Genuine or Imitation Faith?

“…King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. ²⁸ And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom.” ^ESV 1 Kings 14:27-28

(This article, adapted from one originally published in 2006, was inspired in part by a book titled Shields of Brass or Shields of Gold by O.S. Hawkins.)

When Solomon was King of Israel, he commissioned 200 large shields and 300 smaller shields that were made of solid gold. To put that into perspective, we are talking about over 2,000 pounds of gold! Oh what they must have looked like lining the palace walls. I imagine them in an outdoor procession with the sunlight reflecting off of a hammered gold finish. Can you imagine the splendor of it all? The shields were stored inside the palace and when Solomon ventured out, the shields were sent out before him; a symbol of his status, wealth and the financial health of the kingdom.

Unfortunately, Solomon’s legacy did not extend far into the reign his son Rehoboam. Rehoboam lost the shields, and most other kingdom treasures, to an invading king from Egypt just five years into his reign. But Rehoboam replaced the shields with shields of bronze. Oh, they looked like gold. And when painstakingly polished, bronze shines like gold and like Solomon, Rehoboam sent the shields out ahead of him in a public display every time he went to the Lord’s house. But though they glittered, Rehoboam’s shields were nothing more than a cheap imitation of the real thing; a deceptive false front.

As I reflect on this Old Testament story, it brings to mind many questions in about professing Christians today and the state of the Christian church in America.

But let us make it personal. How genuine are you in your commitment to God? If you attend church, do you attend because it is the socially acceptable thing to do or do you attend so that you can come together with other believers and worship God? When you dress up and go to the Lord’s house, is your worship genuine?

A New Year is upon us; the old has passed away. As you make resolutions for 2010, examine yourself honestly before God. Ask yourself this question: Has my commitment to God been the real deal this past year or has it been a cheap imitation of the real thing? Your walk with God and the Christian church in America will benefit from your genuine faith and worship.

Resolve to have and show genuine faith in God in 2010 and let your worship flow from a heart that genuinely desires His glory. Happy New Year!