We are treasures to God, set apart from the ordinary, as He perceives us with special value. As stated in Deuteronomy 7:6, we are not only treasure but a special treasure, imbued with an emotional quality that reflects His love for us. This treasure is not treated carelessly; God gives us particular attention and care, ensuring we are safe and valued. In the New Testament, we are similarly described as a special people, reinforcing this sense of being cherished by Him. Malachi 3:17 further personalizes this view, portraying us as individual jewels of great value within His treasure. Each of us is a focus of His warm caring, not merely as part of a larger body, but as distinct individuals whom He treasures and spares as His own son. This profound recognition by God should build confidence in us, knowing that He is keenly interested in each one of us personally, loving us as He loves His own Son.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure in Matthew 13:44 depicts the preciousness of God's elect in preparation for the Kingdom, showing that they are of such value that they must be hidden. The treasure symbolizes the members of the church, hidden in the world, which is represented by the field. The man in the parable, who is Christ, hides His treasure after finding it, reflecting how He views the world in relation to the church. Instead of glorifying the church immediately, He sends its members back into the world, where they are camouflaged by their physical similarity to it, yet are radically different spiritually, set apart by God's truth. Christ, in His joy, sells all He has to buy the field, demonstrating the genuineness of His self-sacrifice for His treasure. He gave His all, the ultimate sacrifice of His own blood and life, for the church. His attitude of joy in doing so reveals His elation to redeem and purchase those who would become His bride. As God's elect, found by Christ as a special treasure in the world, we are called out of the world and redeemed. He now owns us, and through sanctification, He protects and hides us from the world.

God, in His boundless love, has chosen us to be a holy people unto Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. This unique position, as declared in Deuteronomy 7:6-8, is not due to our own merit or number, for we were the least of all peoples, but because of His love and the oath He swore to our fathers. He has brought us out with a mighty hand, redeeming us from bondage, setting us apart in His mind's eye to perform what He desires. This separation distinguishes us from all other nations, expressing His love in a way not extended to everyone to the same degree. As affirmed in I Peter 2:9-10, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God, having obtained mercy. These descriptors elevate our status, marking us as royal and holy, with a spiritual purpose to proclaim His praises and a deliverance from satan's darkness to His truth, an understanding not present in earlier declarations. This treasured status, a gift from God, underscores our uniqueness among all on earth. It is an awesome package dropped into our possession, a treasure of value beyond comprehension, as reiterated in various scriptures. We must not let this slip from our grasp, recognizing that we are set apart by His deliberate choice, loved more deeply than others, and prepared for a purpose that reflects His glory.

Treasure is God's special treasure. Treasure here is the church. The church is spiritual Israel. The church is those who fear His name among all the people of the earth. The church is a people who are not a people. The church is God's catch. The church is a cross-section of the entire world. God is no respecter of persons in His calling. The pearl is the church as a whole. The treasure in the preceding parable is the church in its individual members. Christ is assuring His elect that they are so valuable to Him as an individual. Christ joyfully gave His all for the church as His Bride. Christ is going to prepare the church as His adornment. Christ sets out to perfect the church. Christ makes the church absolutely holy and without blemish. Christ hides the church and protects it against all the depredations of the enemy. Christ redeems the church with His own life's blood and with joy. Christ sanctifies the church through His truth. Christ sends the church back into the world. The church is hidden in the world after it is called because its members are average people. The church is no longer hidden in the world because its members are like the world and doing the sins that were in the world. God has a treasure. God hides it in Christ. God takes the church as His special treasure. God puts the church in His vault for safe keeping. God judges whether members of the church are good useable fish or bad fit-for-the-fire fish. God's judgment is absolutely fair.