Articles

Greater Riches

by Justin Huffman

The splendors of King Tutankhamun’s Egyptian tomb are arguably the most popular and traveled artifacts in the world. The Treasures of Tutankhamun tour was first shown at the British Museum in London, where more than 1.6 million visitors came to see the exhibition. Some waited in line for up to eight hours just to get in; it was the museum’s most popular exhibition ever. In the United States, more than eight million people flocked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just to get a sight of King Tut’s treasures.

You can get some idea of just how much wealth King Tut possessed from the fact that one small, gold-plated chest, which housed some of his visceral organs, was recently valued at more than a quarter of a million dollars. His coffin was made from solid gold, and weighed 2,500 pounds. Today it is worth $13 million.

And as if that was not enough, King Tutankhamen’s face was covered by a mask of 22 carat gold which weighs in at 296 pounds. It is estimated to be worth 1.5 million dollars. When the exhibit came to the Museum of Ancient Art in Switzerland in 2004, it was assigned the staggering replacement value of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.

Not a Remarkable Treasure

There are two things that immediately spring to my mind as worth mentioning in relation to King Tut’s wealth. First, Tutankhamun was apparently not even a particularly notable pharaoh in ancient times; his tomb is so well known today, not because it was particularly large, but because it is among the best-preserved, having been overlooked by most ancient grave robbers. In fact, the size of his relatively small, forgettable tomb was probably the reason the tomb was not discovered or opened until modern times.

The second thing that needs mentioning is this: Moses would have been totally unimpressed with King Tutankhamun’s resources. He lived around similar—and probably much greater—wealth on a daily basis.

Moses would have said “tut-tut” to King Tut’s treasures.

The book of Hebrews records this remarkable observation about Moses’ life:

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt…” (Hebrews 11:24-26).

Moses considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than all the treasures that Egypt had to offer.

Shouldn’t it put us to shame to see how Moses, enjoying untold wealth, gave it all up for the sake of Christ, while we often forget to even think of Christ in our headlong pursuit of some small piece of the Western money pie?

A Faith-Full Appraisal

The grounds for Moses’ valuation is said to be his faith. By faith, Moses assessed the riches of Christ and found them infinitely superior to the treasures of Egypt. Only faith can see why shepherding in the lonely wilderness for 40 years, followed by wandering in another wilderness for another 40 years, could possibly be considered a better choice than the very best that Egypt had to offer.

By faith, Moses understood—and unswervingly lived out—what Peter wrote concerning Christian discipleship: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14). Because God is gloried when we esteem Him higher than every earthly fortune, we should be happy to be reproached for the name of Christ.

But Moses and Peter are not the only ones who discovered the great treasure that is hid in the field of Christ. Paul spoke of his great joy, in the midst of great sorrow; this was because he recognized that, in Christ, he had all that he needed: “as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

The one who possesses Christ owns everything.

It is in light of this reality that God delights in our delighting in Him. He knows that He is always worth whatever His service may cost us. This is why He admonishes us:

“Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Paul was so delighted with the bargain that he had found (counting all but loss for Christ), that he even prays for other saints to enjoy the wonderful and worthy wealth that he had discovered in Christ. He shares his prayer request that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

No Regrets

Moses, Paul, and many others have made irrevocable decisions to follow Christ in the face of personal, financial sacrifice. But interestingly we see no regrets expressed by them, only joy at the blessings that are found in Christ. Paul wrote that he counted all else but dung that he might win Christ. And Moses…

Have you ever though about the fact that—while the children of Israel were constantly looking back with longing to the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic that they had enjoyed in Egypt (Numbers 11:5)—this was slaves’ food? Moses, on the other hand, had tasted the very best dainties that Egypt’s court could offer, and yet you never find him looking back with longing to Egypt!

Dear believer, money is important. How you earn it, how you save it, how you spend it all says something about your sense of Christian stewardship. But never, never be fooled into thinking that money is an end in itself, something to be desired for itself.

There are “greater riches” — the wealth for which Moses strived.

And, while seeking those greater riches usually means giving up some lesser treasures, it is always worth it.

If Moses was here today, I am certain that he would urge us to follow the counsel that Christ gives us in Revelation: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich” (3:18). Have you learned to tut-tut the treasures of Egypt? Have you discovered the greater riches of the reproach of Christ?

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