GOLD!

GOLD! On January 24th, 1848, James Marshall, working at Sutter's mill, noticed something yellow shining in the water. He picked it up, had it tested, and found it to be gold!

Then in May, it began! Doctors, lawyers, merchants, and anyone who could, rushed off to hunt for gold in the streams near Sutter's Fort, California. Rumors reached the eastern newspapers, and the greatest gold rush in history was on. By the thousands they came -- singing to the tune of "Oh Susanna,"

"I soon shall be in San Francisco
And then I'll look around,
And when I see the gold lumps there
I'll pick them off the ground. "

By 1849, over 80,000 souls affected by "gold fever" had poured into California seeking gold. Many died along the way.

Since ancient times, gold has been one of the most wanted things on earth. People have left their homes and traveled into the unknown wilderness in search of gold. Wars have been fought and kingdoms have risen or fallen because of gold. Desire for gold motivated the conquests of Alexander the Great and the campaigns of Julius Caesar. Christopher Columbus, upon reaching the West Indies, found the natives fishing with gold hooks! He was looking for gold when he discovered America. Before America's discovery, most of Europe's gold had come from the Mediterranean region and then from Africa. During the 16th century, the search for treasure brought Spanish explorers to Central and South America. They hoped to find a golden land -- "El Dorado" (The Gilded). Instead, they found the treasure of the Aztecs and Incas in Mexico and Peru and shipped it back to Spain. From the New World flowed more gold than the world had ever seen up to that time.

AFRICA HEADS THE LIST

Until 1800, South America supplied most of the world's gold. Presently, more than half of the world's mined gold comes from the Rand area of Africa, where mines go down as deep as 12,000 feet. The world's richest deposit was discovered there in 1886. Africa mines 87 million tons of ore annually, producing 906 1/4 tons of gold. It takes three tons of good ore to yield one ounce of gold! Russia is second -- 203 tons; Canada third -- 62 1/2 tons; and the U.S.A. fourth -- 50 tons. The largest U.S. mine is the Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, with a shaft six thousand feet deep. Tours are free, but there are no free samples!

MODERN SCIENCE -- ANCIENT EGYPT

To the scientist, gold is a very unique metal. Ductile --one ounce can be drawn into a wire 40 miles long! Malleable -- it can be hammered into sheets only four millionths of an inch thick! Ancient Egyptians could fit 367,000 leaves of it within one inch! It may surprise you to know that the oceans contain over 70 million tons of gold! Yes, in every 686,000 tons of sea water, there is an ounce of gold!

ANCIENT ISRAEL

When Israel, under Moses, left Egypt, they took the Egyptians' "jewels of gold" (Exodus 12:35). Using this gold, they built a tabernacle for God in the Wilderness, employing over 3,333 pounds of gold! King Solomon (B.C. 1015) "made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones" (II Chronicles 1:15). Building a temple, he overlaid the interior walls with over 180 tons of pure gold! Even the floor was gold (I Chronicles 29:4; I Kings 6:30)!

THE RICHEST KING

As we turn to the New Testament, we find another King who was rich (for in eternity past, all the universe was His) -- yet for our sakes, He became poor, that we through His poverty, might be rich (II Corinthians 8:9). The Lord Jesus Christ came by way of a virgin; He was God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16). Wise men presented to Him (not to Mary) gifts of gold (Matthew 2:11). Yet in His sojourn here, He was poor, "despised and rejected of men" (Isaiah 53:3). At His death, He was scorned, mocked, beaten, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. "Christ died for our sins ... He was buried ... He rose again" (I Corinthians 15:3,4).

The world's largest nugget of gold ever found weighed 160 pounds, yet this could not bring true happiness or salvation. Let me give you a little wisdom, for "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold!" (Proverbs 16:16). Solomon lamented, "I gathered me ... gold ... I withheld not my heart from any joy ... all was vanity and vexation of spirit" (Ecclesiastes 2:8,10,11). True and lasting joy can only be found in God's salvation -- and it's free! Peter testifies, "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18,19).

Many are seeking to obtain redemption (deliverance) from hell and fitness for heaven through their prayers, penance or donations to the "good cause," but these efforts will never work. The redemption of God that you can experience at this moment has already been purchased by the blood of Christ. Listen to what God says, "In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7). Notice, it is through Jesus Christ and not your own efforts! You would be wise to rely on Christ today -- and if you do, you will possess a salvation far more precious than all the gold in this world. If you miss God's great salvation, it will be the greatest loss that you will ever experience. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).

ROBERT E. SURGENOR, Evangelist