The treasures of darkness

Isaiah 45:3

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

Anyone who reads the forty-fifth chapter of Isaiah knows that it is a tremendously wonderful chapter. It is unrivaled in the whole of Isaiah, which is truly one of the wisest, purest, and deepest of all volumes in the world. Coming from the lips of God, it is an unparalleled and peerless book. But this chapter alone contains some of the most cardinal statements and some of the most divine declarations found in all of Holy Writ. I am God, and there is none else! I have formed the earth! Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation! What great statements these are! But I intend to dwell on none of these, but only on this statement in the third verse—the treasures of darkness! Treasures! Treasures of the dark! Hidden riches of secret places! These are some of the most dear promises there are!

What are the treasures of darkness? Are there not dark days, and dark times, and dark periods, and dark seasons that we experience—days when the presence of the Lord feels not so evident, and when we do not sense the nearness of Lord as we did. It is dark! Is it nighttime, and we feel alone and separated. But don’t miss it! Is not this the time to look for treasure? Is not this the time to get out the pick and the shovel and start to dig—to look for the gems and nuggets that are somewhere underneath. You see, during the day, it is much easier to see the nuggets. They luster and shimmer on the surface, and we snatch them up with ecstatic felicity. We glean by the dozens. But in the darkness, we walk with head down, and arms hanging. But do you know, dear friend, that the greatest treasures are the treasures of darkness—the treasures of the secret places? Does not the prophet say, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself”? Surely, many things are given in secret. He does not broadcast them to the world, for they are not for everyone. They are for those who are willing to look. Darkness can be the greatest blessing, my beloved, because it is under the cover of darkness that God’s greatest blessings are often hidden. And it is in the secret places that His love may be so beautifully discovered by the seeker after God’s riches.

“Dear Father, what a truth you have taught us this day! What a blessing you have given to your people! May we see darkness as a cover for some of your dearest and most wondrous blessings. And may we see the secret places as those places in which you have hidden the most glorious riches. Thank you for being such a God to us, and such a Savior. We look to you to help us see your goodness in the darkness, and to find the treasures you have vouchsafed so liberally to us, your people. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”