Topic: Treasure. Category: Kingdom>
Bible Scripture: Exodus 19:1-6, Isaiah 33:5-6, Isaiah 11:1-5, Matthew 13:44, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1.
Listen to the full sermon.
Through both the Old and New Testament of God’s love story – the Bible, there are significant references to treasure. There are different types of treasure. For there is physical treasure, spiritual treasure, earthly treasure and treasures of the heart. To determine what is treasure as opposed to trash, it is defined by the worth or value that someone is prepared to pay for it.
In God’s kingdom, He has placed the highest value on each individual. He has paid the ultimate cost. For a deeper revelation of this please listen to our podcast The Covenant of Love, Sealed in Blood.
journey of discovery
So let us journey through both the Old and New Testament to discover some of the hidden treasures of God and His kingdom.
Exodus 19:1-6 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God.
The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”” (ESV)
God’s special treasure
God declares so beautifully that He bore the people of Ancient Israel on eagle’s wings to Himself. The people of Israel considered an eagle as regal. An eagle was admired for its strength and ability to effortlessly soar to great heights.
God in His awesome majesty, heard the cries of the people. In response He delivered them from slavery of their oppressor, the Egyptians. The people of Israel cried out to God. As a result entered into a covenant relationship with the Eternal One. That is a mutual, binding agreement or pledge of an allegiance to each other.
So God brought the people of Ancient Israel out of the depths of slavery and oppression. He carried them to great heights. Soaring effortlessly on the warm air and breath of God.
They would be God’s special treasure. The treasure of His heart.
This is the highest of honour, to be intimate and personal with the living God. It is this relationship that God placed the greatest value.
The Creator God is relational. His word is personal, His presence intimate and His creation testimonial.
God chose the smallest of people groups to reveal to all people, that He is a covenant making God. He places the highest value and honour, on every individual and people group.
Even when God was declaring to the people of Israel how much He treasures and values them, He knew they would not be loyal to Him, or be true to the covenant that they freely agreed to.
God’s heart
Yet God still expressed His heart to them and speaks to them in a way they would understand. As His love is unconditional and His desire toward them is that they would be truly free. Free from the bondage of their selfish desires and the deceptions of their hearts.
The people of Ancient Israel just needed to be real with God and themselves. Instead they said with their mouth that they will be loyal and do all that God says, knowing in their heart they will do no such thing.
So even knowing the deceptions of their heart, God declared over them that they shall be a special treasure to Him. God will make them a great nation of priests, holy and blameless before Him.
If only they would choose Him. Simply put, to obey God’s voice is giving total allegiance to Him, being real with Him, sharing the secrets of their heart with Him, then they could live in the reality of being His special treasure. As His special treasure they were His testimony to the world.
So the first hidden treasure that God reveals to us is His heart for all people.
spiritual treasure
Let us continue on through the Old Testament to discover more of the hidden treasure that God reveals to us.
Isaiah 33:5-6 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.
As we have already stated the people of Israel had tried to deceive God and say they are His, yet in their heart they are not. They oppressed others and in turn became oppressed once again. Corruption and violence rules their lives and the surrounding nations.
But God, whose heart’s desire is for them, reveals to them through His prophet who speaks for Him, the spiritual treasure of the gift of Himself. Which are of God in Jesus, the Messiah and saviour of the world. They are wisdom, knowledge, salvation and reverence of God. Through the prophet Isaiah, God reveals to the people of Israel, and to the world His character.
eternal treasure
Isaiah 11:1-5 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
Jesus the Messiah is full of wisdom, the wisdom of God. This wisdom is the inner quality that embodies His heart and life, all in perfect harmony with the purposes and character of God. This hidden treasure of an intimate relationship entwined with God is revealed to us by God in Jesus.
The understanding of God that Jesus has is way beyond the general revelation of humanity. It is a deep and intimate knowledge of God, that is from the beginning, from within the heart of God Himself.
The Spirit of fear of the LORD is the reverence, awe and wonder. A heart to heart connection with the self existing, eternal one.
from within God’s heart
Jesus being the very essence of God, reveals to us the Father. With the Spirit of God given to us by the Father through Jesus the Son, we are able to know, understand and experience God. Have that heart to heart connection. This is the greatest treasure of all.
Jesus came in the might of God. That is God’s strength, power and victory. His discernment revealed the heart of humanity and everyone’s need for a salvation. Jesus brings equality and justice into this world of oppression and inequality.
So the second hidden treasure that God reveals to us is His qualities and character.
When Jesus walked the earth having clothed Himself in humanity, likened the kingdom of heaven to hidden treasure that when found, is of the highest value. The most precious, most valuable, most glorious are stored in God’s kingdom.
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
God did not hide His kingdom from us. He had placed His kingdom on earth right back in the beginning. Father, Son and Spirit created the heavens and earth and all things good. Instead of God’s right to rule, humanity chose to be subject to their selfish desires and activated evil into God’s perfect world. As a result were consumed by shame and ran from God.
kingdom treasure
So God’s kingdom treasure became hidden to humanity. Yet as the parable goes, when a man found this treasure, he hid it until he could redeem it, own it and possess it. The man knows the treasure is of the highest value and is willing to give all that he has to redeem it.
This is a beautiful picture of God and His kingdom. He placed the highest value on our salvation and for us to enter His Kingdom for all eternity. God in Jesus became the redeemer of humanity. Paid the ultimate cost to enable us to receive and belief we are God’s treasured possession.
There is only one way to enter into God’s kingdom of equality and respect and that is through Jesus. Receiving and believing God and His right to rule and reign. He rules and reigns in wisdom and knowledge, reverence and awe, justice and equality, with a heart to heart connection and might of God. The benefits of God’s kingdom are activated in saying yes to Jesus, yes to God.
So the third hidden treasure that God reveals to us is His kingdom and glory.
the ultimate treasure
Everything of God’s kingdom is revealed in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
God has shone His glorious light into our hearts. The Spirit of God is the treasure of God’s wisdom and knowledge and the secrets of God’s heart revealed in Jesus.
We have the treasure of the eternal living God inside our mortal bodies, these earthern vessels. That is until we receive our eternal inheritance when Jesus returns. Bodies that never get sick, wear out and die.
It is true we carry the presence of the living God. That is the Spirit of Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God within our mortal bodies. The kingdom of Heaven lives inside of us.
I am reminded of the revelation a man of another faith had about this truth. He said, ‘If only Christian’s knew what they were carrying.’
No matter the circumstances of this world we carry the excellence of the presence of God. His power, truth and love we carry into every situation.
Therefore as we journey through this life, in the treasure of His wisdom, knowledge, reverence and salvation. We testify to the world and the spiritual powers of His kingdom and glory. Where it is revealed to the world how God placed the highest value of humanity’s salvation.
God’s glory
So as the Apostle Paul said to the church in Corinth all those centuries ago.
2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:1 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
So the hidden treasure that God reveals to us is His heart for all people, His qualities and character, and His kingdom and glory.
Sermon categories: son of man> love of God> hope and healing> know God> truth> power> end times> experience God> life> success in life> kingdom>
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