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Prized by Everyone
Gold and Silver The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.—Haggai 2:8 Michael Nekora Gold is the first mineral mentioned in the Bible: “The name of the first [river] is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good” (Genesis 2:11,12). Gold has been highly esteemed since the beginning of recorded history. Artifacts from ancient times are as perfect and beautiful as when they were first made, even when they spend centuries at the bottom of the sea. Gold, silver, and copper were among the first metals used in the metal’s pure state. Because gold typically does not react with other chemicals, it was found uncombined and required no previously developed knowledge of refining. It did need an extremely hot fire since gold melts at 1,063º Centigrade (nearly two thousand degrees Fahrenheit). The claim that the gold in the land of Havilah was “good” might mean it was in the form of nuggets, easy to identify and easy to separate from worthless impurities. Even civilizations that developed little or no use for other metals prized gold for its beauty. Reid Goldsborough, writing authoritatively on the history of coinage, believes the first coin (shown here) was produced around 600 B.C. in Lydia, a city in western Turkey. It was an alloy of gold and silver.
In Palestine gold had purchasing power long before that. We are told, “Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2). Abraham’s time was about 2000 B.C. This is the first biblical text to mention silver. The purchasing power of these metals depended upon weight because coins did not exist at that time. Gold is highly resistant to corrosion because it is the least chemically active of all the metals. In recent times that property has made it popular in dentistry because it does not interact with anything that enters the mouth. Silver, on the other hand, tarnishes because of its interaction with chemicals in the air. Gold is the most malleable and ductile of all metals. One gram of pure gold can be drawn into a thread two miles long. (There are 28.35 grams in one ounce.) Silver is the second most malleable and ductile metal; one gram of silver can be drawn into a thread about half as long as gold. Gold can be hammered into an extremely thin sheet which in that form is called gold leaf. Although silver and gold are widely dispersed in the earth, both are relatively rare. In the solid part of the earth for every 10-million parts of iron, there are about two parts of silver. Gold is much less. Gold as a Biblical Symbol The angel of the church of Laodicea was told “to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3:18). Clearly this gold is not the literal mineral. This church is being told to “buy” something of real value instead of something that at first glance appears to be valuable, but in fact is not. Shakespeare wrote, “All that glisters is not gold” (many prefer the verb “glitters” instead of “glisters”), meaning that something that appears valuable may in fact be worthless. As valuable as the world considers gold, Peter spoke of something much more precious: “The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). In God’s sight, a proven faith is much more valuable than any mineral. Job refers to his own trial of faith in these words: “He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Gold was extensively used in the Tabernacle, but almost exclusively within the tent where it could be seen only by the priests. The amount of gold was remarkable, especially since before the exodus the people as Egyptian slaves had nothing. We are told that the lampstand in the holy, the first compartment of this tent, was made of one “talent” of pure gold (Exodus 25:39). The Companion Bible and Unger’s Bible Dictionary say a talent is about 1,500 ounces. Thus the value of the gold in the candlestick would be worth nearly $2-million today and it would weigh nearly one hundred pounds. Gold was used to overlay the inside and outside of the ark of the covenant, the table of shewbread, the incense altar, and the vertical boards used in the side walls. Gold would be ideally suited for overlaying anything because of its malleability. Wood overlaid with gold would appear as solid gold, but it would be much lighter and easier to transport. Gold’s ductile nature meant thread could be made from it and these threads were sewn into the high priest’s garments (Exodus 39:2,3). Clearly God in the Tabernacle was teaching that gold pictured that which was heavenly, divine. Only the priests had access to the sacred rooms and knew the value and beauty of what was in them. This was in marked contrast to the temples of the heathen which advertised the wealth and might of the nation by putting it in plain sight where it would awe the people. The Tabernacle pictured God’s plan for the eventual redemption of mankind. When we reach the last book of the Bible, we see a vision of the human race as it will be in the “city” blessed by God: “The street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21). Although this city is on earth, it is so blessed by God that gold is the symbol used to picture the divine blessing poured out upon it. As Isaiah put it, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12). Silver as a Biblical Symbol Silver is much more plentiful than gold among earth’s metals, and is often used in Scripture as a synonym for money. In fact the French word argent means both money and silver. As Solomon observed, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Paul wrote, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV). The Scriptures make clear that in the great time of trouble soon to come upon the earth, silver and gold money will be worthless, unable to save those who possess it: “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD” (Ezekiel 7:19). In some respects this is no different than those who in ancient days trusted in gold and silver idols for their deliverance: “The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands” (Psalm 135:15). Job compared his experiences to refining gold (Job 23:10); the psalmist makes the same analogy using silver: “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried” (Psalm 66:10). The prophet Malachi described God as a refiner: “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3). The following observation about this text is especially appropriate: “The Lord of hosts is represented ‘sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ In the process of refining silver, the workman sits with his eye steadily fixed on the surface of the molten metal, and the operation is only known to be complete when he sees his own image reflected in it. So in this passage we have a beautiful figure descriptive of God’s purpose in placing his people in the furnace of affliction, while he is, as it were, seated by their side, his all-seeing eye being steadily intent on the work of purifying, and his wisdom and love engaged on their behalf until his own glorious image is reflected on their souls, and the work of purifying is fully accomplished.” —McClintock and Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. 9, p. 746 Although gold was the most important metal used in the Tabernacle, silver was used to make the foundation sockets for the vertical boards (Exodus 26:19), and the caps and hooks at the top of the pillars holding the curtain surrounding the court (Exodus 27:17). Although no text directly states what silver represents, these words are suggestive: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). Truth (God’s word) is likened to silver. Silver trumpets were used to attract the people’s attention (Numbers 10:2); thus silver is used to make a proclamation, specifically God’s word. In nature gold is almost always found with silver, and both are often mentioned together in the Bible: “The [re]fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). Paul mentioned both when he contrasted them with two other materials: “Now in a great house there are not only articles of gold and silver, but also others of wood and of earthenware; and some are for specially honourable, and others for common use” (2 Timothy 2:20, Weymouth). In God’s “great house” in the coming kingdom there will be a gold/silver class accorded higher honor (they are in heaven), and a wood/earthenware class of less honor (they are on earth). These four groups may well be the church, the great multitude, the ancient worthies, and the world of mankind. Jesus said to the twelve, “There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. … I am going away to make ready a place for you” (John 14:2, Net Bible). The relative difference in value of gold and other metals was used to telling effect in the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream. Daniel brought that dream back to the king’s mind when he said: “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.” (Daniel 2:31-34, NIV). Daniel went on to explain: “You are that head of gold. After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth” (Daniel 2:38,39, NIV). The use of the metals beginning with gold for the head and moving through less valuable metals until one reaches the mixed iron and clay feet clearly shows a deterioration in the universal empires succeeding Nebuchadnezzar. Conclusion Gold and silver have been prized by every culture throughout history. The scarcity of these metals and the difficulty to separate them from rock have made mankind consider them as precious, but not God. He is the possessor of all the “cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10), words written when cattle was the usual indicator of wealth. God tells us what is precious in his sight: “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:16,17). Let us keep our mental vision on those things that fail not, knowing that if we are faithful unto death, we will be rewarded far beyond what human hearts can ever imagine. Paul, quoting Isaiah, made this perfectly clear: “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:9,10). God has revealed these things to us. May the trial of our faith be as gold tried in the furnace in the sight of God, the perfect refiner. |
