a table, so magnificent, so scrumptious, so delectable; but jesus said, "greater than solomon is here." my dear friend, solomon could set that table, but i tell you something solomon couldn't do. Solomon couldn't feed five-thousand with two fish and five loaves. I'll tell you something else solomon couldn't do. Solomon could not turn plain water into sparkling wine. And i'll tell you something else that he couldn't do. Even if he could have, dear friend he could never have satisfied the hunger in this heart. Only jesus could do that! With the bread if life. And the water of life. "a greater that solomon is here." and not only dear friend, did she see the palace that he built, not only did she see that table that he set. Oh, but she saw the temple that he had erected. Look if you will again in verse five. Look at it! And the bible says, "he went up into the house of the lord." now, solomon built a temple that was beyond compare. Now you think, you men, some of the men worked building are here today and thank you gentlemen; but i want to tell you when solomon's temple was built, it took a hundred and eighty three thousand six hundred workers. They labored for seven and a half years. King david had gathered gold, silver, brass and precious stones, and god himself was the architect; i chronicles 28 and verse 12 says that god himself gave the plans for that temple. The temple faced the east. It set there on mount uh mount moriah and when the sun would come up over the mount of olives, the entire face of that temple was plated with gold. Josephues said it stood there on the mount of the temple mount it stood there like a mountain of snow. That glorious, beautiful temple. Do you know when they dedicated that temple, dear friend? They had a seven day feast. Four thousand ushers served. There were four thousand in the orchestra, a great choir of levites were singing. And the bible says, "the glory of god filled the temple..." but are you listening to me? "a greater than solomon is here." the bible says, "what, know ye not trat your body ts the temple of the holy ghost, which you have of god?" solomon built a temple for the people, but jesus has a people for his temple. Jesus lives in us. What solomon built is gone. And this building, it's only a matter of time and it will be rubble. But i'll tell you what jesus christ has done in me will be leaping and danctng and praising god for all eternity. We are the temple of god, the temple that jesus has built. I'll tell you friend, "a greater than solomon is here." i thank god for it. I'll tell you a third thing tiiat she saw. Not only did she see the wisdom of solomon, and not only did she see the workmanship of solomon, but she saw the worship of solomon. Look if you will in the last part of verse five. The bible says, "she saw the ascent, by while he went up into the tiouse of the lord." now, the word ascent here may be translated, burnt offering. Because when solomon went to worship god, he dare not come into the presence of god without an offering in his hand. Let me tell you the kind of an offering that he made, when he dedicated the temple. Ii chronicles 7:5, "and king solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen. Think of it twenty-two thousand oxen, that' would be like burning twenty-two thousand cadillacs today."and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep, so the king and all the people dedicated the house of the lord." but my dear friend, all of that blood on jewish altars slain can never wash away sin. Listen to hebrews 10:4, "for it ts not possible, that the blood of bulls and goat should take away sins." then listen to hebrews 10:12, "but thts man jesus, after he hath offereth one sacrifice of sins forever, set sown at the right hand of god." solomon may have made a gate great sacrifice, but my dear friend, he never made a sacrifice that would compare with uthat one trat day on dark calvary. When the lord jesus laid out his precious blood for you and for me, and i tell you that, "a greater that solomon is here," in worship, thank you lord jesus for what you've done. Not all the blood of beast on jewish altar, slain could give the conscious peace or wash away that stain. But thank god the blood of jesus christ, god's son cleanseth us hallelujah from all sin, every stain, every blur, every blent, uh every blemish ts gone; whiter tran snow in the blood of jesus. I'll tell you a fourth thing that she saw. Not only dld she see his wisdom, not only did she see his work, not only did she see his worship, but i'll tell you what else she saw. She saw his wealth. Look if you will in verse 7, chapter 10:7, she said, "when i heard of all of this,..." but then in verse seven she says, "...however, i believed not the words until i came and my eyes had seen it and behold, the half was never told me. Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which i heard." now she saw his wealth, his prosperity. Probably there was never ever a king as wealthy as king solomon. Ha ha ha! Oh king tutt, t've seen what klng tutt did, but i want to tell you dear friend that old king tutt and what he did would ur would shrivel in comparison to what uh solomon did. And yet jesus, speaking of all of the wealth of solomon, ha ra! Said listen, "a greater than solomon is here." and do you know why? Why solomon had gold and silver, but the bible says in psalms 24:21, "the earth is the lord's. The earth is the lord's. And the fullness thereof."all of the cattle on a thousand hills, and the gold and silver, and the rubies and the diamonds, and every star belongs to the lord jesus christ. Incredibly wealthy. Now verse 10 tells us that the queen of sheba, ... Just came and she began to unload gifts on solomon. And she gave him silver and she gave him gold and she gave him spices, she gave him this and that. Incredible gtfts, but let me tell you about the lord jesus christ. Dear friend, while the queen of sheba gave gifts to solomon, jesus ras people who give him their lives. I mean i have given my life to jesus. I want to tell you dear friend that jesus is more than all this world to me, and i iiave given him my life and my all and want to give more and more, day by day, to the lord jesus christ. And i want to say with the hymnist, love so amazing so divine demands my life my soul my all. Jesus is worth it. When solomon died he didn't leave me anything. But i'm an heir of god, and a joint heir with the lord jesus christ. I want to mention a fifth thing, tliat uh the queen of sheba saw when she came. Not only did she see the wealth of solomon, she saw his workers. Look if you will in verse 8 of this chapter. She gets around and she everybody that day, and they look so happy. There are smiles on every fage. Everybody is up. And this is what she says, "happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, that hear thou wisdom." why she said, 'solomon, these people that work for you, they're so happy.' and that must have been true. How would you like to serve in the court of the wealthtest and the wised king that ever lived? But my dear frtend, "a greater than solomon is here." because