sermons by IVOR POWELL

THE PROMISE OF TREASURES IN THE DARKNESS

"Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I

have holden... 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" (Isa. 45:1-3).

This remarkable text mentions the only pagan king said to be

the anointed of the Lord. The time of Israel's captivity in Babylon

had seemed endless. The Lord, who saw the end from the

beginning, predicted His anointed helper, the king of Persia,

would overthrow the Babylon dynasty and liberate the enslaved

Jews. Ultimately, the monarch heard how the God of heaven had

predicted his victory, and this increased his determination to

assist the unfortunate captives.

Isaiah's statement was exceptionally interesting. A heathen

monarch had been chosen to aid the slaves. Did the Lord choose

Cyrus because Hebrew deliverers were unavailable, or was the

stranger given the assignment to indicate Gentiles were not beyond

the reach of God's influence?

The "gates of brass, bars of iron, and the treasures of darkness"

were unmistakable references to Babylon. The city had one hundred

gates thought to have been made of wood, overlayed with brass.

The gate posts were reinforced with iron. The accumulated wealth

of the empire was stored in windowless vaults, and a second city

named Sardes was the Fort Knox of Asia. It has been estimated that

Cyrus confiscated treasure in excess of one hundred million dollars.

Aware of God's help, he liberated the slaves, and thereby fulfilled

the prediction made by Isaiah (see 2 Chron. 36:22-23). The promise

regarding the treasures of darkness becomes even more instructive

when applied to other areas of Scripture.

The Treasure of Indestructible Happiness (Acts 16:25)

It was very dark within the prison at Philippi; most of the prisoners

were asleep. The events of the day had been frightening, and

even the criminals were aware of the new men who had arrived

bleeding and bruised. The inmates speculated as to the reason for

their incarceration, and some of them might have assisted the suffering

strangers. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang

praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." It was unbelievable,

and even the official who rushed into the prison failed to

comprehend what had happened. These men possessed joy which

shone in darkness.

The Treasure of Inspiring Help (Matthew 14:22-33)

Money is one of the most valuable commodities in the world, but

some of the most essential things in life cannot be purchased. The

disciples had often endured storms on the Sea of Galilee but on this

occasion were more afraid of the Man who walked on the water.

"The ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves:

for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night

Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples

saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled." That terrifying

experience in predawn darkness taught invaluable lessons: (a) Christ

was greater than any storm; (b) No storm could endanger the life of

a trusting soul as long as he obeyed his Lord; and (c) No storm

could sink a ship if Christ were in it.

The Treasure of an Increasing Hope (Job 23:10)

The tragic yet triumphant story of Job's sufferings is probably

one of the best known accounts in the Bible. The patriarch had won

the respect of his fellow-citizens, and his place in ancient society is

described in Job 29:5-25. Then, without warning, calamity fell upon

that righteous man, and his serenity was ruined. Job could neither

explain nor understand what had happened; it seemed God had

forsaken him. Yet, throughout the darkness of his long ordeal, he

never lost faith in the Lord, and the world now recognizes Job

learned more in the darkness than he could have learned elsewhere.

The Treasure in an Indisputable Heartbreak (Luke 22:59-62)

Peter was ashamed and humiliated by memories. He had denied

and dishonored the Lord and now believed he was beyond redemption.

Even if the Lord pardoned his sin, Peter would never forgive

himself! Paul described how the risen Christ appeared to Simon

Peter before he was seen by any of the other apostles (see 1 Cor.

15:5). Perhaps the Savior sought Peter because the troubled disciple

lacked the courage to rejoin his brethren. It is not known what the

Lord said to His fallen follower, but evidently Christ's tenderness

removed all bitterness from Peter's soul. Somewhere in the shadows

that guilty man found a treasure of incalculable worth-it is

called forgiveness.