God's Jewels

Extract

God’s Jewels
A. W. Pink

“And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels” ~ Malachi 3:17.
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To whom is God here referring? who are the favoured ones whom He terms His “jewels?” The previous verse tells us, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.” A twofold description is there given by which the people of God may be identified: they have a reverential awe and profound respect of God’s majesty and authority; they have a deep love and adoration for Him — evidenced by their thinking upon His name.

It almost surprises one to learn that the great and self- sufficient God has “jewels,” but our surprise increases to astonishment when we learn that these “jewels” are living creatures, and astonishment gives place to overwhelming amazement when we discover that these living creatures are fallen and depraved sinners redeemed from among the children of men. Truly, naught but Divine grace would ever liken such wretched worms of the dust unto precious stones. Yet that is the very thing which we find God doing in our text. It is not the unfallen angels, nor the holy seraphim and exalted cherubims who are spoken of as Jehovah’s valued treasure, but lost and ruined sinners saved by amazing grace. Saints are likened unto wheat, fishes, trees, stars, but here to “jewels;” the figure is a deeply interesting and instructive one.

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” This is seen in the difference between human and Divine estimates of relative values. The world’s standard of worth is …