of the workers of the lord jesus christ,the workers who built this building, the workers who win souls, the workers in the choir, the workers in the orchestra; not only are there people who would live for jesus, but dear friend this building is for the people who would die for the lord jesus christ. They have given him all, and you talk about joy, the workers of solomon may have found happiness, but jesus gives joy unspeakable and full of glory. I thank god i know the lord jesus christ. I thank god i've been saved. I thank god i can serve him; that i have a purpose in life, that ts steadfast and sure. Thank you lord jesus. Jesus' workers are greater that number. There are millions around the world. Greater in joy, greater in sacrifice. Thank god for it. Now, let me just tell you the last thing that makes jesus greater than solomon. Not only are his workers greater, but my dear friend his worth - his worth is greater. His worthiness. Look of you will in chapter 10 verse 9. "the queen of sheba looked and she saw everything..." she says there's only way to explain it, "...god is upon you.." and she said, " ..blessed be the lord thy god, 'which delighteth in thee to set thee on the throne of israel. Because the lord loved israel forever, therefore made he thee king to do judgement and justice." what a throne it was that he set upon our oh dear friend, you want to see a description of that throne, just go on to verse 18. Look at it. "moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps and the top of the throne was round behind. And there were stays on either side on the place of the seat. And two lions stood before the stays and twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other, upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom." nobody had ever seen a throne like the throne trat solomon sat on. My friend, one more time i want to tell you that jesus is greater. If god said that solomon was worthy to set upon such a throne, have you thought about the throne that our lord jesus sets upon. My dear friend, jesus is enthroned in the glory right now. Hebrews 1:7 speaks of the lord jesus, and it says, "thou throne oh god is forever and ever." who is jesus? He's not another man, dear friend! He is god! He sits upon the throne of godhood. But, not onyl does he sit upon the throne of godhood, he sits upon the throne of grace. Hebrews chapter 4 says, "...let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain help." oh, thank god, the throne room is a throne of grace. And you'd better be grateful that it is. And by the way, i've been tn that throne room, this morning. Raha! It's wonderful to be in that throne room, because we come boldly, right to the throne of grace. I could not walk up to solomon's throne , for one of those lions would get me. Hahahaha! I want you to know that i have come into the throne room, because it's a throne of grace, with arms wide open. Not only a throne of godhood and a throne of grace, friend, it's a throne of glory. Didn't your heart thrill when the choir sang 'the king is coming'.? Oh listen, take your bibles and turn with me to revelation 5, i want you to see what that throne is like. Look with me in verse 11, "and i beheld and i heard the voice of many angels round about the throne ... 11 now friend this is the throne that's greater that solomon's throne. "the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beast, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings and every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as on the sea, and all that in them are i heard saying blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever." solomon had a great throne, but may i tell you that the throne of jesus is greater. Haamen! Hallelujah "a greater than solomon s here". Listen to mf,. Not only is it greater that solomon is here", a greater than anybody is here! And not only is a greater than anybody here, a greater than everybody put together is here. His name is jesus, there's never been another like the lord jesus none can compare with him, among the sons of men. Hallelujah, praise god, what a savior we have today, what a glorious jesus we have to worship today! I'll tell you this story and i'll be finished. Dr. Lee, the former great pastor of this church, said that near camden, south carolina; there was a fire in a school house. Seventy precious little children died in that fire. It just broke out and burned all over that school house. The parents gathered, the firemen gathered to try to put out the fire. But it was a raging inferno. There was one man who saw his son there in the flames. That little boy, behind a barrier of flames, saw his daddy's face, the daddy saw the boy, the boy stretched out is hand in those flames and said, "daddy, daddy, get me out of here daddy, daddy can't you save me? Daddy!" the father started to go into the flames, but strong arms held him back. It was impossible, it was a raging inferno! He said, "daddy, can't you save me? Daddy, can't you save me?" but, they held him back! 1t was impossible. And he watched that little child wither like that flower would wither if you put an acetylene torch on it. That night when he tried to sleep, all he could see was the face of his son in those flames, saying, "daddy, can't you save me?" all he could here was the voice of that little boy, "daddy, can't you save me?" and his daddy had to say, "son, daddy can't save you!" now we live in a sin cursed hell bent world. We live in a world that's in deep trouble. And our world reaches out it's rods to science and says, "science, can't you save me?" and if science would be honest, science would say i am getting you into deeper trouble because the more learn the deeper we sink and we're afraid of own inventions today!" science would say," i can tell you how far it is to the sun, but i can't tell you how far god can remove our sins from us." we stretch out our hands to education, and we say education, "can't you save us?" and education would have to say, "i'm sorry, i can improve your mind, but i have no power to for you soul. I have no answer to the sin problem!" we might look at sociology and culture. We say to sociology and culture, "can't you save us? Can't you save us?" and sociology and culture could say, "all i can do is to try to make this world a better place to go to hell from. That's all i can do." oh my dear friend, you can look every place you want to look, but i'm going to tell you something, and you listen to this preacher this morning. There's only one who can save us. And his name ts jesus. Say his name with me, jesus! Say it again! Jesus, say it again! Jesus.friend, as long as i live, ... As long as god gives me a breath, as long as there's a pulpit there, as long as this house is here, we're going to preach jesus! Jesus! "a greater than solomon is here. He's what it's all about. He's what it's for. And friend, what ever else you may know, if you don't know jesus, you've missed it all! Jesus saves! Jesus saves! We welcome you jesus and "a greater than solomon is here" let us pray.

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