The Jewel
If you want to catch a woman’s attention, almost anything sparkly will do it. Shiny, glittery things, whether it’s jewelry, clothing, or decorating items, bring us unspeakable joy. It’s the rare woman who isn’t irresistibly, absurdly enticed by ‘bling’ in pretty much any form. This is a deeply visceral and primordial need; we’ve been accoutrement-ing ourselves from time immemorial. I’m sure that while Adam was off herding the animals to their appropriate areas (‘See you later, honey’), Eve was on the hunt for beautiful shells, pebbles, gold and probably even real gemstones down at Eden river! Don’t kid yourself, within a day or two, that girl had a baubly little bracelet! As Clairee says in the movie, Steel Magnolias…”the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize”. Well, maybe not the only thing…but it’s highly significant! Let’s face it; we were born to be slathered in jewels, preferably, the bigger the better!
This is not as irrational as it sounds. There’s actually solid, biblical basis for it! Wrap your head around this; girlfriend, it’s a holy impulse! Deep in the book of Ezekiel, there are some weighty clues to what we label ‘the Feminine Mystique’. After much study, I have come to the inescapable conclusion that a ‘Tyre’ anointing is quintessentially what the Lord has ordained for the Feminine. If you look at chapters 27-28 closely, you’ll see that they contain all the elements that make our little hearts sing! I’m talking about the gifts of beauty, wisdom, major merchandise from afar (shopping!), international diplomacy (relationships!), and ship-building (home-making!). It’s essentially an echo of the much-maligned, Proverbs 31 ‘virtuous woman’ list. Listen to this crowning statement from Ezekiel 28:12b-15:
“Thus says the Lord God: (to the King of Tyre) “You are the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” Note the incredible statement: ‘Every precious stone was your covering’. No wonder we pant for ornamentation!! It’s our birthright! Our inheritance! Need we say more? So, what’s the problem, sister? If we were given all this breathtaking swag from the very beginning, why aren’t more of us acting like it? What’s preventing all that supernatural brilliance from being manifest on our lives?
The problem is this. We don’t know how precious we are. Somehow, the singularity we carry is the thing we know least about. We’ve lost the potency and promise of destiny. Our lives have become lackluster; a desperate struggle for honor, value, because we took our eyes off of that which is truly worthy. We looked away from the Beautiful One.
Beauty is an endowment of holiness, meant to be showcased. However, as women, we are often guilty of not making the wisest of decisions. In our frenzied pursuit to find some kind, any kind, of covering, we allow men to dominate us in ways they never should have. So sad, but true; male jealousy and possessiveness cloaks and smothers feminine intelligence and giftedness, preventing it from coming forth. We gave our power away to poor stewards of it, for the worst of reasons. Why? The girls are too easily distracted by worldly gew gaws; the trinkets and trifles that dazzle our eyes and desire, but keep us from tapping into the real wealth. We long for the alpha-male mate, modern homes, family life run with clock-work precision, and a full-blown career, to boot. It’s all selfishly based. Highly unlikely we’ll be able to find the pearl beyond price, buried deep in our own field, if we’re not even hunting for the right kind of treasure.
Finally, life hands us storms that no one, no matter how prudent, could be braced for. We’re so busy surviving, we cannot begin to think about shining. Life turns into one fierce battle that grinds our exquisite uniqueness into smithereens. Blessedly, the Lord knows how to dig us out of the ugly pits, dead-end cul-de-sacs and perilous situations we’ve gotten ourselves into. He takes those rough, self-willed little pebbles to the lapidary tumbler to bring out their true colors. He knocks off barnacled lies and shapes us once again into gemstone quality. And then, painstakingly, He places us in our uniquely superb settings.
O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in fair colors [in antimony to enhance their brilliance] and lay your foundations with sapphires. And I will make your windows and pinnacles of [sparkling] agates or rubies, and your gates of [shining] carbuncles, and all your walls [of your enclosures] of precious stones. Isaiah 54:11-12
As Christmas draws near, I’m working on a master plan. I’m rummaging through my wardrobe. I’m making ridiculously important decisions about color schemes. Actually, I can build a whole ensemble around a piece of jewelry I don’t get to wear much! But even as I get ready, I’m lifting my eyes to a higher expectation. It’s not just about externals; set me in platinum, Lord. I’m poised like a gem in the bezel of the craftsman, primed for setting. I’m carrying a majesty from Jesus that will have to be seen to be believed. Don’t be fooled by the nice little Christian girl demeanor – I’m coming in on the honed, cutting edge of His timing, like the Queen of Sheba. Now there’s a woman who understood a splendiferous entrance.
Don’t you know how beautiful you are? You are His jewel. Don’t worry about a thing! He’s going to set you in dignity again. Time, age, circumstance or sinfulness have not dulled you in His eyes. He’s not going to let your beauty be stolen; He knows how to get it back. Be warned world; it’s just plain dangerous to get between a girl, her God, and her bling.