Precious metals and gemstones as we call them
today were plentiful thousands of years ago so much so they were used for
almost everything from jewelry, overlaying walls and important objects as well
as a handcrafted ephod (Breastplate) for the High Priest. It is amazing how
much of the precious metals and jewels could be found so easily.
We see reality shows of all kinds but lately it’s with people willing to risk their lives to find some small fragments of gold or dive for treasures just so they can hit it big by finding that one super valuable item to make them a lot of money or earn them a spot on the news.
Thousands even millions of years perhaps have gone by and it seems that the purpose of precious metals and gemstones hasn’t changed much in their uses. The only differences I can see is in the past people used them to honor God and His place of worship some people today think God isn’t that important any longer.
Most people today, not all, want to adorn themselves with it and the bigger the better. Showing it off to say look how much money I have. They may have the money the money to afford their precious things or they may have put themselves in serious debt. We all like the color of the stones and the gold, even silver. It’s shiny and the stones sparkle in the light. They are beautiful to look at that is why we wear what we wear.
With that thought in mind think of how beautiful heaven will be with gold, crystal and even gemstones with names we ourselves have never heard of. The glory of it all should make one wonder just how awesome it is going to be and I imagine there will be even more precious gems and metals we don’t know about we can only go by what has been written about in the Bible.
Maybe after reading this you will look at that ring, bracelet, necklace, or earrings with a new appreciation because what they are made of isn’t that easily found. We can like our precious metals and gems but don’t make them more important then God that was the biggest mistake of all those people so many years ago.
Genesis 2:11-12 (NKJV)11. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.
Genesis 24:22 (NKJV)
22. So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold,
Genesis 24:53 (NKJV)
53. Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
Exodus 28:17-22 (NKJV)
17. And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row;
18. the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19. the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20. and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings.
21. And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.
22. “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold.
Exodus 32:2-4 (NKJV)
2. And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3. So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
4. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
I Kings 6:20-22 (NKJV)
20. The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar.
21. So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold.
22. The whole temple he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary.
I Kings 6:32 (NKJV)
32. The two doors were of olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.
Job 28:15-19 (NKJV)
15. It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
17. Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
18. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Proverbs 8:10-11(NKJV)
10. Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11. For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
Song of Solomon 1:10-11 (NKJV)
10. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.
11. We will make you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.
Isaiah 54:11-12 (NKJV)
11. “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12. I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
Ezekiel 27:16 (NKJV)
16. Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies.
Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)
45. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46. who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
I Corinthians 3:12 (NKJV)
12. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
Revelation 21:19-21 (NKJV)
19. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
