Flint
Likely one of the first of the minerals to be harnessed in any utilitarian sense, flint has a ease of fracturing and sharpening with other readily available tools, such as deer antlers or even other rocks and minerals. It can be shaped into a spearhead shape for hunting or use to start a fire after the hunt has been executed. It is readily available in many places on Earth and comes in a variety of useful compositions. We know that only seven generations beyond Adam that humans were forging metals, such as bronze and iron (Gen. 4:22), with Tubal-Cain being among the chiefest. However, before you can have a fire of molten metal to smelt you actually have to have a fire of something much less hot, such as sticks, started with stones - stones that can strike little bits of molten flakes or sparks. Flint is perfect for this, and without the incredibly fortunate discovering of a field on fire from a lightning strike or using an lens of ice to concentrate the sun’s rays to start a fire, flint would be the most likely culprit in bringing fire to mankind first, no doubt as early as just one generation removed from Adam, since both Cain and Abel made sacrifices to the Lord (Gen 4:3-4). Thus, flint was likely used to spark the fire that first sacrifice by mankind was offered in; recall the first sacrifice was done by God himself in the slaughtering of some animal as skin coverings for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21), and, of course, the first one being offered by humans were offered by Cain and Abel. Flintstone was not merely used in this sacrifice however, but was definitively used in the sealing of the covenant with the Israelites in using the sharp sheared edfe of a flint knife to sever the foreskin of the male Hebrews: “At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” (Joshua 5:2). Praise God, that while he is the God of heaven he is also the God of earth and unashamedly, unabashedly uses the things of earth to bring us to him. He is a heavenly God, but He is also an earthy God as well!
