Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 25 September, 2022
“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will
I make known thy faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 89:1)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Administration of the Lord’s Supper
Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 6:32-65
Text: John 6:35
I. The Meaning
II. The Receiving
III. The Strengthening
Psalms: 138:1-6; 40:11-17; 105:38-45; 27:9-14
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Applicatory
Why “Our Father”? [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Thessalonians 2
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 46
I. The Doctrinal Basis
II. The Rich Comfort
III. The Progressive Revelation
Psalms: 2:6-12; 41:1-6; 103:8-15; 34:14-20
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
After a week of self-examination, CPRC confessing members in good standing are called to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Your participation in the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood is in part a witness that you repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ as your only righteousness, and desire to live a new and godly life. As this heavenly food can be taken to one’s judgment (I Cor. 11:28-30) and as the common reception of the Lord’s Supper is a confession of doctrinal unity (Acts 2:42), the elders supervise the partaking of the sacrament. Visitors who are members of other denominations must already have presented to the Council an attestation from their church that they are confessing members in good standing and have received permission from the Council to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
Bob & Carolyn Prins, as members in good standing at Trinity PRC, have requested and received permission to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Charlotte Higgs, as a member in good standing of Brisbane EPC, also has permission to partake.
Monday catechism classes:
5:00PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Seniors OT)
5:45PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Sammy, Somaya,
Sophie & Yossef (Beginners NT)
6:30PM: Penelope & Xander (Juniors OT)
7:15PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 2)
8:00PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Pre-confession)
Membership Class: Billy & Val McCaughern, Monday, 19 September, 9 PM.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss Roman Catholicism on faith.
Belgic Confession Class meets this Wednesday, 21 September, at 7:30 PM. We will continue our consideration of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9 in connection with Article 37.
The Saturday night Bible study will be held this week, 1 October, at 8 PM at the Kennedys’ home and on-line to finish Malachi 3:7-12 (Lesson 7).
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “The Believer’s True Identity” (II Cor. 5:17).
Brian Crossett was approved for a 3-year term as elder. His installation will be held next Sunday, 2 October.
Offerings: £1,099.16. Donation: £100 (Malaysia).
Translation Additions: 1 Hungarian and 3 Polish.
Sister Church News: Doon PRC has formed a new trio of Revs. De Boer (Edgerton PRC), Maatman (Southeast PRC) and Noorman (Southwest PRC). Rev. Brummel declined the call to Hosanna PRC (Edmonton, AB). Their new trio is Revs. J. Holstege, W. Langerak and Stewart. Rev. Kortus received the call to Georgetown PRC. The CERC of Singapore called Candidate Marcus Wee to be their pastor alongside Rev. Josiah Tan.
The Queen of Sheba
Brian D. Dykstra
I Kings 10
The kingdom of Israel reached unprecedented heights during Solomon’s reign. How many Christians would choose to live in Israel during these days if they were given the opportunity? The nation was at peace. The neighbouring nations were not a military threat to Israel. In fact, they paid tribute. Solomon was not alone in the enjoyment of wealth. God’s people sat under their fig trees and vines, and enjoyed life. People talked about this great king and kingdom. News of this splendour finally reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba.
Commentators debate the location of Sheba. Most say that the gifts the queen brought to Solomon prove she came from the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Solomon had ships which traded in Ophir, which neighboured Sheba. The traders would have spoken about Solomon and thus the queen could have heard about him. One commentator states the queen was possibly a descendant of Abraham by his wife Keturah. One of her sons begat Sheba who lived along the Arabian coast.
Others claim she came from Ethiopia, south of Egypt. Some hard-to-believe legends arise from this. One fable is that when the queen returned to her realm, she was pregnant with Solomon’s child. In Ethiopia, it is alleged that this child began a long dynasty of rulers in Ethiopia who trace their lineage to Solomon.
