The Cherished Treasure

There is a story told in the Atlanta Constitution on May 17, 1987. A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owned a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Though he wasn’t an expert, he loved collecting stones and sometimes sold them to make ends meet. On one of his digs, he found a large, blue rock. It was “purdy and big,” he said, but not something he could sell easily. For years, he kept it under his bed or in his closet, thinking it might be worth a few hundred dollars at most.

What he didn’t realize was that he was sitting on one of the largest sapphires ever discovered. That same rock—later known as The Star of David Sapphire—would be valued at over $2.75 million dollars.

How close he came to selling a priceless treasure for just a few hundred dollars!

God’s Treasured People

Moses declared to Israel in Deuteronomy 26:17–18:

“Today you have affirmed Adonai as your God, that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes, mitzvot and ordinances, and listen to His voice. Now today Adonai has affirmed you as His treasured people, as He promised you; that you are to keep all His mitzvot.” (TLV)

The Hebrew word segullah means more than just “treasure.” It describes a possession someone has a personal stake in, something cherished above all else. Just as Israel proclaimed their allegiance to Adonai, so God proclaimed His devotion to His people. It was a covenant of mutual love and commitment.

The Light Has Come

Even though Israel often failed, Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us that exile and judgment did not mean rejection.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come! The glory of Adonai has risen on you.” (Isaiah 60:1, TLV)

Rabbi Shaul echoes this hope in Romans 11:2: “God has not rejected His people whom He knew beforehand.”

The prophets foresaw the return of God’s glory to Zion (Zech. 2:14; Ezek. 43:4). Israel remains His segullah—His precious, chosen treasure.

The Treasure in the Field

Yeshua picked up this theme in His parable:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. And because of his joy, he goes out and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44, TLV)

Louis Barbieri notes that the “treasure” can be seen as Israel itself—God’s cherished possession. Messiah gave up the riches of heaven in order to redeem His people, paying the ultimate price for His treasure.

This is the great mystery: that we, too, are part of this inheritance, grafted into the covenant blessings through Yeshua.

Cherish Is the Word

This brings to mind the words of the song by The Association:

“Cherish is the word I use to describeAll the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside…”

The lyrics capture the longing of one who loves deeply but is not fully loved in return. How often has God cherished His people, only to find them turning away? Yet He continues to pursue, to redeem, and to restore.

When you cherish someone, you put them first and give them your best. You receive joy in serving them. This is how God views His people—and how we are called to respond to Him.

Walking Worthy of the Treasure

Paul exhorts us in Colossians 1:10–12 to live in a way that reflects the treasure we are in Messiah:

1. Bearing fruit – our lives should show evidence of God’s work.

2. Growing in relationship – continuing to know Him more deeply.

3. Being strengthened – relying on His power with patience and joy.

4. Giving thanks – recognizing our inheritance in the light.

Just as Rob Cutshaw almost lost the sapphire because he didn’t know what he had, we too can miss the value of our calling if we take it lightly. But God calls us His cherished treasure, bought at great price through Messiah.

Conclusion

The treasure hidden in a field, the sapphire under a bed, and the song of longing all remind us of the same truth: God cherishes His people. He has given everything to redeem us, and in turn, He calls us to walk in His ways, bearing fruit and giving thanks with joy.

May we never forget that we are His segullah—His precious, cherished treasure.

Footnotes

1. John MacArthur, Grace to You Newsletter, April 15, 1993.

2. Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), 245.

3. Michael A. Fishbane, Haftarot (JPS Bible Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002), 306.

4. Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 251.