Treasures of Darkness - Miriam Ruth Malachi

This book was lent to me by a South African friend who home-schools her two teenage children. Currently they are studying the Jewish festivals and feasts, and she invited me to read it, after I expressed an interest in the Jewish calendar. I have to confess to not having read the entire book, but rather skim-reading it, making use of the many enboldened and underlined sections, which are highlighted for emphasis and often summarize large chunks of the text.

However, I did read one chapter in its entirety, entitled The Tabernacle, and found it captivating. I even made notes in my journal about the descriptions of the seven pieces of furniture, each representing and revealing aspects of Jesus, or Yeshua, the Messiah, as He is referred to throughout.

The instructions for building The Tabernacle were given to Moses and were very specific, in dimension, colours and positioning of the furniture. Every detail speaks about some aspect of the life of Jesus and describes how we are ushered into the presence of God. They can be seen as seven stages of worship, which the believer is encouraged into, each one taking you deeper and closer to the Mercy Seat. All other pieces of furniture point to the place from where grace can flow.

It is highly symbolic, but I find symbolism fascinating. I was raised in a church where the only symbol used to depict Jesus was a simple wooden cross. We didn't have candles, pictures or an altar. It was a multi-purpose building and the chairs were often deliberately rearranged to emphasise the inclusive, 'priesthood of all believers' doctrine. I'm thankful for that upbringing as I came easily to faith in Jesus Christ, recognising that the empty Cross is central to the relationship I have with God. However, I have come to see that Scripture is full of pictures and imagery of Jesus, and that almost everything in life can be seen as an illustration of the life that Jesus wants me to live in Him. Jesus spoke in parables, using everyday objects and situations to explain Himself. In fact, the whole Bible, right from Genesis to Revelation reveals Jesus to the reader, as I am slowly discovering.

So, how does the exciting chapter fit into Treasures of Darkness? The book is written to inspire prayer. It is really a prayer guide for intercessors who have a burden for the Ultra-Orthodox Jew. The author is a Jew who was raised as a Catholic, but never heard that God loved or cared for her in a personal way until, as a college student and on the brink of suicide, she responded to a knock on her dormitory door. Two Christian girls had responded to God's voice to visit the room below and bring the love of Christ to someone who desperately needed it. She was born again and a love for Israel quickly developed.

This book is the fruit of her life's mission: a burning passion for the salvation of the Jewish people, in particular the Ultra-Orthodox. She lives in Jerusalem and has come to realise that one of the 'treasures of darkness...in secret places' from Isaiah 45:3 are the Ultra-Orthodox - a closed system, which it is almost impossible to find out about, let alone break into.

Perhaps I will return to this book in the future. For now, it has opened my eyes just a crack to the wealth of treasures and secrets which are hidden in the Bible, and of which I want to discover more.