Most persons have had their hearts set upon a treasure of some kind. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:3434For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34)).
In the Scripture before us, Matt. 13:4444Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44), the Person is the Son of man, and the treasure is the church, which is hid in a field. It could not be Israel, for they were not hidden. A Man, having found the treasure, hid it, as we read in Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3), "—your life is hid with Christ in God."
His eye had caught sight of something that filled His heart. It satisfied a desire and need in His soul that nothing else could, and for the joy thereof He sold all that He had and bought the field (the world) in which the treasure (the church) was found.
Material things were not His object, but souls, who form the church, valuable to Him above all else. The Father is preparing each soul in the lower part of the earth to be the means of display of glory, and for eternal companionship with Jesus.
"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
"And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him" (Mal. 3:16,1716Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:16‑17)).
Malachi speaks of the time when the Lord will make up His jewels. Preparation is made now in view of that day.
"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and sheaved me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,...
"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst" (Rev. 21:10-12,18-2010And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: (Revelation 21:10‑12)
18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. (Revelation 21:18‑20)).
Stones exemplify beauty, rarity, durability, and fixed color and are named because of color, not from their source. Each of the twelve stones of Revelation bears a different color or hue, and all speak of the glory of God, for color typifies glory shining through a variety of prisms. Each precious stone will display through a prism, in varying shades as a spectrum of color, the glory of God, before hidden, to all created intelligence.
This verse seems to take us farther into eternity than any other. What an effect this should have on us now, to cause us to walk carefully that we might adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
We marvel as the counsels of God are opened to us, revealing coming things and the preparation being made now in each believer during the allotted span of life, a lasting work that only the Father of spirits can produce in our spirits.
"All the history of the saints is an exhibition of the hidden eternal counsels of the divine bosom to be revealed later." "The art of educating man's spirit to the finest temper lies only with the Father of spirits."
Who but God can read the motives of the heart? Who but God can prepare man, yea, the heart of man, for an environment that is wholly of God? We shall be at home there as natives in our own country.
The treasure may be composed of many pieces, usually gold, silver, or precious stones, each having its own history. There were times when kings or noblemen, when visiting one another, would bring forth their treasures for display. Days may have been spent telling the history of each gem. Some were gained in battle, some purchased, others found in the lower parts of the earth in mines.
When jewels are displayed, they have already been prepared. Besides the shaping and chiseling required, the color is the most important consideration, especially in precious stones. Some, such as the sardius, excel in depth of color.
To arrive at the proper color in each stone, infinite skill is required, accomplished by God Himself, through affliction under His government. Some cringe when the term "government of God" is used, but every believer is under the government of God, even as a child is under a governor. To miss this is to miss the very center of all God's ways with us.
In Isa. 54:1111O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. (Isaiah 54:11) we see the government of God in operation for our blessing. "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."
It is through suffering that each color is formed and will transmit the light of the glory of God. Color is produced under a combination of pressure and heat in the lower parts of the earth. We feel the suffering—the pressure—the heat—but God tells us how it all takes place and provides the answer to the question, "Why?"
As we pass through deep trials, sometimes without comfort, let us, as believers in the Lord Jesus, remember the One Who experienced many more times the suffering we have, and, besides, He was left alone, forsaken of God, as He made atonement for us.
How our spirits are cheered to know that each pain we feel He has felt, and He knows and sympathizes with us. One who has faith in Christ is comforted by this.
Little do we realize as the hours of suffering slowly pass, that skillfully, with the Master hand, the stone is being formed to its proper hue, just right for its eternal purpose. Not a needless tear will ever fall, not a groan will be uttered, only that which is necessary in order that the color in the prism might be perfect.
Everything in the creation of God yet to come will perfectly harmonize. The groans here, in the meantime, are by the earnest of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. How the knowledge of all this gives light to our souls and strength on the bed of languishing so that we can suffer cheerfully just a little longer that the true color might fully form.
Should there be a blemish in the stone, iron oxide or whatever, the lapidary places the stone in the fire, heated at the proper temperature to erase the iron oxide stain and leave a clear color. This is chastening. "By these things men live." How the thought of chastening is so much better understood when we realize that it is a necessary part of the eternal purpose.
However, a stone cannot be placed in the fire without a covering. It would break in pieces. Christ is our covering, for His work covers our whole history. It was Christ Who bore the wrath of a sin-hating God and as a result has brought us to God in all the perfection of His finished work.
The lapidary makes a solution of boric acid powder and water, completely enclosing the stone which is to pass through the fire. It is the same fire that Jesus went through without a covering. When dry, the stone, with covering, is placed in the fire and as it reaches the exact temperature the stone will come forth free of all defilement and with its proper color, being itself unaffected by the fire.
Such is the operation of God in the lower parts of the earth, preparing each believer and removing morally all that which would spoil the color and the stone.
But it is said, "I will lay... thy foundations with sapphires." Each stone in Rev. 21 has a sapphire origin. Sapphire stones of several tons apiece have been mined. They have no color and are practically worthless as gems, but the process of heat and pressure in the deep places of the earth prepare the pieces of sapphire (aluminum oxide), which in themselves are worthless, into comely gems to shine in a coming day and forever. These will be the foundations of the heavenly city.
clear with a golden glow setting forth divine righteousness and the then transparent glory of God, for the mystery of God will then have been finished.
When we behold the spectrum with its varied hues, our spirits are awed at the excellence in exhibition. So it will be to earth and to all creation when the glory of God will finally be seen in the church by Christ Jesus.
"O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."
So it is to be "comforted of God".
All that has been before us in connection with the treasure will be of no value to a person who is not a believer. If you have not confessed Christ, do so now by confessing with your mouth and by believing on Him in your heart.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).