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Isaiah 13:12 - More Precious than Fine Gold:
Isaiah embeds layered meaning into his statement that the Lord will make a man more precious than fine gold. This statement appears in a context of great world-wide destruction. The context gives a glimpse into Isaiah’s intent. Additionally, word-links throughout Isaiah sketch understanding like a connect-the-dot drawing. One occurrence may point to a specific interpretation, but the whole context and meaning are not appreciated until one views the entire picture. This is certainly true in this instance. Another critical point to understand Isaiah is to have a basic knowledge of his culture and time.
Taking It from Context
Reviewing this chapter up to this point (verse 12) gives an idea of what Isaiah means when he says Messianically, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12). Remember, this is a part of Isaiah’s vision in which he sees the fall of Babylon. He is speaking of an invading force that comes suddenly upon an unprepared and unrepentant people. “They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, yea, the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land” (Isaiah 13:5).
When Isaiah says a man will be more precious than fine gold, he is eluding partly to the predicted scarcity of people in that day due to the destruction. There will be few left, according to Isaiah’s vision. Concerning the Assyrian armies, Isaiah says, “the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them” (Isaiah 10:19). And concerning the covenant people, Isaiah reports that only a small remnant, a tenth will remain (see Isaiah 6:13).
What will cause this massive amount of bloodshed? “Howl ye,” Isaiah laments, “for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty” (Isaiah 13:6). Here is a description of what awaits the wicked in those days:
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isaiah 13:17-19
If you recall the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the outcome for the inhabitants did not turn out well for them. All that remained of the ancient cities was the rubble and ash. Except Lot and his two daughters, there were no survivors. Is that the forecast? Are we doomed to destruction? Without a course change, sadly the answer is yes.
Even More Precious
Despites Isaiah differentiating between “gold” and “fine gold”, the true idea he projects is underlined by the statement, “I will make a man more precious than….” As precious and refined as fine gold may be, Isaiah essentially says those survivors of the coming holocaust will be even more precious than they. The foreseen calamity will be so devastating that if the Lord does not end it, none would survive. The Lord tells his disciples, “Except those days should be shortened, there should none of their flesh be saved. But for the elect’s sake, according to the covenant, those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:19-20 [24:22]).
This concept portrays one of the enduring characteristics of God. Though golds and silvers constitute the riches of this earth, in God’s eyes the true wealth of the earth is in his children. We are the greatest treasure the earth bears, and for us was the earth created. In this earth he sent his Beloved Son to prepare a way for our return. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The purpose for these end-time catastrophes is truly a manifestation of God’s love, not his anger. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God: for behold the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh: wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth” (D&C 43:3 [18:10-13]).
It is for these people, those who repent, the Lord suffered, even when there were none by his side. This is the plan and will of the Father because of his infinite love for us.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted…. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand
Isaiah 63:3-4, 10
The events of the last days demonstrate God’s commitment to his children, to keep his covenant with the children is Israel. Unfortunately, it is our rebellion that brings the destructive events.
I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Isaiah 63:7-10
But for those who do not rebel, the Lord has great blessings in store, whether they be the children of Israel, or whether they be children of strangers. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4). While the rebellious receive the indignation is God, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
In the end, all upon the earth who survive to usher in the Lord’s second coming will have been refined through or even before the tribulations. “For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron” (Isaiah 60:17). But those who were gold and silver—who were not rebellious—will become even more precious than those who will represent fine gold.
How are we becoming refined before that great and dreadful day?
This is only a portion of the commentary on this verse. Click here to read the full commentary.
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