The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13: 44
The parable of the hidden treasure DIG: How does this parable couple with the parable of the Pearl? Whom does each parable represent? How so? Where do we find that in the Scriptures? Did the man who found the treasure do something immoral when he bought the field knowing that it contained a hidden treasure? Why? Why not? How do we know ADONAI is not finished with Isra’el? What flow of thought do you see in the six parables studied so far?
REFLECT: When we put our faith in Yeshua Ha’Meshiach, a spiritual eureka moment arrives. Have you shared that moment with a Jewish friend?
The one main point of the parable of the Hidden Treasure is that even with the doctrinal corruption,
a remnant will be saved out of Isra’el.
The third couplet is comprised of the parables of the Hidden Treasure (Isra’el) and the Pearl (Gentiles), which show the dividing wall of hostility has been broken down (Ephesians 2:14-18) and Jews and Gentiles together form the invisible universal Church. Jesus is no longer in front of a crowd by the Sea of Galilee, but alone with His talmidim in Peter’s house.
In 1867 on a farm in South Africa, fifteen-year-old Erasmus Jacobs saw a stone glistening in the sun. The shining rock was eventually reported to a neighbor, who wanted to buy it from the family. Not knowing its value, Erasmus’ mother told the neighbor, “You can keep the stone, if you want it.” Eventually, a mineralogist determined the stone to be a 21.25-carat diamond and obviously had great value. It became known as the “Eureka Diamond” because the Greek word eureka means I found it. Soon the field near the Jacobs farm soared in value. Underneath the land was one of the richest diamond deposits ever discovered. Messiah said that the value of being part of God’s Kingdom is like a treasure.714
Still inside the house (to see link click Ez – The Private Parables of the Kingdom in the House), Jesus continued to teach, saying: The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds Explained, Yeshua had already interpreted the field to mean the world. And the TaNaKh tells us that when a treasure is used symbolically it refers to Isra’el: Now if you obey me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession (Exodus 19:5). For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you to be His own unique treasure out of all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 14:2 CJB). For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be His own, Isra’el to be His treasured possession (Psalm 135:4).
This parable teaches that there will be a remnant that will be saved out of Isra’el, there will be Jews coming to the Messiah during the period of the mystery Kingdom. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. According to halakhah, if the treasure is unmarked and found on public land, it belongs to the finder. If it is marked, the owner must be sought out. If the find is natural (a gold nugget or diamond) or unmarked on private land, it belongs to the owner of the land; that’s why the finder bought that field – to become the new owner.
But, the parable seems to imply that the finder bought that field at the “pre-treasure” price, and that if the owner had known the treasure was there, he wouldn’t have sold the field at that price. This raises an ethical question: is the finder obligated either by halakhah or morality (if indeed that is different) to notify the owner of the treasure before buying the field? No. Property always has the potential beyond what owners know; only ADONAI knows everything. An owner can investigate the opportunities offered by what he owns, and others are not obligated to occupy their time with increasing his knowledge. In other words, the owner is responsible to know the condition of his own property. So, if I learn that your land has oil under it, I don’t need to inform you of that fact when I offer to buy it, since ownership should motivate you more than me to find this out for yourself. The seller of this piece of land received a fair price for his land with the potential he knew about it; as is often the case, the new owner bought it because he perceived additional potential.715
The treasure does not come into His possession, only the place where the treasure is. By His death Jesus purchased the whole world, and Isra’el is the treasure in the world. As a result, many Jews will become believers in Yeshua ha-Meshiach during the Dispensation of Grace (see my commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace).716
Actually, Isra’el is buried throughout the world. The largest population of Jews is not in Isra’el but is in New York City. And Jewish people are scattered throughout the world. But, ADONAI is not through with Isra’el as a nation. Rabbi Sha’ul wrote: In that case, I say, is it that God has rejected His people? Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Isra’el, from the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people, whom He has chosen in advance . . . (Romans 11:1-2a).
Zechariah wrote: And I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to Me, whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on His behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son (see my commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ).
The prophet Jeremiah in many passages speaks of the regathering of the people of Isra’el and of Ha’Shem bringing them back to their own Land. That time is still future. When God regathers them, it will be by miracles so great that they will even forget their miraculous deliverance from Egypt that has been celebrated longer than any religious holiday (see my commentary on Isaiah Dd – The Wolf Will Live With the Lamb). YHVH is not through with the nation of Isra’el, and this parable makes that fact very clear.717
The nine parables we have looked at develop a basic flow of thought: (1) The Parable of the Soils (Et) teaches that there will be a sowing of the Gospel throughout the Church Age. (2) The Parable of the Seed Growing By Itself (Eu) teaches that gospel seed will have an inner energy so that it will spring to life on its own. (3) The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Ev) teaches that the true sowing will be imitated by a false counter-sowing. (4) The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Ew) teaches that the visible Church will assume abnormal outer growth. (5) The Parable of the Leaven (Ex) teaches that the doctrine of the visible church will be corrupted. (6) The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Fb) teaches that even with the doctrinal corruption, a remnant will be saved out of Isra’el.
Leave A Comment