## Shields of Brass: Compromise

## II Chronicles 12:1-11

Five years had passed since Solomon's death and they had been very sad years. During this time:

- The nation split as 9 1\2 tribes revolted against the rule of Rehoboam.
- Rehoboam and the nation of Judah "forsook the law of the Lord".
- Rehoboam and the nation had turned to idolatry. cf 1 Ki. 14:21-24
- In this time of sin and division, the King of Egypt, Shishak, found an easy entrance into the land.
- Though Rehoboam and the people did finally humble themselves, God still permitted Shishak to spoil Jerusalem.
- Note the irony here: When God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, they left taking the treasures of Egypt with them.
- Now because of their sin, God allows Egypt to spoil Israel.
- He "took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the King's house" which included 300 shields of gold that Solomon had made.
- 1 Kings 10:17 tells us that they each were made with 3 lbs. of gold, which in today's market the shields would value at nearly $4 million!
- These shields were representative of a time when God's glory was upon the nation of Israel. Now God's glory was gone!

I. Consider the historical account.

A. Rehoboam was a phony. cf. 2 Chr. 12:9

1. This is proven by a close examination of his life.

2. He was phony with his people, his family, and with God.

3. He was concerned with keeping up appearances.

4. He didn't want the people to realize that the glory of God was gone

5. He substituted brass for gold!

B. He tried to hide the truth! cf. v10

1. Where once the shields had been available for public viewing to attest to God's glory upon the kingdom...

2. Now he ordered these substitutes locked away under heavy guard.

3. To hide the truth concerning the theft of the real shields.

C. He should have been willing to pay the price to get them back.

1. He started right, but didn't follow through.

2. Note: 2 Chronicles 12:6-7

3. This is a fulfillment of God's promise to His people in 2 Chr. 7:14.

D. He should have trusted in God and gone after them and returned the treasures, but instead, he chose to make substitutes for the shields and not face the enemy.

1. This man was David's grandson...but where David was a man after God's own heart...Rehoboam was content with idols.

2. Rehoboam failed to prepare his heart to seek the Lord. cf. 2 Chr. 12:14

a. He strengthened himself. cf. v13

b. He had a self-sufficient attitude that led him to believe that he could take care of the problem his way.

c. Adam and Eve tried to cover their own nakedness, but failed miserably.

3. Jehoshaphat removed idolatry from the land and led the people to worship God again!

4. Rehoboam allowed the name of his idolatrous mother to remain in the city in which the Lord had chosen to put His name.

5. Consequently for the next 12 years of his life and reign as king over Judah there was no peace...only wars and division continually.

II. General Applications.

A. The importance of this historical event.

1. Someone once said, "Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it."

2. Paul wrote concerning the historical events surrounding the nation of Israel.

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Cor 10:11)

B. Consider the significance of this account.

1. Shishak represents our enemy: Satan.

2. Shields of Gold represents our treasures or blessings from God.

3. When we disobey God we allow the enemy to come in and steal away our treasures.

a. He will rob us of our joy and peace.

b. He will steal away our testimony and effectiveness.

c. He literally renders us powerless (the power of Israel was God Almighty!)

d. Without God’s power upon our lives, we are fruitless.

4. We believe the LIE that we can do just fine without His blessings upon our lives.

a. Every time we try to take matters into our own hands, we mess up our lives!

b. Multitudes of people today think that they don't need God, but their lives become shipwrecked.

c. The real tragedy is that often we, as believers, believe that we can substitue other things for the power of God in our lives.

1) We substitute human effort for God's power.

2) Carnality for commitment.

3) Compromise for consecration.

4) Excuses for obedience.

d. We will never have a life of victory if we are satisfied to live with substitutes.

III. We Should Prepare Ourselves To Seek God.

A. First step is salvation:

1. Repentance: Changing how we think about sin, and turning from sin and toward God.

2. Confession: Agreeing with God's Word concerning our need for Christ as our personal Saviour.

3. Believing not in ourselves and our abilities, but in the finished work of Christ on Calvary.

B. Second step is to study God's Word.

1. As we study His Word, we learn about Him and about His grace.

2. We also learn about what God expects from us and what we can expect from Him.

3. We discover what God's will is for our lives, and how we can prepare to do it.

C. Third step is to serve Him.

1. This means that we put into practice what we have learned from our study of His Word.

2. We literally present ourselves to Him to be used as He sees fit.

3. Note: 2 Timothy 2:20-21 "a vessel of honour"

Rehoboam was a phony. He pretended to be something that he wasn't, he tried to hide the truth, and he was satisfied with substitutes. He failed to prepare his heart to seek the Lord. The question this morning is really about our hearts. Do we know the Lord? Is our hearts right with God? Has the enemy stolen the joy of God's glory from our lives? Have we tried to replace it with pitiful substitutes? This morning, are you saved, surrendered, and serving? If not, why not come today and begin to prepare your heart to seek the Lord.