Bundles of treasure
Several small pictures, taken together, make up one larger
"picture" of redemption:
"The bundle of life"
When the rich and greedy Nabal refused to help David and his
band of men languishing in the wilderness, an enraged David determined to kill
him. But his hasty resolution was turned aside by the generous gift of
provisions, and the gentle yet forceful words of that sterling character
Abigail, wife of Nabal. In her plea she reminded David of the law of God, and of
his privileged position as the LORD's anointed.
Among her words were the following:
"Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the
life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD
your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of
a sling" (1Sa 25:29).
Abigail's words to David use a beautiful illustration: the
"bundle of the living" (NIV), or "the bundle of life" (KJV).
The "bundle" (Hebrew "tserowr") was a pouch where precious
possessions were kept: the same Hebrew word occurs in Gen 42:35 (money pouches);
Pro 7:20 (purse filled with money); and Hag 1:6 (purse).
JS Mayer writes, in "Biblical Illustrator":
"It is a very beautiful expression, especially when you
consider what the word bundle would mean in those times. Nowadays we do not
usually associate anything precious with a bundle. It is rather the other way.
If a household were removing, for instance, it would be the odds and ends, the
things of little value, that would likely be put into a bundle for convenience
of removal. The precious things of the household would be secured in some safer
way than by being simply huddled together in a bundle. A commercial traveller,
in journeying by rail, would have his big bundles in the van, but anything
particularly valuable would be carried by himself in pocket book or hand bag
securely fastened. But in those primitive days they had not such elaborate means
of securing safety. In shifting their tents to pastures new, any things of
special value would simply be bound up in a bundle, and the husband or wife
would see to it that that bundle was well looked after on the journey. It would
be with them on their camel, or somewhere where they could always see it. Note,
however, in passing, that other metaphor Abigail makes use of with regard to the
enemies of David: 'The souls of thine enemies, them shall He sling out, as out
of the middle of a sling.' It is a very forcible way of putting it. It just
means emphatically the opposite of the care and attention connected with the
bundle. What could be thought more lightly of than the stone slung out of a
sling? So, the bundle implies that which is particularly valuable, whereas the
stone slung out of a sling suggests that which is worthless, not worth taking
any trouble or concern about."
The ultimate, and most beautiful, picture illustrating this
concept is Mal 3:16,17 -- although the same Hebrew word is not used here, the
idea is very relevant: "Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other,
and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his
presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 'They will
be mine,' says the LORD Almighty, 'in the day when I make up my treasured
possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who
serves him.' "
What a "picture" of redemption: to be taken by the loving hand
of an Omnipotent Father, and "bound up" in the bundle of His special and
treasured possessions, kept safe and secure close by Him, through all travels
and trials, until the final destination is reached.
*****
The treasure hidden in a field
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he
had and bought that field" (Mat 13:44).
Noted nineteenth-century scholar John Kitto writes, also in
"Biblical Illustrator":
"Owing to the insecurity of property in the East, from war and
oppression, joined to the necessity of keeping valuable property in hand, for
want of secure banks of deposit, the practice of hiding precious utensils and
ornaments, money and jewels, has always been common. Often these are built up
into the walls of the owner's house, often buried in fields and
gardens."
What might the "treasure" symbolize?
- Understanding and insight, into the truth of
God's revelation: Pro 2:2-5.
- Wisdom, especially
the wisdom that comes from God (Pro 16:16).
We should search for this understanding and wisdom diligently,
as if it were "hidden treasure" (Pro 2:4). This "treasure" is to be found
particularly in Christ: "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and
united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,
in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:2,3).
There is an obvious connection as well as a distinct contrast
between the parable of Mat 13:44 and the next one...
*****
The pearl of great price
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything
he had and bought it" (Mat 13:45,46).
