Marie Antoinette was the wife of King Louis XVI of France. She was guillotined in the bloody French revolution in 1793.
Before she was put to death, she had secretly smuggled out of the country some of her most treasured possessions to her family. Some of the Marie Antoinette jewelry has not been seen in public for 200 years.
One of those items was recently put up for auction at Sotheby’s: The Queen Marie Antoinette’s Pearl, a diamond-and-pearl pendant. It is described as a large drop-shaped natural pearl pendant. It sold for 32 million dollars! Sotheby’s called it a record price for a pearl at auction.
This story in the news reminded me that the treasures of this world are so temporary. We possess something right now, but then someday it will go to a new owner. That is simply a fact of life. Even royalty cannot hold on to the throne or riches forever. That was true for Marie Antoinette. It is also true for us.
The writer of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes affirmed, “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.” (5:15) And the Apostle Paul declared, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (I Timothy 6:7)
A very important truth to remember.