By Ed Welch
A light shines in my eye.
I turn and see a pure, multi-faceted diamond laying on a black velvet cloth. The light that glitters from this precious jewel is from the sun.
I reach and grasp this jewel in my hand and draw it close to my eyes. There are many fine cuts arranged in order. For each cut (facet) there is an adjacent cut (52 in all). These act as mirrors to the bright light. As I look through one of these mirrors I can see the facets on the other side, all arranged in perfect order.
I draw back and marvel at this precious stone. It is complete, perfect, and precious. It is its own perfect description. Any attempt to describe how each facet related to all the rest would require many volumes, especially if a description of each cut was included. A complete written description would be long and boring, and it could not compare with the original jewel.
The written word of God can be compared to a perfect, multi-faceted diamond. Let’s appreciate this gem for what it is and thank our Lord for giving it to us.
As a cut diamond proves there is a diamond cutter; because of its pattern, the word of God proves there is a Writer because of its written pattern. From Genesis to Revelation the pattern is God’s plan of salvation for man. Man falls in Genesis because of the serpent. Man is saved through Christ and the serpent is defeated in Revelation. The pattern is obvious.
A diamond has many facets and they all relate to each other to form the whole pattern. The individual lessons of the Bible relate to each other to reveal God’s pattern for man. When we study a lesson we can always see fringes of other lessons touching it. As we look closer at a lesson, many lessons can be seen that do not touch directly on the lesson we are looking at. The lesson of the Ethiopian conversion is an example of this. Books could be written on other Bible conversions, yet volumes could be written on how the Ethiopian might have used what he learned from Philip to convert others in Ethiopia.
As we grasp this Bible and move it away from us, we see this jewel with its many lessons glittering back at us from the utter darkness of the world. This light does not glitter in our eyes but, in our hearts. The light from God reflects from His lessons. Nothing is as complete, precious, pure or indestructible as His word (except God).
This precious jewel is freely given to all (rich or poor). Let us grasp this volume, treasure it, apply its lessons in our lives and thus be saved through Christ.
Truth Magazine XX: 41, p. 647
October 14, 1976