The Richest Book

     Those who believe the Bible to be the precious Word of God will easily think of treasured objects written of in its 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation.  Even those who don't believe it is the Divinely inspired words of God,  may be enthralled with the prospect of finding priceless objects that are told of in its pages, like the Ark of the Covenant or the Cup used by Jesus and His disciples at the Last Supper.   Any remnant of the Crucifixion, if found, would create a stir beyond imagination....for instance,  a splinter of the Cross or the sign that Pilate had hung above Jesus, declaring Him to be the King of the Jews.

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

     As a believer, I do not need to see any of these things to give a foundation to my faith.  I love so much that God asks me to accept Him by faith, that I'm not even sure what my response would be if someone were to display a piece of the Cross in a museum.  

     However, strictly out of my love for the rich detail of God's Word, I have considered how thrilling it would be to see even a few of the multitudes of objects that make the Bible such a fascinating road map on the journey to understanding God's plan of redeeming mankind.   I believe that many times we read the Bible so hurriedly, that we don't stop as we should to consider the details and what it would have actually been like to be a part of a particular setting.  If you're guilty of that, like I am, try slowing down and absorbing the richness of the details.

     I hope that you'll enjoy those that I recall here and be inspired to add to the list treasures of the Bible that you would enjoy seeing.    How precious it would be to me to see the following:

• a horn from the ram that took Isaac's place on the altar, when God tested Abraham 
• the blood-stained, "richly ornamented" robe that Joseph's brothers ripped from him
• the room in Egypt where Joseph wept and revealed his identity to his brothers after not seeing them for 22 years
• the papyrus basket in which Moses was placed at birth, to save his life
• the burning bush at Mt. Horeb
• the Rock at Kadesh that God caused to give water to the Israelites
• David's harp, which he played to soothe an anxious King Saul
• David's sling, which he used to slay Goliath
• the furnace where God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
• the lion's den, where God saved Daniel
• the gifts that the Magi presented to the infant Jesus
• the boat and oars that Jesus and his disciples used
• the cloak that Jesus was wearing when the sick woman touched its hem and was healed
• the four-drachma coin that Jesus miraculously placed in the fish's mouth (Matthew 17)
• the empty alabaster jar, which the woman emptied of its perfume for Jesus' sake
• the sword Peter used to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant in the Garden 
• the rooster that crowed when Peter denied for the third time that he knew Jesus
• the 30 silver coins which Judas received for his betrayal of Jesus, and tried to return
• the robe and crown of thorns which were forced on Jesus
• the mat on which the paralytic man was lowered through the roof by his friends
• the two small copper coins that Jesus saw the widow offer
• Zaccheus' sycamore tree
• the 6 stone jars filled with water, that Jesus turned to wine at the wedding in Cana
• the strips of linen that wrapped Lazarus' buried body
• the towel Jesus wrapped around his waist when he washed the disciples' feet
• the copy of Isaiah that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading in his chariot (Acts 8)
• the basket in which Paul was lowered over the wall in Damascus, to save his life 

     Again, consider the thoughts that would come to your mind if all of these were displayed in one location,  and you knew you were able to look at and touch any of them for as long as you wanted.