The word 'treasure' conjures up visions of pirate chests, of treasure islands, of buried treasure, of treasures of the Mother Lode, and of sunken galleon treasure ships, Visions of sudden wealth have an appeal and millions try their luck on the lottery in search of easy riches. Very few strike it rich, and history records the tales of men who have risked their lives for the dream of El Dorado. The search for gold led to the opening of the West to civilization as thousands of eager prospectors left their employment and families to look for wealth in the gold fields of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Alaska. Most of them ended up as homeless drifters from one boomtown to another, living a life of malnutrition, hardship, and loneliness.

Babylon was called the golden kingdom because of its wealth, Silver was as common in Solomon's day as the stones on the street. However, today these precious metals are hard to come by. Man has dug deeply into the earth to mine them. Some of the mines of California are thousands of feet deep as miners tunneled through solid rock to follow the veins of rich ore. Powerful pumps were used to remove the ground water that poured into the tunnels. Men and animals spent most of their lives underground. There are similar places in the world where precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, etc. are mined at great effort and expense.

What is the reason that gold and silver and precious stones are so valuable and sought after? It is because of their relative indestructibility, their scarcity, and their intrinsic beauty.

Gold has ever been a standard of monetary value because it is not affected by the degradation of chemical reaction to the surrounding environment. It is not soluble in water or even common acids; it doesn't rust in the presence of oxygen; It is easily stored without fear of losing its integrity and value. Most nations have large gold reserves stored in heavily guarded and secured vaults. These large reserves are used to back up the value of currency.

What we treasure here on earth is a common building material in heaven. Even the streets are paved with gold like heavenly asphalt. Not only is gold a common commodity, but precious stones are also plentiful. In fact, we are told that every precious stone is in the Garden of God, and that the stones on the paths of the Garden are "stones of fire" (Eze 28: 13, 14). The gates of the city are pearls, and the walls like precious gems. Job tells us that silver, gold, and precious stones are easier to find and mine than true wisdom (Job 28:16). He declares that wisdom is valued far above all else. The Lord Jesus is the source "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Therefore, "wisdom is the greatest treasure."