Treasure from God’s Perspective
When we look at nature and see how God created all things, how they operate in unity to maintain life, even the cosmos and how it affects our solar system, how the moon affects our tides, how the earth hangs on nothing which was known before any astronomer knew the fact (Job 26:7), how the earth spins at exactly the right speed, and how precise the distance between the sun and earth to create the four seasons, we cannot but wonder how marvelous are His works, and we sometimes think that those things are His treasure, and they are.
Job 26:7
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
If we can imagine the interaction of all His creation and creatures and the cycle of life, it is pretty obvious that this was by design and not by some random chance, Romans 1:18-24, where only fools cannot see the awesomeness of God’s design. Nevertheless, God has a greater treasure on Earth than all these things, and that is the people He created, simply because they are made in His image and likeness, and therefore His desire to have a relationship so that none of them will perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16), which is why He sent Jesus (The Word) to forgive sins and Who will appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation, Hebrews 9:28.
Romans 1:18-24
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
We need to understand that Jesus gave up His deity to appear in the likeness of a man and made Himself of no reputation by making Himself a servant (Philippians 2:6-11), and became obedient to death on the cross. We see from this that Jesus gave up everything to save mankind out of selfless love which is told in the parable of the treasure found in a field, see Matthew 13:44-46.
Philippians 2:6-11
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 13:44-46
44 Again, 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.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
In the scriptures above, the treasure/pearls represent the people, the field represents the world, and the selling of all possessions represents giving up everything the seller has to acquire the treasure that is in the world. Therefore, Jesus gave up His deity and His life to save people and hid his followers in Christ to protect and prosper them (Colossians 3:2-4) until His reappearance so that He can claim them into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is the body of Christ which is all the believers in the world.
Colossians 3:2-4
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
This highlights God’s love for His people in the world and that He wishes to protect them (hiding the treasure) until his second appearance when He will raise them up. He will first revive them for 2 days and then raise them up on the third day which refers to the Millennium reign of Christ, Hosea 6:1-3. In other words, after the cross, Jesus will revive believers for 2 days representing 2,000 years because Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8 that one day for the Lord is as a thousand years. We are now close to the time that fulfils the 2 days, i.e. 2,000 years since Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension where many people have been revived, and others are still being revived through the born-again experience. In the third day, representing the next thousand years, He will raise us up and we will live in His sight, meaning that we will be reigning with Him which is at the Millennial reign when re reappears.
Hosea 6:1-3
1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
2 Peter 3:8
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
Treasure from Man’s Perspective
The treasure from man’s perspective is the Word (Jesus) that takes us into the kingdom of God through salvation. The Word is our hope to understand God’s ways in the Kingdom and we should treasure it above all things, and we should never trade it for anything else. The hope, joy, love, and peace in the kingdom of Heaven is priceless and should be sought above all material things.