Shields of Gold/Brass

Going back, then, for an example, to the shadow of things, we find that when the temple was finished and furnished by Solomon, he made, amongst other things, 300 shields of beaten gold, which he put in the house of the Forest of Lebanon (2 Chron. 9:16). These were not intended for war. Gold is not a suitable metal for such a purpose. They were, therefore, typical, I think, of the pure truth deposited with Israel, the only truth existent in the earth preserved in them, and not in any other nation. The fate of these shields is to be noticed. Only five years after Solomon did these symbols of the truth remain with Israel—(2 Chron. 12:9)—“Shishak, king of Egypt, took away the treasures of the House of the Lord, he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.” What was the cause of this, that these sacred emblems should be lost to Israel? Ver. 1—“Because Rehoboam and all Israel forsook the law of the Lord.” Here is harmony. Israel having forsaken Jehovah, He also forsook them: these figures of His truth were lost to them for ever.

Having lost these golden shields of faith. Rehoboam makes abominable things of brass—base imitations, counterfeits that probably looked like the genuine article, but really comparatively valueless—his own device to cover the consequences of forsaking the Law of the Lord.
And thus the pure truth was carried into Egypt, and there it has been to this day. Those golden shields have never returned, the truth has been lost to Israel in Egyptian darkness—the shields of brass are still holding out their imposture—brass instead of gold—the thinking of the flesh hiding the truth of God.


(1882). The Christadelphian, 19(electronic ed.), 348.