“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” – Genesis 1:1-5a
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.” – Exodus 10:21-23
“‘And on that day’, declares the Lord God, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.'” – Amos 8:9
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” – Luke 23:44-45
A Darkness to be Felt
“Let there be light.” The first recorded words of God. “And God saw that the light was good.” The first recorded “judgment” of God. “And God separated the light from the darkness.” The first recorded division of God. On the first day of creation, God spoke light into existence, proclaimed it good, and separated it from darkness. Before the second day of creation, the spiritual “battle lines” were drawn. Before the sun, moon, and stars were created, there was a source of light. Before man was created, there was a spiritual epitaph; “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Sounds like a darkness to be felt.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, men are spiritually born in such a darkness. Like the Israelites in Egypt, they are held in bondage to their sin. But a spiritual exodus is possible. A Redemer is promised. But first, there must be judgment. In the Book of Exodus, the plague of darkness preceded the final plague, the death of every firstborn in Egypt. The blood of the Passover lamb was the only means of escape from the judgment of the Lord. For a world in spiritual darkness, Jesus is the Passover Lamb and the Light of the world.
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'”. – John 1:29
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” – John 8:12
Like the plagues in Exodus, darkness preceded Jesus’s death. As the light of the world hung on the cross, the sun’s light failed. The sun couldn’t penetrate the darkness of our sins. Definitely, a darkness to be felt, especially by Jesus. As the Perfect Father turns His face from our sins Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46)?
A Light to Live In
“It is finished.” When the light of the world was extinguished on the cross, the sun shone once again. What did it reveal? What happened during the three hours of darkness? Just listen.
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.” – Colossians 2:13-14
What a statement. During three hours of darkness, your sins were being nailed to the cross with Jesus. Leave them there and enjoy living in the Light. Christ endured the darkness so that you could! Leave it to the Light of the world to “redeem” darkness. Leave it to the Lamb of God to write us a new “epitaph”.
“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:3-5.