Queen Of Sheba Series

Emma Hart Willard founded the first permanent institution

of higher learning for women in America. None of the usual

courses for women were even offered. There were no cooking

or needle work classes. Instead, she offered zoology,

geometry, trigonometry, and other subjects thought to be

beyond the grasp of the female mind. She was convinced that

the female mind, if given a chance, could be equal to the male

mind.

She was number 16 of a family of 17 children. She was

born on a sheep farm in Conn. in 1787. Girls were not

allowed to get the same education as boys, but she studied her

brother's books at home and became self educated. She

became a teacher, and opened her own school. She gained

quite a reputation. After her marriage to Dr. John Willard

she opened a female seminary in her home. She went to the

New York legislature, and she became the first woman to

lobby in America. She pleaded for a state supported female

academy. President James Monroe and former presidents

Adams and Jefferson endorsed her proposal. It was approved

as the first state charter for women's education. She went on

to become the first woman to be admitted to the association

for the advancement of science. In the last 20 years of her life

she helped launch nearly 1000 schools for women. Women

have reached enormous heights in the world of the intellect.

We want to focus our attention on a woman of the Bible

who is probably the most brilliant of them all. We do not

know if the Queen of Sheba was beautiful or plain, but the

record is clear, she was a brain. No other woman is so

involved with the issues of knowledge, wisdom, and

understanding, as is this Queen. The only other woman in the

Bible who is portrayed as having such an eager mind to learn

would be Mary of Bethany who sat at the feet of Jesus

soaking in wisdom even greater than of Solomon. Had the

Queen of Sheba lived in the day of Jesus, you can count on it,

she would have been there at His feet as well. Jesus said as

much when he selected this Queen as a powerful example of a

wise light seeker. Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matt. 12:42,

"The Queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this

generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the

earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something

greater than Solomon is here." When Jesus is that impressed

with a woman, she deserves our careful attention, for such a

life as hers has an impact on time and eternity. Let's look

first at-

I. HER POSITION.

She was a Queen, and not one who is merely a figurehead,

but one who was actually the ruler of a people. In this sense,

a Queen is simply a female king, and history has been full of

women who have had the gifts to rule nations with wisdom

and power. The Queen of Sheba is one of the most honored

women of the Bible, for nothing negative is revealed about

her. All is positive, and even Jesus holds her up as a great

example.

You will find no basis in the Bible for denying women the

right to occupy any place of leadership they are capable of

handling. Someday there will, no doubt, be great debate as to

whether or not a woman should be President of the United

States. The record of the Bible and history would be on the

side of electing a woman if, in God's providence, a uniquely

qualified woman would seek the position. There is nothing I

am aware of in Scripture that would prohibit a woman from

any position of power.

Israel was ruled by Deborah very well in ancient times,

and by Golda Mier in modern times. Many Christian nations

have had superb female rulers who have demonstrated that

women can be superior in the wielding of great power. From

the lowliest to the loftiest there is no station in life that is not

sometimes held by a woman. This is a fact recognized by

men, even in ancient times. Nine hundred years before

Christ, Sabean women were given high positions. The

International Bible Encyclopedia states, "In almost all

respects women appeared to have been considered the equal

of men and to have discharged the same civil, religious and

even military functions."

Some feel it is possible that the Queen of Sheba was

motivated by this issue of equality to go and see Solomon for

herself. She was a very wise and wealthy monarch herself, and

she wondered if any king could be superior to her. We cannot

lay this kind of motive on her, but there is no doubt that she