Spiritual Shells

I am so intrigued by this story about Rehoboam. As it progresses we find that he established the kingdom and strengthened himself. After this we read that he forsook the law of the Lord and that all Israel went the way of this leader of Judah. I think how interresting that is. When a leader is strongly walking with God, those following will often do the same. When that same leader walks away from God, so do those who are following the leader.

As a result of this action of Rehoboam in his 4th year as king, God brought an enemy to asault the kingdom in his 5th year of reigning as king. We read that he humbled himself before God, so God did not have the enemy destroy them. But He did let the enemy invade Jerusalem and carry away all the articles of gold, like the awesome sheilds that constantly were displayed. When the enemy was gone, we read that Rehoboam had brass sheilds made. He would keep them stored until time for him to go to the house of worship. At that time he would have them brought out, polished up and carried by the guards along with Rehoboam to the temple of the Lord. When he was finished at the temple, he would take them back and stored again until the next time.

As I read this, I wondered how often we do the same thing. Do we turn away from the Lord after we have established our lives and strengthened our life? Do we simply humble ourselves before the Lord when we see trouble coming? When life begins to fall apart, does our pride cause us to build brass shields in place of the gold shields in order to keep up the front that things are ok when inwardly they are not? What will God's epitaph be for my life? Will it be like that of Rehoboam? Will God record that "he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord"? I have many questions. I have few answers. I do know that I want to set my heart to seek the Lord. How about you?