Of Gold Or Of Brass?

2 Chronicles 9:14-17 "Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. [15]  And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target. [16]  And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. [17]  Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold."

Though we will never see it, the Bible tells us that the Temple of God in Israel was one of the most beautiful and fantastic sights the world has ever seen. King David conquered the land that the Temple stood on but, though he was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13.22), God would not allow David to build the Temple. David was a warrior not a builder, and God used him to clear away all the enemies of Israel so the building could be done. God instead ordered that David's son, Solomon, build the Temple.

The beauty of the Temple did not just lie in the fact that it was made of precious stones, gold, and woods. These things contributed to it's beauty, but were not the real reason for it. All through the Temple rare and costly materials were used symbolically to show God's present and future relationship with mankind. The "Holy of Holies" represented the very presence of God, the place where only the High Priest (who was an Old Testament symbol of the coming Christ) could enter to make atonement for the sins of the people. The Holy of Holies was separated from the general population of Israel by a thick veil made of layers and layers of woven velvet. This curtain was beautiful, but nearly a foot thick, and symbolized the rift of sin that kept man from God.

Just outside of the veil stood the Altar of Incense. This altar represented the risen Christ seated at the right hand of God the Father, and was kept outside the veil so it could be easily approached at any time, just as we can approach Christ at any time to fellowship with Him today. The altar was made of acacia wood and gold, and had a golden crown on top to hold the burning incense. The crown represented the payment Christ made for us on the Cross, and the fire the judgment He would undergo for His people. The incense, even, held wondrous symbolism of what our Lord would do for us. It was composed of four rare elements, stakte, onicha, gerbanum, and frankincense: Stakte was rare, and came from the gum of a unique tree. It's use emphasized the uniqueness of Christ. Onicha was from a shellfish that was killed in order to extract it's essence, symbolic again of Christ's death for us. And as the frankincense burned white hot, it's pure smoke drifted up to Heaven, symbolic that God accepted the sacrifice that Christ made for us.

Though Solomon was commissioned by God to build the glorious Temple, the elements used in it's construction were not Solomon's own idea. God designed the Temple and specified what materials were to be used for each symbolic item. God inhabited the Temple, and because of His shekinah glory added true beauty to all that was there. God owned the Temple, for it was His creation, and therefore the Temple was a holy place set apart for His use as He saw fit.

In our above text we see that Solomon, under God's direction, created five hundred shields (two hundred small shields called targets) all out of the purest gold. The large shields each weighed about 15 pounds apiece, the small ones five pounds, and if lined up end to end would have been approximately the length of a football field. Whenever Solomon entered the Temple the shield bearers would line up and make a living corridor of gold that he would walk down. These fine golden shields represented the purity of God's plan and the integrity of God's Word. When Solomon walked the path laid out by the golden shields he symbolized the believer's dedication in following God's direction in his life. Solomon was a strong and Godly King, and under his reign Israel prospered.

After his death Solomon's son, Rehoboam, took over as King of Israel. Rehoboam was such a poor and Godless king that he caused ten of the tribes of Israel to revolt and split away to the north. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin stayed with Rehoboam and because of this he maintained control of the Temple. Though Rehoboam was king of Southern Israel, he was not king over his own soul. Through poor administration he led Israel farther and farther away from God and into idolatry. This angered God so, in His wrath, God punished Israel:

2 Chronicles 12:7-10 "And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. [8]  Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. [9]  So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. [10]  Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house."

By removing the treasures and rare items from out of the Temple. God even allowed Shishak (King of Egypt) to take away all 500 of the golden shields. Remember, these shields represented Israel's obedience to God's Plan and Word, and they had departed from both. So God removed the symbols to punish His people into repentance.

Instead of repenting and returning wholeheartedly to his calling Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with brass shields. The Israelites were invaded from the outside because they were infected from the inside. True, the gold shields were only symbolic, but the loss of the symbolism was rooted in the fact that the people had replaced a right walk with God with something else. They replaced the gold shields with brass, which certainly looks the same, but is only a cheap imitation of the original.
 

The Bible teaches us that all believers, regardless as to how long they have been in Christ, are temples of the Living God. Just as God designed each element of Solomon's Temple to function in a certain way, He has designed each one of us to fulfill a purpose in His Plan, in His Church. Though I believe there is a time when each one of us should sit on the pew and be ministered to, we are, each and every one of us, called to work together to accomplish God's purpose on the earth. Church attendance is good and commanded of the believer,

Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

But attendance alone is not enough. Read all of the text: but exhorting one another, and so much the more. When the gold shield of service is replaced by the brass shield of attendance the Church suffers, and as the Church suffers it slowly loses it's focus on its mission. As members together in the Body of Christ we need to be concerned about the well-being of each other, not just ourselves. The Bible teaches us that each and every believer in this assembly has at least one spiritual gift, and we are to be using these gifts inside and outside of the assembly to exhort or build up one another. Do you know the spiritual status of the one sitting next to you? Does he or she feel comfortable sharing their trials with you, their weaknesses with you? If they share their needs, will you encourage and lift them up, or will you condemn them for their failings. Is your shield gold or brass?

