Luke 11:29-32 ~ Rise up

Abstract of the painting Pierro Della Francesca did of the Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in 1466.


Luke 11:29-32

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible

²⁹ When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

³¹ The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.


Jonah and the Queen of Sheba. What did God call them to do in their lives? Jonah, prophet and man of God, was determined to use his free will and to escape the will of God to preach repentance to his enemy Assyria. The Queen of the Sheba was determined to meet Solomon and learn of his wisdom in ruling. Jonah was running from and the Queen of Sheba was working at her job - ruling. The Scriptures say her agenda book said learn everything you can from King Solomon.

Jonah was swept up by the Holy Spirit and put on the correct path. The Queen of Sheba was swept past the glories of the kingdom and the king - to understanding the real power of God.

People fear the Lord will send them around the world to be a missionary in horrible circumstance. Jonah. It is the Fear. And the best case scenario is the Queen of Sheba. We know Jonah's name, but not the Queen. God says the difference wasn't their occupation - it was internal.

The world has many legends of the Queen of Sheba. The Scripture says it was religious revival. The history of Ethiopia has a hidden Ark of the Covenant, today, and the Hebrew language was the official language of Ethiopia during the same time gold was being mined in Ethiopia in copious amounts.

For both of these people - the power of the LORD caused them to rise up. Beyond their moment to moment desires and to see, with awe and renewal, what the Power of God is. Jonah was still a man of God, continuing to work for the LORD, but more willing to allow His choices. The Queen of Sheba was still a queen, but more willing to be open to God's decisions for her.

God did not change them from their path, or their walk, He asked them to be open to being a child of God. To rise up to seeing, help work towards, the Higher Good. Using their God-given talents, repenting of wrong/selfish desires, and walk in the paths He gave them. Their lives changed in more depth - reaching to eternity - than in the course of what they were doing. An enormous change, soul deep. Such deep, soul deep changes within them, Jesus would speak of Jonah and the Queen of Sheba a millennium later.


Mark 12:24
Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.


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