This beautiful gem from Paul Huxley (reposted here with his permission):

A man finds some treasure in a field, he covers it up, joyfully buys the field and gets the treasure. Does that sound familiar? That’s right. It’s the plot of the book Ruth.

A man, Boaz, finds a treasure in a field (2:4), he covers it up (implied by 3:9), joyfully buys the field (4:9-10) and gets the treasure (4:13).

Of course, you’ll recognise the story from Matthew 13:44.

In the circles I’m in, we’re quick to point out that Boaz is a type of Christ, redeeming his people (sometimes understood corporately, sometimes singularly, occasionally referring to the gentiles). However, the parable in Matthew 13 is always us finding the treasure of the gospel, giving up everything we have for the Kingdom of heaven.

Because the God is three-in-one, I don’t have a beef with either of these, nor having multiple correct understandings of the same passage. But I think we could do with some sharper thinking on Matthew 13.

This post partly sponsored by ‘who the man?’ on Christ the Truth.

If you’ve read my book you’ll be familiar with the Bible Matrix’s correspondence of the ark animals, plunder, Gentile brides, and Gentile money offered to support the Jerusalem church during a famine.[1] Systematic typology opens a lot of doors.

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[1] See What the Seraphim Really Said.

Whenever the Word of God comes, it is an end to business as usual. Some people taste life, others taste death, and there is conflict between the quick and the dead. God sends confusion to those who have chosen death, and gives miraculous persevering strength to those who have chosen life. Eventually, the wicked are judged and the redeemed are gathered around God. God lets His Word loose among us to create new life, thresh out the husks and gather the wheat into His barn. He calls the sheep out from the goats and brings them home. He disturbs us to bring us true rest.

Jesus’ parables were a two-edged sword. They forced the believers to wrestle with spiritual truths. They also confused and incited the unbelievers to a showdown that would expose their true natures and hasten their destruction. The Bible is the same. It is living water or a cup of destruction depending upon who is drinking.