If you are in Jesus Christ you will never be judged for salvation: Your salvation is secure because it is a free gift from God. But the works you did for God in this life will be judged:

2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

If your shield is brass it will be destroyed by the fire of Christ's judgment, but gold will earn you further reward in Heaven. Again, is your shield gold or brass?
 

God does not expect us to be perfect in this life, for He knows us, and knows our weaknesses. This is not a license to sin. We are not saved so that we are free to sin unimpeded, for such a belief is a mockery of the Cross. God does expect us to maintain a working fellowship with Him, to be in constant communication with Him through prayer, and to confess our sins to Him and ask forgiveness as soon as we recognize their existence.

Our relationship with God must not be a once a week thing, a Sunday only occurrence. Remember that the gold shields symbolized the believer's dedication to God's Plan and Word in his life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"

Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God"

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"

Are you in constant communication with God? Do you talk to Him frequently throughout the day, whether at home or on the job? Or is your prayer time replaced with pondering while you dwell on all your troubles? The Bride of Christ assembles two or three times a week to formally honor the Bridegroom, but this doesn't mean that God doesn't want to hear from you the rest of the time. When we pray we send up communication to the throne room just like the altar of incense sent up a rare but fragrant smoke. Our prayers must not be rare, but constant. Do not replace the gold shield of prayer with the brass shield of pondering.

Just as our prayers should be inside and outside of the Church assembly, our working for God must also be faithful and constant. There are times when we are supposed to wait on God:

Isaiah 40:31  "But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

But our waiting is to be filled up with mounting up, running, and walking. While you're waiting on the Lord keep doing the last thing He told you to do, don't just stop and wait. My momma told me about a preacher she heard once. She said that he came to the pulpit, looked out, and said "I'm waiting for the Lord to tell me what He wants me to say". The preacher stood there for about 30 minutes hemming and hawing until finally he sat down. Momma said it was the worst attempted sermon she ever heard. The Bible teaches us that God created us to do good works, to do that which He has called us to do in this life. Listen to this"

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Titus 2:14 "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

We were created in Christ Jesus specifically to do good works, to be characterized by the world as a working people. The believer was not saved so he could sit down and dangle his feet in the River of Life. We were designed to be zealous for good works, to be committed to serving God in our everyday lives. While God is present in us we must be present in the lives of those around us, showing the love of God by doing His will. Don't replace the gold shield of working with the brass shield of waiting and uncertainty: You were called to something greater!
 

1 Corinthians 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"

Have we like Rehoboam and the people forgotten what God desires in our temple lives?  How many brass relationships are we in today? The Lord has set a standard for our lives that is often a far cry from the standard of the world. The world wants everyone to love one another regardless of creed or religion, to accept one another's way of life as "fine". The world asks that we tolerate sin, to allow it in our midst for the sake of "unity". Acceptance is fine until it lowers the standard of God's Word.

The Temple of God was built to precise standards, with specific materials, in a certain way without deviation. When Israel walked away from God and began to live as the heathen around them lived God warned:

Jeremiah 6:15-19 "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. [16]  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. [17]  Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. [18]  Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. [19]  Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it."

Yes, God understands our weakness, but we are His and must understand that He has called us to a life apart from the world. The world has slowly crept into the Church, into many denominations. Among many Christians abominations are being allowed in the name of acceptability. Do not forget that our God is not only a merciful God, He is also a Just Jehovah. We have been given much, so much is expected. Look to your life, believer, for you are God's, not your own. Do not trade the gold shield of excellence for the brass shield of acceptance.

Philippians 1:9-10 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, [10] that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ"

If you have walked away from God, if He seems to be distant in your life tonight, now is the time to return to the fold. If that joy you once had from being a Christian seems to have turned from gold to brass, now is a good time to recommit your life to Christ. What do we need to do? We need to turn in our shields of brass and pick back up through repentance and humility the shields of gold that brilliantly reflect the purity of God's holiness and the excellence of His Word in our lives.  Let us replace at all cost the shields of brass for God's shields of gold. And if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please come forward and take my hand. Together we can make a difference in your life tonight if you'll just give Jesus a chance.
 

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