A mother of five, relatively affluent, had trays of jewelry she loved to wear. When a favorite granddaughter graduated high school, her grandmother offered her any of her rings for a gift.
There was only one she set aside. It was not the most valuable of the collection, nor was it the most eye-catching. Rather, it was the most sentimental one she had ever been given.
It was her mother’s ring, set with the birthstones of each of her children. Each time she put it on, she saw in each stone the memories she carried of each of her children, and her love for them was renewed afresh.
It was the same with the children of Israel. Upon fleeing Egypt, God desired a way for the generations to remember where they had come from. When the priests donned their ceremonial garments, they carried the names of the twelve children of Jacob. Exodus 39:7 describes the onyx stones inscribed with the names of each of Jacob’s sons, six on one shoulder of the garment, and six on the other. They were there to remind the priest daily of the children whom God had chosen for his own.
Jesus is our High Priest and King, the great Deliverer and Master of All He Surveys. He is second only to his Father, and yet they are one. He revels in the magnificence of all creation, for he lays claim to each jewel in the heavens. There is no end to his riches.
Yet, his dearest treasure is the birthstones that keep his love for us etched upon his heart. We are the jewels set within his heavenly crown, and he sees everything that makes us who we are in each one.
We are more precious to God than the most magnificent wonders found in the farthest reaches of our universe, for he loves his children deeper than the depths of the seas.
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