During this Advent season we long for the coming of Christ and deliverance from corruption. And not only does mankind groan in longing for Jesus, but all creation groans with us, as it says in Romans 8, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Rom. 8:20-22).
Can you picture the things of earth yearning for the coming of Christ? What would they say? What would they lament? What would they look back on fondly? What would they look forward to? I had the idea some time ago to personify the misused matter of this world and give voice to the stuff of earth. Here’s what I picture gold saying:
Gold
I’m made to ornament exalted things,
For God created man to estimate
Me highly; so, not only wedding rings
And crowns of kings do I adorn, but plate
As well the ark of God and mercy seat;
And, best of all, I traveled from afar
With magi from the east, who came to meet
Their Lord and mine. The glory of the star
Made me more radiant than I’d ever been
T’ extol the most exalted thing on earth:
The Son of God Most High, come down for men,
More estimable for His humble birth.
A fine day that was! Nor did I lament
That I proved useful to my little Lord:
When He escaped to Egypt, I was spent;
But He spent more than all gold could afford.
Would that my worth His worth would always show;
But wicked men have other plans for me,
T’ adorn not what is high, but what is low
And gild it with false honor and esteem.
Still to this day I cringe when I recall
The golden calf. Joy turned to misery!
In Egypt I was glad when one and all
The former captors made a gift of me,
And Israel made a plunder of his foe,
Which gold should have adorned the Holy Place;
And some did, but I also had to go
Into the crucible—to my disgrace!—
And come forth as a calf and hear men say,
“These are your gods!” O God, I was ashamed!
Thou know’st I would have rather done away
With all my splendor than to hear me called
A god. I was relieved when Moses came,
Rebuked the people, ground me into dust,
And put idolatry to open shame.
Oh, that it quelled forever man’s false trust
In me, and yet so many make their goal
T’ acquire wealth and deck themselves with me,
As if I could adorn their very soul
And get them heav’n, or make earth heavenly.
The fools! Their souls depart, and I am left:
Inherited, lost, stolen, giv’n away—
In any case, they are of me bereft
And gilded but with sin on Judgment Day.?
In this I have no joy, but wish they’d turn,
Just as my Lord desires, see their lost state,
And trust in Christ, from whom they then could learn
That not with gold were they saved from their fate,
But with the precious blood of God’s own Son.
How long will man continue to degrade
Himself with me? How long till I am done
In this corrupted world? God grant me aid!
Restore me, Lord, to that for which I’m made.
Sin has wreaked havoc on this world, but Jesus has not abandoned us. Our Lord has purchased us for Himself, and not with gold or silver, but with His precious blood. He is coming. The restoration of all things is coming. Then gold and all the stuff of earth will only serve God-pleasing purposes. Our groans will end and our mouths will be full of praise and Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen!
In Christ,
Pastor Richard
