Brass for Gold

Rehoboam enjoyed prosperity for three years (2 Chronicles 11:13-17). Then he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD (2 Chronicles 12:1). Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, he authorized Shishak king of Egypt to attack Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:2). And God stated, "You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak."' (2 Chronicles 12:5) The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, 'The LORD is just' (2 Chronicles 12:6). That is the beginning of getting things right. However, the Lord wanted them to learn the difference between serving him and serving the kings of other lands (2 Chronicles 12:7-8). Because the LORD was to be Israel's King, asking for a worldly king was rejecting the LORD (1 Samuel 8:7-9). After Shishak took the gold shields, Rehoboam replaced them with bronze (2 Chronicles 12:10-11), maintaining the appearance of prosperity for most people. Do you know about the Coinage Act of 1965, or what happened when President Nixon disconnected the dollar from the price of gold in 1971, when gold was valued at $35 an ounce and the American dollar was the world's reserve currency? Consider how denominations that once were solidly committed to the gospel and the Bible have traded their gold for brass. Is there any area in your life where you are maintaining an appearance of spiritual prosperity, but your gold has been replaced with brass?