This New Testament story matches the Old Testament story in 1 Kings 10 of King Solomon receiving the Queen of Sheba (probably Yemen or Ethiopia). She comes to see if he is as smart as his reputation, and discovers, “The half was not told me” (v 7). She is an earlier non-Israelite who acknowledges the greatness of God’s work and people.

Both women, therefore, represent those in other religions who accept Christianity. They are appropriate during the Epiphany season, and the Wise Men are similar symbolic Gentiles, hence the theme of the day, “Life for the World.”

Solomon was Israel’s third king, the son of David, and the administrative and intellectual genius who stabilized and organized the kingdom David had won. He was as famous for his wisdom and his learning as for the armies and taxes he raised to pay for his rule. This is his historical role and fame.

Solomon’s name is connected with Psalm 72 (where this Sunday’s responsive psalm is from), which is a description of the ideal king, to whom the gold of Sheba shall be given (v 15) and whose name will endure forever (v 17). This gives Solomon a figural role in addition to his historical role. He stands for the King to come, the Messiah.

This explains the title of this Sunday’s communion sermon, “An Amazing Meal,” derived from the text,

“When the Queen of Sheba saw the food of Solomon’s table,
there was no more breath in her”
(1 Kings 10:4–5).

We are those who come, from near or far, to greet the King, to be hosted by Him, to eat at His Table, and to confess His greatness. When once we grasp the richness of the divine meal and the grace that supplies its nourishment and strength, we say with the Queen, “Behold, the half was not told me.” We discover how right Jesus was when he said,

“The Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and behold, something greater than Solomon is here”
(Matthew 12:41).

Sunday’s sermon will teach that Holy Communion should leave us amazed (or breathless) because

1. it was planned from before Creation,
2. it is supplied at the cost of Christ’s life,
3. it has the power to nourish and to heal,
4. it is food for the whole world, and
5. it anticipates the messianic banquet of the age to come.

It is truly “an amazing meal!”

Some of the hymns in this service reflect the interests of these passages and the theme for the day:

• The opening hymn, “O worship the King” (#29), acknowledges God under the figure of kingship, although it expresses other ways of thinking as well, such as “Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend” in the last stanza.
• The pulpit hymn is “In Christ, there is no east or west” (#697), very suitable for scripture readings that depict gentiles coming to Christ.
• The closing hymn, “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun” (#745), is a poetic paraphrase of our responsive psalm (from Psalm 72), celebrating Jesus as our King.

An interesting translation detail: In v 5, what is the Queen’s emotion upon seeing all Solomon’s greatness, including “the food on his table?” The original Hebrew is very simple: there was no more ruach in her. Depending on the context, the word ruach can mean “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” This exact expression doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Bible (except in the parallel account 2 Chr 9:1–12).

• The ESV (above) translates, “There was no more breath in her.” To be unable to breathe, actually and not as a figure of speech, suggests an anxiety attack. Was the Queen struck with panic after discovering how she had underestimated Solomon?
• What does it mean to take it figuratively? JPS translates, “She was left breathless.” To say, “The kids are breathless about going,” may suggest a little panting, but it really describes them as eager and excited, as clamoring for some activity or treat. Was the Queen energized by what she saw? Or, people sometimes say, “It took my breath away,” perhaps of the view from a high mountain or of a lovely sunset.
• The KJV, RSV, and NRSV translate, “There was no more spirit in her.” This sounds more like discouragement than excitement. To change the image but keep the word, did she “have the wind taken out of her sails”?
• We can get a little of both these possibilities with an English word like “overwhelmed” (NIV) or even ”amazed” (REB), and either of those will do as a free or dynamic translation. The ESV and NRSV stay closer to the original in order to convey a little of its richness.