In the earlier parable, the man stumbles upon the "treasure"
-- he was evidently not seeking it at all; he didn't even know it was to be
found! But in the second parable, the merchant has been searching high and low
for the greatest "treasure", the greatest "pearl": tirelessly and with a
practiced eye, he has sifted through and evaluated other "pearls"; he knows the
worth of what he seeks, and he knows immediately when he finds it: "This is it,"
he cries out in joy, "my heart's desire!"
But, in each case, whether by apparent "accident", or by
design and ceaseless effort, the man who at last finds the great "treasure" will
do anything, and part with everything else, if only he might acquire
it!
And so it should be with the knowledge of Christ that leads to
eternal life. Never has there been, nor ever shall there be, such a treasure as
this. One man may happen upon it, in what looks like the purest coincidence (but
really isn't!): a leaflet picked up and casually perused in an idle moment, a
word listened to at just the right moment. Another man may seek diligently, a
whole lifetime, until he finds the real and satisfying truth of the Bible. Each
path is acceptable, and each path has been taken by many, many men and women.
The point is that each path leads to the same goal: the "treasure" at the end of
the "rainbow" (literally! see Gen 9:13!).
It must be said that there is an interesting "twist" in the
story. Notice that "the man" in other parables of Mat 13 plainly represents
Christ: for example, he is the man who sows the seed, in each of the first two
parables (vv 3,24,37).
So the question arises: instead of the "treasure" (or the
"pearl") being the "gospel" or "Christ" himself, and the man (or the merchant)
the one who finds the gospel... why not the reverse? Why not: the man who finds
the "treasure" is Christ, and the one being found is the believer?
And the answer, I believe, is: why not indeed? Whether it be
by what appears to be coincidence (but which is really the providence of God),
or by diligent and long searching, Christ will seek out and find HIS "treasure",
HIS "pearls". And they will be the "treasured possessions", the "jewels" in his
"crown" (cp Phi 4:1; 1Th 2:19), the ones who are bound up in HIS "bundle" of
precious things!
They will be Christ's "treasure", also, BECAUSE they
"treasured" what they found. It is a cliché, surely, that we all become,
in time, what we seek after, or what we want to be. The pleasure-seeker becomes
a hedonist, the leisure-seeker becomes lazy, the ardent striver after wealth
becomes rich: what we desire in our heart of hearts is what, at the last, we
will BECOME! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also", and "As a
man thinks in his heart, so he becomes."
The seeker after the treasure of God's truth, His word, His
promises -- who desires that above all else, and who will sacrifice everything
else to possess it... will in the end BECOME the very "treasure" which he
sought! If the word of God is precious (1Sa 3:1) -- and we know it is -- then
those who treasure that word will become themselves the precious "word made
flesh" (John 1:14): they will have the treasure of God's word stored in jars of
clay (2Co 4:7), and they will eagerly anticipate the day when their corruptible
vessels will become incorruptible vessels of eternal truth.
And all together, the individual redeemed ones will constitute
the Bride of the Lamb, the "virtuous woman" who is the Bridegroom's greatest
treasure, "for she is worth far more than rubies" (Pro 31:10).
Each of these two propositions has merit, and each -- it is
believed -- may be true:
- Do we seek Christ, or does Christ seek us?
- Do we find Christ, or does
Christ find us?
And the answer is: Yes, and yes! It all depends on which
perspective we have. To human eyes, and human experience, it may appear as
though WE do all the seeking and all the finding. But from God's point of view,
we all were known and marked out ahead of time. For His point of view, we do not
save ourselves; we cannot save ourselves -- rather, we are searched for, and
found, and redeemed, and treasured -- all because of HIS desire, and by HIS
will:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless
in his sight. In love he predestined us [literally, 'marked us out ahead of
time'] to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his
pleasure and will -- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely
given us in the One he loves" (Eph 1:3-6).
Bound up in the "bundle" of God's living "pearls", and at last
forming the wondrous treasure which adorns His Son's glorious crown.
"Come out, you daughters of Zion, and look at the king...
wearing the crown, the crown with which he was crowned on the day of his
wedding, the day his heart rejoiced" (Song 3:11).
