In 1576, soldier and adventurer Humphery Gilbert published a pamphlet titled
A Discourse of a Discoverie for a New Pasage to Cataia, wherein he put forth evidence for a Northwest Passage to Asia across the top of North America , and described the commercial advantages for opening such a trade route. Not only could England become wealthy through trade in gold, silver, precious stones and spices, but it could settle the newly discovered strait.

A group of London merchants formed a plan to send Martin Frobisher to find the Northwest Passage on their behalf.

With three tiny ships, Frobisher set out from London on June 7, 1576. As they passed down the Thames, Queen Elizabeth I waved them farewell from the window of her palace at Greenwich , and sent a messenger aboard to express her thanks for their hazardous undertaking.

During a stormy six-week crossing of the North Atlantic , the smallest of Frobisher's three ships sank and another turned back in fear. Only the flagship Gabriel, a tiny vessel with a crew of 18, continued westward. Eventually, on July 28 they sighted a barren rocky headland which Frobisher named "Queen Elizabeth's Foreland," in honor of his royal patron. This was Resolution Island , the most easterly outpost of Arctic Canada. There, they loaded 200 tons of a mineral that they believed contained gold.

When a London assayer claimed that the stone was high-grade gold ore, the implications were enormous!

Assayers in England gave widely differing estimates of the value of the ore brought back by Frobisher in 1577. However, the Company of Cathay chose to believe the most optimistic assays, and began to organize the largest Arctic expedition ever mounted.

Hundreds of tons of ore were unloaded at several locations in England , but over
the following winter, it became apparent that the rock was nothing but worthless iron pyrite.  As a result, most of the backers of the Company of Cathay lost their investment, Frobisher was in disgrace, and one of the promoters spent time in prison. The entire story of the deception that caused this first major gold-mining fraud in Canadian history has never been discovered.

After the loss of many men, ships and a large investment, Frobisher's alleged “gold” mines were soon forgotten, and even their locations were lost to history.

The "precious fortune" that cost so much time, effort and investment, in the final judgment, was only “fools gold” - worthless to the redeemer. *

Similarly, the “precious fortunes” tirelessly pursued by many will also be found worthless when Jesus, the Son of God, returns to judge the world.  The things of this world won’t last (2 Peter 3:10).  Only those who have received the spiritual treasures which are the result of a right relationship with God will keep them throughout eternity (see Matthew 6:19-21).

Eternal, spiritual treasures await those who: by faith in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Those who continue to follow Him faithfully will not lose those eternal treasures (Revelation 2:10).

Are YOUR pockets full of “fool’s gold,” or do you have those eternal treasures which come ONLY through Christ?
 

-- Terry Livingston & David A. Sargent

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

* Source: Canadian Museum of Civilization -- http://www.civilization.ca/hist/frobisher/frint01e.html (Edited by Terry Livingston)