The Cracked Acorn: Worship

For 1,500 years and ending in the 8th century, B.C., a civilization existed at the tip of the Arabian peninsula. The surrounding desert was made fertile from dams that held the monsoon rains The evidence of this past culture who wrote script in vertical columns is on view at the Sackler Gallery in D.C.. The photos of 3,000 years old artifacts are very interesting. These people had a religion-worshiped something or someone and left behind a model of a limestone temple. Their civilization was involved with that of a small kingdom. called Saba, or to Bible readers as Sheba.

For what may have been propaganda purposes, the author of the Old Testament book of Kings tells us that the Queen of Sheba, tried to stump him with questions, failed and left wooed by the magnificence of his Court. “When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built,” says the Bible, “she was overwhelmed.”(I Kings 10) Scholars are dubious about the existence of a female ruler from Saba(Sheba) and consider her visit very unlikely (“almost preposterous,” writes Nigel Groom in the exhibition catalogue). But it demonstrates Saba’s reputation in the ancient world- and uses that reputation to glorify the Jewish King. (THE HISTORY OF CARAVANS-Washington POST)

This was a noteworthy bit of ancient history to read till I noted that the. Bible was not given its God’s breathed accuracy about the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. In this day and age the general public is not always faithfully nourished with the indubitable truth. The Queen of Sheba did make a visit to the court of King Solomon. The people of Ethiopia believe they are descended from that “visit”. I would also note that King Solomon was an Israelite King. His father, King David, was from the tribe of Judah. Some scholars think that all descendants from this tribe should at all times be labeled “Jews”. At this point in ancient history this is not correct it was only after Judah returned from Babylonian captivity that this label should have been attached. At the time of the Kings: Saul, David and Solomon, there was a’bona fide nation known as Israel and not yet a Jewish nation. This may seem a small point but educated people of history should know better.

The limestone temple model would have prompted Paul to say (20)”Since the earliest times men have seen the earth and all that God made, and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse (when they stand before Him at the Judgement day).(23) And then, instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God they took to wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere’birds, and animals and snakes and puny men. (25) Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things that God had made, but wouldn’t obey the blessed God who made these things.(ROMANS chapter 2).

DID YOU KNOW –There are 326 million people living in the United States: At any given time, there are 67,870 people airborne over the country. (Sad to note that for many this will be the closest they will ever be to heaven.)