“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” (Matt. 13:44).
Most persons have had their hearts set upon a treasure of some kind. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). In the Scripture before us, 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 Colossians 3:3 — “Your life is hid with Christ in God.” His eye had caught sight of something that filled His heart, and He sold all that He had and bought the field (the world) in which the treasure (the church) was found. The Father is preparing each soul 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. 3:16-17). Malachi speaks of the time when the Lord will make up His jewels. Preparation is made now in view of that day.
Holy Jerusalem
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed 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. 21:10-12,18-20).
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 to all created intelligence.
The Manifold Wisdom of God
Ephesians 3:10 speaks of the “manifold wisdom of God.” This could be translated, “the multi-colored wisdom of God.” “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Eph. 3:21). 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 — the heart of man, for an environment that is wholly of God? We shall be at home there as natives in our own country. 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. Color is the most important consideration, especially in precious stones, although shaping and chiseling are also required. 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.
Afflictions and Trials
“O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live” (Isa. 38:16). In 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 was also 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 sympathizes with us. 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 tear will ever fall, not a groan will be uttered, but that which is necessary in order that the color in the prism might be perfect.
“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path,” said David in Psalm 142:3.
The Future Creation of God
Everything in the future creation of God 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” (Isa. 38:16). 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, 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” (Isa. 54:11). Sapphires stones and also rubies come from a base of corundum, or aluminum oxide. This material has no color and is practically worthless as far as gems are concerned, but the processes of heat and pressure in the deep places of the earth prepare the pieces of corundum, which in itself is worthless, into comely gems. These will be part of the foundations of the heavenly city. 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.
C. E. Lunden (adapted)