Reflections on . . . Isaiah 45:3 and Exodus 20:21: Treasures of darkness

Lena Giesbrecht Isaac

The "treasures of darkness" that God promised the Persian king Cyrus in Isaiah 45:3 were the riches of Babylon, hidden, according to ancient Oriental practice, in secret, subterranean places. In his conquest of that city, Cyrus obtained--according to Pliny, the noted Roman historian--34,000 pounds of gold and 500,000 talents of silver, besides other valuables.

At Mount Sinai, with fear and trembling (Hebrews 12:21), Moses "approached the thick darkness where God was" (Exodus 20:21). There, in the darkness, he received God's Word.

How often do we not fear and tremble in the hours of our darkness, in our failures and disappointments, our pains and sorrows, our losses and bereavements. But it is there, in the deepest depths of our distress, that God longs to meet us. It is there that He comes to us with the reassuring words: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). It is there that He intensifies our faith as He draws us into a closer fellowship with Him and His everlasting love. And it is there, when our spirits are broken, and we have completely lost our self-sufficiency, that God picks up the broken pieces of our lives and shapes them anew. It is out of the darkness of our affliction that, by God's marvellous grace, we come forth a stronger, larger and more beautiful vessel for His glory and praise. The experience of darkness equips us with the ability to feel, to understand and to help others, for to bear another's burden we must at some time have borne a burden ourselves.

The seed must be buried and die in the darkness of the earth to produce life. And to be formed, pearls and diamonds must spend time in the darkness of the waters and the earth. As Charles Colson says, "It is in the toughest times of our lives that God builds character."

This Reflection is by Lena Giesbrecht Isaac of Chilliwack, B.C.

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