The journey from Central Africa to the Middle East felt like forever. After so many weeks, everything smelled and tasted of camel. Even riding in the royal coach brought the growth of calluses in hard-to-describe places. Travel at the speed of camel left plenty to be desired, but the stories of the magnificent king of Israel and the splendor of his kingdom had reached the queen’s ears. Solomon possessed great wealth and wisdom, and more intriguingly, tales told of his uncommon connection with his God stirred her heart.

Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest king in the history of Israel. Even today, three thousand years later, you’ll read someone referred to as having “wisdom like Solomon.” His reputation covered the ancient world. If you recall the story in 1 Kings 3, Solomon asked the Lord not for power or wealth or longevity, but for wisdom and discernment as he led the people as their new king. This request pleased the Lord and so God granted Solomon all of the above, in abundance. (Note to self: when leading, consider asking God for wisdom and understanding, rather than a robust budget or a splashier platform. Just a thought.)

Solomon’s fame spread far and wide. Crowds flocked from Israel and the surrounding nations to hear his wisdom and witness the growing splendor of his kingdom. Carried by traders and itinerants, these stories spread to the heart of Africa, all the way to the court of the Queen of Sheba. A woman of abundant wealth and power, her neighboring territories held no special interest to her. Solomon, a wise king, wealthy beyond comprehension and a man with a special connection to God—now that was too much to ignore. Meeting Solomon consumed her thoughts. The planning began and the camels were mustered. She set out on this long and arduous journey, carrying gifts of tremendous value, surrounded by an army—all in order to see if the stories of the legendary king were true.

The Queen came not only to see, but also to question Solomon. I wonder what she planned to ask? Her questions are not recorded, but I’d imagine that she asked questions people have always struggled with, like “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Or, “How can I know God the way you do?” But also questions only another wise ruler could answer, possibly, “As a leader, who can I trust?”

Solomon satisfied the Queen with his answers. He explained everything. Solomon’s wisdom, wealth, charisma and devotion to the Lord left her breathless. She got what she hoped for and so much more, realizing a depth in Solomon’s insights she never heard from her royal advisors. After an extensive visit, she reluctantly left for home. The two powerful leaders exchanged gifts of phenomenal value, sealing their friendship.

What does a leader make of this story? The Queen of Sheba possessed power, riches, skills and wisdom of her own. Her aptitude for leading was apparent as a female ruler in a world of power-hungry men. Just like today, the strong preyed on the weak. The Queen was certainly not weak, nor was she easy prey.

Why did she go meet Solomon? The Queen possessed a trait integral to leadership. The Queen was curious. She heard the stories of Solomon. No doubt, she sent trusted emissaries ahead of her to check out the facts. Their reports fueled her daydreams about this distant king and his God. Curiosity, and perhaps a bit of desperation, led her to Solomon. No one else could answer her difficult questions to her satisfaction. Perhaps she trusted no one close to her. Maybe, just maybe, Solomon could speak to her deep issues and maybe, just maybe, she could gain an understanding of this God who so blessed Israel.

Curiosity is an invaluable trait in a leader. Daydream, doodle, gaze out the window, and let your mind run. Make the effort to learn. Read books, take classes, visit foreign lands and always ask lots of questions. An active mind, an inquisitive bent, a wonder of what’s around the corner helps you develop as a leader. You start to comprehend the world with more wisdom, to understand yourself with more clarity, and to appreciate God with more depth. Curiosity yields healthy discovery. Most wonderfully, as you chase your curiosity, from time to time you’ll uncover something fresh and find yourself breathless.

1 Kings 10 & 2 Chronicles 9 in week twenty-seven of reading the Bible cover to cover

For more thoughts like this see my book Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints

Photo by Joe McDaniel

Agricultural metaphors fill the Bible. I immediately think of a tree planted by streams of water (Jeremiah 17:7), and I understand a vine and branches and no fruit apart from the vine (Jesus discusses this in John 15).

But when told not to muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain (1 Timothy 5:18), I’m at a disadvantage. Although I lived in Kansas for several years, I never treaded grain. Family members of mine raise cattle, but none raise oxen. I’ve never muzzled an ox, although I’d like to see it done.

That said, I get the gist of Paul’s words to Timothy.

In speaking about people ministering to others—referring here to elders in his church—Paul reminds Timothy to compensate them appropriately. When leaders work skillfully and diligently, they deserve some sort of pay, because if they get hungry they’ll stop serving and go look for something to eat. Then the church loses their leadership and care.

Sounds simple, but obviously Timothy faced this problem.

A powerful animal, an ox can tread grain all day, as long as it has something to eat. I know many, many good people engaged in various ministry contexts—feeding the hungry, reaching out to the hurting and lost, pursuing justice, developing believers in the faith—responding to the Lord and faithfully at their work.

With a little encouragement and reward, these God-called servants work tirelessly, day after day. No need to muzzle people like that.

I Timothy 5 in week twenty-six of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Varun Verma

Many years of my life I woke up in the Ozarks mountains. My first job after college took me to the Flint Hills of Kansas. Now I daily enjoy a view of the front range of the Rocky Mountains.

So I relate to the psalmist who writes, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? Depth and power reside in the hills—a sense of permanence, of the eternal. For whatever reason, I feel it when gazing at the majestic.

The answer to the psalmist follows hard on the question: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Creator of Hills offers to sustain you and I. He steadies our feet on the mountain paths of life. He stays awake—shading us from sun and moon, steering us from evil, and protecting us as we go out and go in.

When I worry where the help I need hides, I try to remember these words. Help comes from the Lord, who made the soaring mountains and the rolling hills. Amazingly, the Creator cares for me, providing both my daily needs and often my less-than-significant wants.

Worth remembering from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121 in week twenty-six of reading the Bible cover to cover

My three favorite books of the Bible in regards to the work I do, that of a minister of the gospel, undoubtedly are 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus, collectively known as the Pastoral Epistles. Paul writes to inexperienced pastors of young churches, instructing them on practical ways to live together in Christ.

Timothy faced a particularly sticky issue in his ministry assignment. People in the church found themselves attracted to myths and genealogies and speculations. Mystery religions swirled through the Mediterranean world, infecting the church in Ephesus. The desire for secret knowledge undercut Timothy’s teaching.

Paul, always the clever communicator, delved into the language of the mysterious to share the path to true spirituality:

Beyond all question, the mystery form which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by the angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).

If mysteries lead me away from Jesus, then I’m deceived. If myths and speculations fail to help me follow Jesus, then I’m lost. If the church members in Ephesus continued to listen and engage with false teachers, then they chose poorly.

Paul reminds Timothy, and he reminds me and you, that there’s really no mystery at all, no secret knowledge, but rather—there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Chose wisely.

1 Timothy 2 & 3 in week twenty-six of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Stefan Steinbauer