The Goodly Pearls

The Merchant Man
Seeking Goodly Pearls

Matthew 13:45-46

Verses 45 and 46 of Matthew 13
give us the following parable: “Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant
man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of
great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it.”

If Israel is the treasure hid in the field, then they are
also the pearl of great price. Goodly pearls
and treasure hid in the field are very similar.
And both of these parables set forth a
truth repeatedly emphasized in the Old
Scriptures but which is almost completely
overlooked or ignored today. Namely this,
that Christ died for the redemption of
Israel as well as for the personal salvation of “whosoever will” in
the field or the world.

We must establish this fact in our
minds for without it the kingdom parables
cannot be understood: The Israel people
are always spoken of as the kingdom people
and redemption is for the Kingdom of
God and without this redemption there
never could be a Kingdom of God on earth.
There are many passages in the Bible
which deal with the redemption of Israel
or the Anglo-Saxons. One such scripture is
Isaiah 44:21-23: “Remember these, O
Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant:
I have formed thee; thou art my
servant: O Israel; thou shalt not be
forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as
a thick cloud, thy sins: return unto
me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O
ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it:
shout, ye lower parts of the earth:
break forth into singing, ye mountains,
O forest and every tree therein:
for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob,
and glorified himself in Israel.”

The redemption of Israel is such a
glorious truth and its results and effects
are so far-reaching and so blessed that the
prophet Isaiah calls upon the heavens to
sing and the lower parts of the earth to
shout. He cries to the mountains to break
forth into singing and every tree in the
forest to do likewise “for the Lord hath
redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in
Israel.”

The redemption of Israel is a study by
itself but must be kept in mind as we continue
our study of the kingdom parables.
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