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The Mustard Tree.
The next reason for the delay is that whereas the small seed of Israel should have
flourished and filled the earth with fruit, the sovereignity changed hands, and was
deposited with the Gentiles, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, "until the fulness of the
Gentiles be come in." This stage is marked by the words, "it becometh a tree, and the
fowls lodged in its branches." That which should have been pre-eminently the kingdom
of righteousness, becomes the habitation of satan and his angels.
The Leaven.
The third reason for delay is that the leaven of evil has been put into the meal of God's
truth. This will work its course until the rise of antichrist, and the complete corruption of
the visible witness for God.
Thus we see that the Lord Jesus had no idea of the gradual uplifting of the masses, and
the permeating influence of the gospel. He saw that man had corrupted his way upon the
earth, even as it was in the days of Noah. Hence it is that He uses the same words to
represent the end. Blessed be God, that out of all this corruption and apostasy He will yet
bring His treasure and display His grace. For this creation groans, and the study of this
blessed aspect of the divine purpose shall now be our privilege.
We have considered the first four parables and discovered something of their bearing
upon the course of the kingdom of the heavens. A division is now observable,
emphasized alike by the structural arrangement, the teaching, and the different place in
which they were spoken.
The Treasure.
After the parable of the Leaven the Lord dismissed the multitude, and went into the
house. There He explained the parable of the Tares, and then proceeded to unfold the
inner or Godward aspect of the kingdom in the four parables that followed. Their relation
to each other may be summarized thus:--
A | The treasure in the field.The nation of Israel as distinct from the nations.
B | The one beautiful pearl.--The remnant of Israel as distinct from the nations.
B | The many fish.--The Gentiles nations as distinct from Israel.
A | The treasure in the house.--Israel, viewed as a missionary nation, sent to the nations.
The first of this series (the Hid Treasure) is in direct contrast with the Hid Leaven.
These four parables are found only in Matthew's Gospel. "The kingdom of the heavens
is like unto a treasure hid in the field, which a man finding, hid, and by reason of his joy,
withdraweth and selleth whatsoever he hath, and buyeth that field." Let us examine the
terms of the parable in the light of the subject of the kingdom and the Scriptures relating
thereto. Just before this parable the Lord had said, "The field is the world," hence the
field here (not "a field," as the A.V.) means the world. In this world a treasure was
hidden. What is the treasure?