One must remember that the queen did not take this trip as a tourist to see some interesting sights or learn some history. This was a business trip. The queen had questions she really needed to have answered. What were the questions? An element of the culture of Arabia is the enjoyment of riddles. However, taking such a long, costly trip to test Solomon with riddles does not seem worth the effort. “She communed with him of all that was in her heart.” Were these religious, doctrinal questions? Verse one tells us she heard Solomon’s fame, “concerning the name of the Lord.” We don’t read about his riches or the beautiful temple but of God’s name. Did God place in her heart a desire to learn about Him as the God of salvation?
Christ mentions the Queen of Sheba to the Jews of His day in Matthew 12:42, “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.” The queen went through great expense and endured physical hardship on a long journey to hear Solomon. The Jews of Christ’s day rejected Him. The Jews liked the miracles, especially when He provided free bread, but they did not care for His wisdom. The queen would have been shocked by the Jews’ estimation of the value of the Son of God.
The gifts the queen gave were payment for the valuable help Solomon gave her by answering her difficult questions. We also have difficult, life-defining questions in life. Young people wonder if it is God’s will for them to marry. If so, how will God provide a godly spouse? Young people face questions about what type of work they will do or where to go to school. Young mothers and fathers wonder how they will provide for the spiritual upbringing and discipline of their children. God answers these questions for His people through His revealed Word, prayer and the Spirit. The queen showed how much she valued having her questions answered. The value of the gifts she brought was great. What should we be willing to pay for the guidance our heavenly Father gives us?
The rest of the chapter describes the incredible wealth of Solomon’s kingdom. Scripture reports that the weight of gold brought to Solomon in a year was 666 talents. That number, 666, cannot be a coincidence. Christians recognize that as the number of the beast of Revelation. The somewhat dated commentaries equate this to £4,000,000. How does one convert that to today’s value? The point is, Solomon is incredibly wealthy. That the amount of gold is the number of the beast suggests that Solomon’s spiritual life declines after this. Proverbs 30:8-9 warns us of this, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord: or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
As decorations, Solomon had 200 targets and 300 smaller shields made. They were all overlaid with gold. The scholar’s estimate is that each target was worth £500 and the shields £250. A little maths gives a total of £175,000. (It was probably a lot more.) Although not as eye-catching as the amount given in the last paragraph, it is yet quite a sum to spend on mere ornamentation.
Scripture also describes Solomon’s throne of ivory. Though not made of solid ivory, this large throne was inlaid with ivory and had overlays of the finest gold. It’s not likely that Solomon would go through the expense of acquiring beautiful ivory only to cover it with gold. The throne likely was inlaid with ivory and gold to dazzle those who approached Solomon with his wealth and glory. There were also twelve lions on six steps. The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah, and the number twelve reminds one of the number of Israel’s tribes.
Gold was so plentiful that drinking vessels were made of it. Was gold so plentiful in Solomon’s kingdom that it began to lose its value as currency? Had it become better to use gold as ornamentation rather than a means of trade?
The Bible reports that Solomon’s navy brought back apes and peacocks. Of what practical use were apes and peacocks to Solomon and the Israelites? One imagines the apes being placed in an enclosure where they could serve as entertainment much as the primates do in modern zoos. The peacocks were there because of their beauty. There was so much luxury available at this time, it seems the people had difficulty determining what to purchase next.
What does one make of such luxury? In the Old Testament, God often showed His blessing was on someone or on Israel by providing wealth. The world could see how God dealt with those who feared Him. However, wealth can lead to spiritual decline. There is a temptation to equate material things with blessings. God’s blessing is not in things. The little which the righteous possess is far better than the wealth of the wicked. The blessing is in why God provides for His people as He does whether it be much or little. Valuing the earth’s goods too much can cause us to question God’s continuing presence with us or goodness to us when life becomes challenging. God may take away material things to remind us what has true value.
Solomon’s fabulous kingdom is a faint picture of the kingdom of Christ. When God’s elect see the glories of heaven, we will confess, with the Queen of Sheba that “the half was not told me.” The church will be perfectly united and at peace. Solomon’s Israel would fade and rather quickly. The glories of heaven will never fade and the King will never to fail to rule in righteousness. Being citizens of Solomon’s kingdom, especially the earlier portion of his reign, has its appeal. However, why look back when God has in store for His people a life which is so much richer?
