“I meditate on thee in the night watches.”
“They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” (Mal. iii. 17).
“My Jewels!” (my peculiar treasure). Of what favoured created beings does Jehovah thus speak? Is it of seraphs?—of angels? Methinks at such a title even they would take the dust of abasement, and veiling their faces, cry, “Unclean! unclean?” But, marvel of marvels! It is redeemed sinners of the earth—the fallen children of men, once rude unshapely stones, lying in “the horrible pit and miry clay,” amid the rubbish of corruption, who are thus sought out by grace, purchased by love, destined through eternity to be set as jewels in the crown of the eternal God.
“The Lord’s portion is His people!” There is a surprising revelation of love here! Great, unspeakably great, is the privilege of the believer, to be able to look up to the everlasting Jehovah and say: “Thou art my portion, O Lord!” But what is this in comparison with the response of Omnipotence to the child of dust, “Thou art Mine!”
My soul! hast thou learnt to lisp thy part in this wondrous interchange of covenant love, “My beloved is mine and I am His”? What an array of wondrous titles belong to the saints of God, and given, too, by God himself in His own Word! “He calls them sons as often as sinners!” Brethren! Princes! Friends! Heirs! Jewels! Portion! “Mine!”
And when is the time when they become thus dear to Him? Sinner! when thou didst weep at the cross of Jesus, and joined thyself in covenant with God, thou becamest His Jewel! Nay, “He has loved thee with an everlasting love!” True, thou art not yet set in His crown; thou art yet undergoing the process of polishing. Affliction is preparing thee; trial is needed to remove all the roughness and inequalities of nature and make thee meet for thy Master’s use. But, blessed thought! He that hath wrought us (literally, chiselled or polished us) for the self-same thing is God! Yes, God himself, the possessor, who prized that earthly jewel so much as to give in exchange for it Heaven’s “Pearl of great price!” He has the polishing in His own hand. He will not deal too rashly or roughly!
And where meanwhile is the casket in which these jewels are kept till the coronation-day arrives, when the crown of His church triumphant (every saint a gem) will be placed on the head of Jesus? It is He their Purchaser, their Proprietor, who preserves them. They are “kept by the power of God.” Our great High Priest, the true Aaron, has them set in His breastplate, He bears them on His heart on His every approach to the throne. They are the precious stones set in gold upon the ephod, and though the sins of His people, and the designs of Satan combine in doing what they can to erase and destroy them, He declares that none shall ever pluck them out of His hand or from His heart.
A jewel in Immanuel’s crown!—Not only raised from the dunghill to be set among princes, but to gem through eternity the forehead that was once wreathed with thorns! Shall I?—can I?—murmur at any way my Saviour sees meet to polish and prepare me for such an honour as this?
Let me sink down on my nightly pillow over-powered with the thought; and as I hear my covenant God whispering in my ear the astounding accents, “Thou art mine!” I may well reply, “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety.”