Her visit to King Solomon is one of the most famous encounters in all of history. But before she even met the wise king, there was an intriguing little prelude involving this Benaiah.
As the time of her arrival approached, Solomon, in his infinite wisdom, sent Benaiah to greet her. And the descriptions of Benaiah? They're breathtaking. The legends compare him to the dawn, that glorious flush of color that paints the eastern sky, heralding a new day. He’s like the evening star, Venus, shining brighter than all the others. He's even likened to a lily, flourishing by the water's edge – a symbol of purity and beauty. Imagine the impression he must have made!
The text from Legends of the Jews describes Benaiah in such vivid terms, it's almost as if we can see him standing there.
And here’s where the story gets interesting. When the Queen of Sheba caught sight of Benaiah, she immediately descended from her chariot to pay him homage. Why? Because his presence was so commanding, so regal, that she mistook him for the king himself!
Benaiah, ever the loyal servant, gently corrected her. "I am not King Solomon," he said. "I am merely one of his servants who stand in his presence." The Queen of Sheba, a powerful ruler in her own right, accustomed to the finest things and the most impressive people, was so taken by Benaiah that she assumed he was the king.
Her reaction is priceless. Turning to her nobles, she exclaimed, "If you have not beheld the lion, at least you have seen his lair, and if you have not beheld King Solomon, at least you have seen the beauty of him that stands in his presence." In other words, even a glimpse of someone so close to the king, someone who embodied his court's values, was enough to inspire awe.
What does this little episode tell us? It’s not just about Solomon's power and wisdom, but about the kind of people he surrounded himself with. Benaiah was not just a servant; he was a reflection of Solomon's greatness. He embodied the beauty, the wisdom, the majesty of the court.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What kind of impression do we leave on the world? Do we reflect the values we admire? Do we embody the qualities we respect? Perhaps, like Benaiah, we can all strive to be a little more like the "lion's lair," offering a glimpse of the greatness within, even before the main event.