LOCATION

As a child I spent my summers with my aunt and uncle on an island in the Pacific Northwest. It was a wonderful place for a child to grow. We pretty much lived off the land including venison in season. My uncle Chuck maintained a small orchard, a vegetable garden, chickens, and a barn with a cow. We also savored great seafood including salmon, cod, red snapper, clams, and oysters. My brother and I spent many hours out in a small boat fishing.
The home was situated on a bay of salt water which teemed with sea life of all kinds. Sometimes we would swim in that bay and I remember being afraid of the larger Dungeness Crabs and their big pinchers. I also received some cuts on my feet from broken shells.
The home was modest—built out of materials from the island. In the kitchen on the window ledge above the sink was a bowl with some of the best pearls my aunt Anne had found in some of the oysters which we harvested. They were of varying sizes and perfection; none was very valuable, but she treasured them. Her daughter Stacey continues to treasure them today.
A pearl is an unusual gem in regard to its source—it comes from the sea. The pearl is an unusual gem since it is found in an unusual location. A pearl comes from the sea rather than from the earth like other gems. Of the seven mysteries in Matthew 13, only the last two have anything to do with the sea.
In the Bible the word “sea” sometimes has a symbolic meaning representing the masses of humanity—specifically the Gentile nations. It can represent man’s confusion and depravity. As an example, in Daniel 7:2-3 we read, “Daniel said: ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.’” It is believed by many that these four great beasts represent the four great world kingdoms. In other words, out of the masses of humanity and the confusion of mankind in this present day and age, these four great world kingdoms arise.
“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isaiah 57:20-21).
We read in Revelation 13:1, “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.” Again, the sea symbolizes the masses of humanity, out of which in this case comes the Beast.
The Israelites were a land people, fearful of large bodies of water such as the Mediterranean. Part of this fear was due to the treacherous nature and peril that was associated with storms while on the water. Interestingly John, in speaking about heaven, tells us that there is no sea there (Revelation 21:1). It is interesting to note that no mention of tides is found in Scripture.
Palestine was a crossroad for the Roman world. This was not only true on land but also the Mediterranean coast. As merchant ships sailed along, they frequently stopped at ports in Palestine. The Jewish people would have been aware of the value of pearls to the other nations.
The pearl comes from the sea; out of the masses of humanity and the confusion of mankind, Jesus Christ is forming His Church. The Church is being formed little by little, with people from all walks of life and social backgrounds, from all financial backgrounds, all ethnic backgrounds, and out of all nations. The kingdom of heaven and the Church contain Gentiles and Jews alike, all who put their trust in Jesus Christ are being added to His Church and to His kingdom.
A pearl is a unique gem—the only gem which is formed in the sea.