The mystery of grace, though, is that He chose such a thing and then, in His naming, His declaring, His taking these wretches to Himself, they do, in fact, become His “treasured” possession.
Have you ever heard the words to the song How Deep the Father’s Love for Us[1]
How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.
There is always one line from that verse that gets me the most, it is the words “to make a wretch His treasure.” There is unfathomable grace in these lyrics because it is profoundly true. We are poor wretched sinners deserving nothing at all. However, God has chosen us and called us, declared us, and made us His treasure. Notice in our reading how Israel is called God’s “treasured possession out of all peoples” in 7:6. God openly says nothing can change His “steadfast love for them” in 7:9. Even if they were lost and buried or left out in the open God would give all He had to have them, and that is exactly what He did when He gave His only begotten Son for us.
This point is emphasized by that key word in our text. The word “segulla” סְגֻלָּה is often translated as “treasured possession” and it is the key word you will want to dig into in the sermon so we can mine the Gospel out for preaching. This word occurs in the Old Testament eight times: Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Malachi 3:17; Psalm 135:4; Ecclesiastes 2:8; 1 Chronicles 29:3.[2] This is one of the kindest words God speaks about His people in the Old Testament. He speaks this word over them while they are acting and speaking to Him in exactly the opposite manner of a treasured possession. After all, there was no end of complaint and resistance from Israel to Moses in the wilderness. Here, God calls them His “priceless treasure” not because they are valuable in and of themselves but because He loves them. They are not loved because of their value, rather their value comes only from His gracious declaration of who they are to Him. Israel’s character had nothing to do with God’s choice or declaration. Instead, it was God’s character of love and faithfulness that drove His choice of Israel.
This is a remarkably consistent message in the Bible. Does not Deuteronomy 7:6-9 remind you of Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Connect this over to the appointed Gospel lesson for the day and you have a wonderful parring of texts. Jesus may have had our text in mind as He teaches us about grace in Matthew 13:44-52.
They are not loved because of their value, rather their value comes only from His gracious declaration of who they are to Him.
There is a treasure hidden, buried six feet deep in a field, and Jesus gave everything just to have it (John 3:16). There is a pearl of great value left in the market; hidden and snapped shut in the jaws of a clam. But He will give all He has and bring out of that tomb something remarkable. According to Jesus, you are a real catch, but there is a caveat, it is only to Him. You brought nothing to this party of a parable but death, the certainty of violence, and resistance against His pulling you in for the catch. The mystery of grace, though, is that He chose such a thing and then, in His naming, His declaring, His taking these wretches to Himself, they do, in fact, become His “treasured” possession. Perhaps, it has to do with what He gave just to have us. He gave His precious, beloved, treasured, and only begotten Son. There is the true value, it is in what He gave, and now that value is given/imputed onto us. How can this be anything but the greatest exchange of unfathomable value? This truly is grace, or as the words of the song previously mentioned say:
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us[3]
How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss: the Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the chosen one bring many sons to glory.
Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life—I know that it is finished.
I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer,
But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.”
Perhaps the structure that would suit the preaching of this text best would be the Analogy Structure:
“This structure introduces hearers to a theological topic by moving from the known to the unknown. The sermon is based upon an act of comparison as the preacher compares a topic that is familiar to the hearers but of secondary importance (which is the analogy or secondary topic) to the topic of primary importance that might be unfamiliar to the hearers (in other words, the main topic of the sermon). By doing this, the preacher moves from the familiar to the unfamiliar and allows the analogy to shed light upon the theological topic.
For example, a preacher may compare the way the anticipated birth of a child shapes the life of a couple (this would be the topic of secondary importance that is familiar to the hearers) to the way God’s eschatological promises shape our daily living (which is the topic of primary importance that is unfamiliar to the hearers). Through a listing of the points of comparison, the hearers move from the known to the unknown. Analogical preaching sometimes includes objects and often is occasional, drawing the analogy from a recent and immediate experience in the lives of the hearers.
In this structure, the secondary topic needs to (1) be familiar to the hearers so the preacher is not forced to explain two topics at once and the secondary topic might serve as a mnemonic device, (2) be of a different nature than the main topic so it incites interest for the hearers in the comparison, and (3) have a positive effect so the hearers are not offended by the comparison. Also, the preacher needs to be aware that all analogies break down and, thereby, prevent his hearers from falling into that confusion, either by clarifying for them the limits of the analogy or avoiding development which would lead toward that error.”[4]
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Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Deuteronomy 7:6-9.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Deuteronomy 7:6-9.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
[1] “How Deep the Father’s Love,” words by Stuart Townend, copyright © 1995 Thankyou Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
[2] Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann. Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997. 792.
[3] “How Deep the Father’s Love,” words by Stuart Townend, copyright © 1995 Thankyou Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
[4] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/thematic/analogy/
