Immeasurable Value

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” [1.Corinthians 6:20]

The Dead Sea in Israel is one of the most unusual spots on the planet. At 1,312 feet below sea level, it’s the lowest water surface on Earth. The Dead Sea receives over 6 million tons of water every day from the Jordan River alone, but even though it has no outlet the water level never rises. The old geographers used to think there was an enormous chasm in the bottom of the Dead Sea, and that its water poured itself down into the center of the earth. But Lieutenant Lynch of the United States Navy sounded every part of the Dead Sea and disproved that theory.

The sea bed is 47 miles long and an average of 9 miles wide. Therefore, evaporation in that seething desert basin exceeds the input, making the Dead Sea seven times as salty as the ocean. Because of its high mineral content, no one can ever sink or drown while bathing there. It was said that Vespasian, the ancient Roman commander, heard of this fact. He tested it by ordering slaves to be thrown into the sea with their hands and feet tied. The slaves floated.

The high concentration of minerals also makes the Dead Sea one of the most valuable spots on Earth. Among the precious minerals in the Dead Sea is potash. Often used for explosives, potash is also a potent fertilizer. It has been estimated that the Dead Sea has enough potash to provide the entire world’s fertilizer needs for 2,000 years.

This body of water contains an estimated 22 billion tons of magnesium chloride, 12 billion tons of common salt, six billion tons of calcium chloride, two billion tons of potassium chloride, and one billion tons of magnesium bromide. The value of these chemicals comes to the staggering figure of $1,270,000,000,000. All the goods exported from Israel are nothing in comparison with the enormous mineral wealth in the Dead Sea.

Who would dream that a place that is so outwardly lifeless could be so valuable? Perhaps you have also underestimated your worth before God. Scripture tells us, “…you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ…” (1.Peter 1:18,19). In this way, God has placed immeasurable value on each one of us.