Treasure Hunters
Send a link to a friend
[January 28, 2011]
--A worship song we used
to sing frequently reads, “You are my strength when I am weak. You
are the treasure that I seek; you are my all in all. Seeking You as
a precious jewel, Lord to give up I’d be a fool. You are my all in
all.”
In 1622, the Spanish galleon known as the “Atocha” went down off the
Florida Keys during a hurricane. At the time, it was carrying the
entire economic foundation of Spain with her. That treasure was
discovered and is worth over 40 million dollars. On the ocean
bottom, there has been found gold bars, silver bars, coins and
jewelry, not to mention many museum quality artifacts. I once had
the privilege of seeing this collection and must admit I was
impressed. I even had a chance to hold one of the gold bars. For a
moment, I was rich, but then they made me give it back.
|
The man who found the sunken treasure is Mel Fisher. Mr. Fisher is
called the greatest treasure hunter in the world. However, Mel
wasn’t always a treasure hunter. Mel Fisher was at one time a
chicken farmer. He took diving lessons and then later opened his own
dive shop. He then became obsessed with finding the long lost
galleon of 1622. In 1968, he moved his entire family from California
to the Florida Keys and began his search.
In 1970, Fisher discovered in the archives of Seville, Spain, the
approximate location of the sunken ship. For years, there were very
little found pieces here and there, artifacts and gold coins from
other ships, but in 1985, they finally hit the “mother lode.”
Things have not always gone well for the Fisher family though. In
1973, Mel’s son was killed while out on an overnight dive not to
mention years of court battles over who gets to keep the gold: the
government, the state of Florida, or Mel himself. The Supreme Court
finally ruled in Mel’s favor.
Today, the recovery of treasured artifacts still continues. The
Atocha is still considered the world’s richest find. But is it
really?
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures
on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and
steal; rather, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth
nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2010/Nov/19/images/ads/current/christianvillage%20ldh%20061407.jpg)
|
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2010/Dec/23/images/ads/current/lcu_lda072810.png)
The song I open this article with seems to imply that there is a
greater treasure then that of the Atocha. The song says that God
becomes the treasure that I am seeking. That He is a precious jewel
and to give Him up, I’d be a fool.
It’s too bad the world hasn’t come to understand this that God is
the most precious thing we could ever have, even more wonderful than
all the sea’s buried treasures. It’s even more amazing that God
considers you and me His treasure. He told the Israelites in Exodus
19:5, “Now therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My
covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all
people.”
Jesus said that we need to seek the right treasure in life. It would
be an exciting thing to have found the wreck of the Atocha, I admit
it. But in all reality, it wouldn’t come close to the treasure I
have in my relationship to God. Not even close.
[Ron Otto, Lincoln Christian Church]
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2010/Dec/09/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png) |