For the majority of us, that is not a decision we would ever need to make. Recently, however, someone purchased a Hebrew Bible manuscript for $38 million! The manuscript was expensive because it is very rare, historical, and complete with just a few pages missing. Psalms 19 and 119 tell us that the decrees and commands of the LORD are more precious than gold. This manuscript weighs around 26 pounds. At gold’s current market price, the manuscript is worth about 50 times the value of gold!
You know what else the Bible says is more precious than gold? How we were redeemed. Not with gold, which, valuable as it may be, is still perishable. We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. And we are extremely precious in God’s sight. God calls us His own possession; we belong to Him. He created us to be His masterpiece. He protects us as the apple of His eye. He loves us with everlasting love. And one day, He will rejoice over His people with singing!
Also precious is the faith that we have received through Jesus Christ’s righteousness. Indeed, when we do experience the inevitable trials of various kinds in this life — and many of us are right now undergoing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual trials in our lives — may we take heart and find comfort in God’s word that while we suffer grief in our trials, He will sustain us, and the tested genuineness of our faith is also more precious than gold.
I simply cannot fathom the value of $38 million. Yet I am convinced that it pales significantly when compared to the unparalleled superlatives about God’s preciousness. The Bible talks about His incomparably great power toward us who believe, and the incomparable riches of His grace toward us. Neither His love nor the price He paid for us can possibly have a price tag.
I wonder whether we are also willing to consider knowing Jesus Christ to be of unsurpassed worth.