Treasure in a Field

KJV Matthew 13:44
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.

What is the physical meaning of the text. We can write the text in our own words.

The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure someone finds in a field. When he discovers the treasure he sells everything he has to buy a field. If someone sells everything they own to buy a field, the treasure must be worth much more than the value of their worldly possessions used to purchase the field.

The key words in this text are treasure and field.

Treasure

KJV 2 Kings 12:18
18. And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

KJV 2 Kings 18:15
15. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house.

In the Bible the word treasure is used to describe worldly possessions, much like the commonly accepted meaning today. This is a physical description of treasure and not the spiritual description we are looking for. Additional texts need to be reviewed.

KJV Proverbs 15:16
16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

KJV Proverbs 21:6
6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

KJV Jeremiah 48:7
7. For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

The above texts clearly show worldly treasure can cause trouble and vanity. Especially if it is derived through deceitful measures. Does this indicate the Bible contains more than one meaning for the word treasure? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21 indicates the word treasure holds more than one meaning.

KJV Proverbs 2:3-5
3. Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4. If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

KJV Isaiah 33:6
6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

KJV Ezekiel 28:4
4. With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

KJV Colossians 2:3
3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

One spiritual meaning of the word treasure is wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the fear of the Lord.

Treasure = wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the fear of the Lord.

Field

KJV Genesis 2:19-20
19. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

KJV Psalms 50:11
11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

KJV Psalms 103:15
15. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

KJV Isaiah 32:15-16
15. Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. 16. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

It may seem a difficult to determine a clear spiritual meaning for the word field from the above text containing three metaphors. The texts tell us God made every beast of the field. God not only created the animals and birds, but also the field. Man’s days are as the grass and flower of the field. Man’s days are also numbered upon this earth, just as the grass and the flower. Isaiah 32 is the most interesting text telling us, the Spirit will be poured upon us, meaning people. It also tells us the wilderness will become a fruitful field, the field will become like a forest. This shows the effects of the Spirit and represents the extent of growth one can expect when receiving the blessings of the Spirit. The blessings will grow and flourish. What was once a wilderness or waste land will become a flourishing field and a forest.

This does not seem to supply conclusive evidence supplying us with a clear spiritual meaning for the word field. It does aid in explaining an important lesson or rule of interpretation explained after the following text.

KJV Matthew 13:38
38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Beyond any doubt Matthew 13:38 explains, the physical field spiritually represents the world.

Field = the world

This is a perfect illustration of cognitive thinking; the ability to reason with the evidence given and form a logical conclusion. Here we are given an example of Jesus using cognitive thinking. God created the beasts, birds and fields. God also created the world. Man’s days are numbered as the grass of this world. When the Spirit is poured upon people in this world, their dry parched life flourishes and begins to grow. Hence, the field in each of these text is pointing to more than a field, each statement is referring to the world as a whole. When using the process of cognitive thinking we need to consider more than one text for any given key word. Each of the proof texts must agree with a single spiritual meaning of the physical word. Further more, when the spiritual word is substituted for the physical word, it must not change the meaning of the text. God created beasts and birds of the field. God also created the field. God created the beasts, birds, fields and the world. As for man, his days are as the grass and the flowers of the world (field). When the spirit is poured upon man, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful world (field). All of these texts are in essence speaking of the greater accomplishment by God. They are all using the word field as a metaphor for the world.

Field = the world

To paraphrase Matthew 13:44:
The kingdom of Heaven is like wisdom hidden in the world. When a man has found it, sells all that he has and buys the world. Or one could say, “he helps the world to see the wisdom he has found.”

This lesson also shows, Bible text may contain both the physical meaning of a word and the spiritual. When substituted into the text the spiritual meaning will contain a much deeper meaning not apparent during the initial examination of the text. The spiritual words will not change the context but will reveal a deeper, more profound message.