Devotional - June 15, 2004

Rehoboam succeeded his father Solomon as ruler over Judah - a kingdom now divided. Ranking kings from good to bad, Rehoboam goes off the scale on the bad side.

Taking office at the age of forty-one, he reigned seventeen years. During that time, he made altars of worship to every known false god, placed unholy artifacts and pagan Asherah poles on every hill and under every shade tree in the land. He used male prostitutes at the shrines to conduct sex acts with worshipers to honor the Canaanite gods of love. If there was a detestable act to be performed, Rehoboam encouraged God's people to do it.

By the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, the king of Egypt raided Judah and took the treasures from God's temple and king's palace. I doubt Rehoboam cared much about the altar, candlestick, laver and other sacred articles of worship that dated back to the days of tabernacle worship in the desert. The gold by which the articles of worship were made came mostly from Egypt when Moses led the people out of slavery by God's hand. It's ironic that Shishak managed to get Egypt's gold back from the children of God whom Pharaoh reluctantly let go.

It's also ironic that Rehoboam was not concerned with the loss of articles of worship of God that were taken. However, the loss of the gold shields that his father made to decorate his palace, did bother him. (Re: 2Chr 9:15-16) It bothered him so much that he made cheaper bronze shields in the likeness of his dad's shields and put them in place of the one's that lined the walls of the palace.

Shields were a statement of power. Solomon's fame, fortune and power came from Jehovah by virtue of His pledge to honor David, Solomon's father. These shields were probably engraved with an emblem denoting the sovereignty of the nation or perhaps even carrying Jehovah's name(s) representing the nature of the One true God. If you want to take a nation's dignity or show contempt for their God, steal their shields.

Was the loss of the shields a precursor to God's judgment of his people for their sin? If so, then the fact Rehoboam's replacement of the gold shields with bronze ones is indicative of his moral depravity. He must have thought he could restore his lost dignity by creating cheap imitations and hanging them on the wall in the place of the real thing.

What Rehoboam failed to understand was Egypt may have taken the sign of God's protection and the nation's sovereignty, but he alone was responsible for creating within the people a love for other gods. But, don't judge Rehoboam too severely. Haven't you failed God in a very similar way?

Instead of honoring God with a life dedicated to selfless service and love for Him, you may have created a cheap imitation of worship much like a bronze shield. You satisfy your "longing" for God by attending church at times and talking about Him when you don't even have a clue who He is much less enjoy an abiding relationship with Him. You may be satisfied with Your perception of God and have long lost a passion to know what He expects and how you can serve him better.

This may be an unfair representation of your faith. Don't worry, God has a way of revealing what we may be reluctant to admit. You see, fire compromises bronze and refines gold. With faith like gold, persecution will only make it stronger, or purer.

How then can I tell when my faith is like bronze and not gold? Don't worry, you'll know when the heat is turned up.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 1 Ki. 14:1-15:24 Ac. 10:1-23 Ps. 133: 1-3 Pr. 17: 7-8 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society