Author:  Pastor Daimon – Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association Chairman

All of us over 50 years of age can remember Tatoo exclaiming “The Plane! The Plane!” on one of our favorite Saturday-night television programs, “Fantasy Island.” Today, just in the past week, we hear that same cry from many Americans–”The plane! The plane!”

What plane? Oh, yeah…the plane from Qatar that they are donating to the United States Air Force/ Defense Department. What a wonderful gesture from a nation that I have never considered an American ally due to some foundational differences of our nations. Nevertheless, I will attempt to explain.

It just may be a genuine gift from Qatar as a token of respect and acknowledgement of our great power. Therefore, to accept this plane from Qatar may actually be a good move. A failure to receive this gift may be considered an insult, causing a rift between the US and its want-to-be enemies. Refusing the gift could possibly lead to great hostility between the US and Qatar. Please allow me to interject with a significant piece of historical background information found in my favorite Book…The Holy Bible.

This custom of giving gifts to foreign kings and nations by Middle-Eastern Kings began thousands of years ago and can be found in the Scriptures in regards to the Queen of Sheba and the King of Israel, Solomon. As we travel back to the Book of First Kings, chapter 10, the Queen of Sheba had heard of the great wealth and wisdom of Solomon, and his ability to handle matters as a king in a way that granted him great reputation and fame throughout the world. In fact, let’s listen to the Bible speak:

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However, I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.”

Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. And the king made steps of the almug wood for the house.

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.”

This is an excerpt from some verses of the New King James English Version of the Holy Bible, First Kings, Chapter Ten. Does this all sound familiar? I will return next week to close this discussion concerning “The Plane!”