The Treasures of Darkness, Part 1
“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel” (Isa. 45: 3).
Diamonds are one of the hardest natural substances known. Billions of years old, diamonds form deep in the earth, under tremendous pressures and temperatures [1]. They are considered among the most valuable gemstones in the world, and are mined only with great difficulty.
Diamonds from Catoca Mine, Angola, Author Helgi (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
But the treasures of darkness which God promises us are infinitely more precious.
Literal and Figurative Darkness
The word “darkness” can be interpreted both literally and figuratively.
Strong’s Concordance informs us that darkness is not only to be found in mines (Job 28: 3). Darkness was over the surface of the deep at Creation (Gen. 1: 2). Darkness was one of the plagues God caused to fall on Egypt, giving it a supernatural dimension (Ex. 10: 21).
The word can, also, be used to signify ignorance; confusion/perplexity; doubt, depression, and mourning; secrecy; evil and sin; death, destruction, and judgment.
What treasures can these possibly yield? Let us examine them one at a time.
Ignorance
“…[T]he fool walks in darkness” (Eccl. 2: 14). But “…wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness” (Eccl. 2: 13).
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9: 10). Wisdom is, therefore, the first treasure of darkness.
Confusion/Perplexity
“[The wicked] grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man” (Job 12: 25).
The wicked grope in darkness, relying on their own devices. But the Lord is a lamp to the feet of the righteous. He enlightens the Christian’s darkness (2 Sam. 22: 29), so much so, that we are instructed not to lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3: 5).
Direction/guidance is, therefore, the second treasure of darkness.
Doubt, Depression, and Mourning
“For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead” (Ps. 143: 3).
Many Christians suffer from depression and/or doubts. Others wrestle with the question of faith as a result of losing a loved one. These factors do not diminish faith. In fact, they can ultimately strengthen it.
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned” (Matt. 4: 16).
This identifies faith as the third great treasure of darkness.
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[1] This statement, admittedly, takes an “old earth” view of Creation.
Originally posted 10/9/16
This series will conclude next week.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 
Rays of light in our current darkness. Thanks Anna.
Thank you so much, Erroll.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
This is great, Anna. You rightly said that confusion is darkness. There is a lot of confusion today.
Thank you, Bill! Your opinion means a great deal to me.
Excellent article Anna.
Thank you, Nicodemas.
🙂
Reblogged this on idahodimple.
Many thanks for the reblog, Louise. ❤
There is much to ponder here Anna, thank you for sharing. Darkness is certainly not usually something we view as positive, but this brings such new light!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Jen. 🙂 Any light I might have shed is only, of course, a small reflection of His.
Very insightful post. I like all the examples of darkness from the Bible and the comparison to diamonds.
Thank you, Chris.
““The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned” This is such a wonderful verses. It lifts our spirits as we read it. Thanks for this post.
I am so glad you enjoyed it.