Biblical ABC’s: Q is for – Queen

Ladies Bible Study

Mrs. Rick Jackson


The Bible says in Esther 5:3, “Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.”

Do you remember that show of so long ago, “Do YOU, Want to Be, Queen for a Day?” It was like the precursor to our modern day reality shows. For each show, they would bring on women, each of whom would share her sob story, telling of her greatest need. I watched part of one show on YouTube and the first lady needed a washer & dryer to do her laundry; the second had a disabled son who needed money for special schooling; the third lady was caretaker for a brother who was seriously injured fighting for his country and would need a special bed because he would forever have to live on his stomach; and the last woman was a mother of five and lived in the mountains of Tennessee and wanted central heat for her home. Do you know how they would determine who, like Esther, would be given “half the kingdom,” or the answer to her request? They had a clap meter, and the studio audience would clap for the woman of their choice and the winner would become “Queen for a day!”

Just like the contestants on the show we’re all needy -- each of us has needs. These women went to a game show, but only one could win. Thankfully, we can ALL go to the Lord to meet our needs! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

PRAYER
So, tonight, I’d like to direct our thoughts to a few queens we find in the Bible and the lessons we can learn from them.

I. Queen Athaliah

Turn with me to 2 Kings, chapter 11.

1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. 3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And
Athaliah did reign over the land. 4 And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son. 5 And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house; 6 And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down. 7 And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. 8 And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in. 9 And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. 11 And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. 12 And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. 13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. 15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. 16 And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.

Here we have an interesting, if not sad, story. This queen, Athaliah, was interested in one thing, Athaliah. When her son, King Ahaziah, died, she decided, for whatever reasons, to take matters into her own hands. Did you notice what the Bible says she did in verse one? Look again, it says, “And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.” That means, mommy-dearest killed all blood relations – grandchildren, nieces, nephews, what-have-you!! Or, so she thought! Unbeknown to her, her step-daughter (who was married to the high priest) managed to hide away her youngest grandson and his nanny from the massacre and kept him hid for six years! So, when the young boy turns seven, the high priest decides it is time to “make his presence known,” so to speak. I
think it speaks volumes that the high priest had no trouble finding plenty of Levite guards to protect the young boy when he was brought to the temple to proclaim, “God save the king!” Don’t you think it reflects on the character of a queen who had to murder her own family to become queen? I wonder what kind of ruler she had been for six years? And when she realizes one of her grandsons is still alive, her reaction is not positive, rather, she yells, “TREASON!” and the high priest requires her life instead!

What we learn from Queen Athaliah is… if power is your goal, worldly destruction is your end. And what a sad end it will be. 2 Chronicles 22:2 & 3 says of this queen, “Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.”

Psalm 55:23 says, “But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.”
We read in Proverbs 10:29, “The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”

We’re all familiar with this verse in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” but I thought this verse in Proverbs 27:20 was very telling, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13? “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”

It’s just like Pastor said Sunday morning, sin always has consequences. Here we see from the example of Queen Athaliah that the consequence to a life of personal pride and power is destruction. It might have taken some time. To the world around her, it might have seemed like she was in charge and getting away with murder, literally, but God had not forgotten, and God was in control. What did Proverbs 10:29 say? “The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” Queen Athaliah received her dues – destruction came her way, and her grandson and the upright people of the kingdom received strength from the Lord!

The lesson for us tonight, then, is to look within and be certain there is no sin in our lives leading us towards destruction. God’s Word has an answer for us in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

II. Queen Esther

Did you know that you are divinely appointed to be here tonight? God has brought you here to this time and this place for His purpose. What is it that you are meant to hear? Only you know. Do you actively come seeking God’s purpose in each divine appointment you have, for truly, each and every step we take is a divine appointment. Remember last month when I said it was important for us to begin each day with the knowledge that we walk with the Lord? 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “(For we walk by faith, not by sight.)”

Now we move on to someone much more familiar to us, Queen Esther. I think most of us are familiar with the story of the young Jewish girl who was brought to the palace of a Persian King, as were many other young maidens of the land, to replace the queen who had displeased him. Being an obedient girl, Esther did as she was taught, and found favor, first with the chamberlain who was in charge of the maidens, and then with the king himself who, according to Esther 2:17: “And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

However, what the king did not know about Esther was that she was a Jewess. Her uncle Mordecai had counseled her to keep that bit of information a secret for the time being. Pastor, of course, taught us last July how the bad blood between the King’s right hand man, Haman, who hated the Jews, and Mordecai resulted in Haman having the ability to send out a decree to have all the Jews in the country killed. So, Mordecai requests Esther present the news of her heritage to her husband the king. This is when Mordecai admonishes her that she cannot hide behind her royal robes, as he says in Esther 4:13 &14, “Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. 14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

What we learn from Queen Esther is… the greatest ability is availability. That’s what Uncle Mordecai was warning her. You can be used to go before the king, or God will find another. The choice is yours. We know, of course, that Esther chose to be used of God in a powerful way to save her family, to save her people, to be an available queen in God’s service. And what about us? How available are we? What can we do?

1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” To be faithful means to keep doing those things that we know are right to do. Now, you have sat
with me here through many letters, we are currently on the letter Q. So, what have we learned we are to be faithful in doing? Yes, that’s right: reading the Bible, prayer, memorizing Scripture, attending church, witnessing to the lost. Being faithful in all of these, then the Lord will show us as we do these what more He requires.
1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
1 Peter 4:11 says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”


III. Queen of Sheba

Finally, let’s turn to 1 Kings, chapter 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. 2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir. great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day. 13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she
asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Here we have a queen who was fascinated with the fame of this King of Jerusalem that she had heard about all the way in her country. So what did she do? She decided to take a trip and find out for herself! Wow! Look back in verse 1. It says “she came to prove him with hard questions.” There was so much hearsay about this King of Israel that she had to know more, so she went straight to the source. Matthew 12:42 says, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment 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 is here.”

What we learn from the Queen of Sheba is… the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

We have a greater responsibility than this great queen. She knew of a great king and did all within her power to learn as much as she could about him – she travelled from the comfort of her home, she prodded him with hard questions, she presented him with gifts. Look back in verse 7, where the queen proclaimed, “Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.” What she found out for herself, she said, was not even half of what she had heard.

Now we have “the one greater than Solomon,” the King of Kings of whom we’ve heard and learned and been told about. What have we done with that? Have we left the comfort of our own homes? Have we searched out and studied to learn more? Have we presented Him with gifts? John 21:25 says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”