8 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me. – Micah 7:8
A Ground View
The mettle of a man is often tested when he has been knocked down. Will he remain on the ground and admit defeat, or will he lift himself back up and stand against his enemy? When we are young and full of energy and often full of overconfidence, we tend to get up rather quickly before we properly size up our enemy. As we get older and have been planted on our backside a few more times… Well, perhaps the view from the ground isn’t so bad after all.
The Enemy Within
But what happens when our enemy isn’t really the one who planted us on our backside? What happens when we realize we are really our own worse enemy and the bully is really nothing more than a pawn in God’s hands? Oh it hurts when we are on our backs and the perceived enemy is standing over us gloating. Nobody enjoys that. But the consequences of sin have never been enjoyable. Not at all. But the darkness sin engulfs us in has always been intended to make us look to the Lord. Our light in the midst of darkness.
Sitting In Darkness
When Micah penned these Words, Israel was knocked down. Israel was sitting in darkness. Israel wasn’t merely an innocent victim. Not by a long stretch. Despite multiple warnings, Israel consistently rebelled against God. And while they were down, Edom was gloating. But Israel wasn’t finished. Save your taunts enemies of God, when His children are down, they will rise again. When they are sitting in darkness, the Lord will be a light to them. Bank on it.
I don’t need to remind you that we live in a dark world. The things that society does to our children and elderly are well documented. It doesn’t matter where you live, drugs, abortions and human trafficking are in your back yard or just around the corner. As Christians we are not immune to these things or their consequences. We can adamantly oppose them and fight them with the Gospel, but the world keeps “knocking” us down and gloating over us. “God is dead and if Jesus hasn’t returned yet He never will!!” Don’t bank on it. As long as there is darkness in this world, the Lord will be a light. But before we look up, let’s look back.
Denying Death
We all know that sin entered into the world because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. When it did, death was ushered in. After Cain kills Abel in Genesis chapter four, Genesis chapter five gives us the account of Adam’s line. In the midst of all of the “he lived so long and died” accounts, we read of Enoch, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Enoch was “raptured” by God. Not all of Adam’s descendants would taste death. What does that mean to us? There is Light in darkness.
Floating in the Flood
In Genesis chapter six God looks down and sees the total evil and corruption of His highest creation. Man. Made in His image but now completely rebelling against their Creator. For forty days and forty nights the skies open and flood the entire earth. As we scan the horizon, we see nothing but water and death. Not a living thing has survived (marine life excluded) the wrath of God, except the contents of that ark floating in the distance. Inside is faithful Noah and his family and seed for a new beginning. Who knew that a man and his “boat” that the enemies of God mocked were in actuality a light in darkness? God.
Mercies in Mourning
Fast forward to the Book of Lamentations. Jeremiah the weeping Prophet is pouring out his heart over the moral condition of his nation. Jerusalem is in ruins and so is the Temple. Along with many of his countrymen Jeremiah is in exile, forcefully removed from his native land. Difficult enough for a faithful Jew, almost unbearable for a faithful prophet with a sensitive disposition. But in the midst of his tears, Jeremiah writes,
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” – Lamentations 3:22-24
Perhaps you are currently on your back and you feel like the enemy is “rejoicing” over you and your situation. Perhaps you are sitting in darkness enveloped by a sense of despair and helplessness unlike any you have ever experienced. Whether your current situation is the result of your individual sins or sin in general, never forget, sin doesn’t have to have the final word. Always remember, repentance isn’t just a turning from, but also a turning to. Hold onto your Faith. Look to your Savior. Even as Believers we may fall, but even more surely WE WILL RISE!!
Jesus, Our Light In Darkness
For three hours while Jesus was hanging on the cross for our sins, there was complete darkness. In His purity, the Father couldn’t bear to see our Savior bear our sins. But the Father would smile on His Son again and light would repel the darkness.
For three days after the stone was rolled over the entrance, the grave of Jesus was dark. But Jesus wasn’t in the dark. And He wasn’t down. Not at all. After the cross and the grave, Jesus arose! His enemies may have rejoiced, but it was short lived.
While you are down, it may be wise to size up your enemy, but it is even wiser to look the Savior. Ultimately it is not your mettle that matters, but your Messiah. Darkness has never defeated light, and it is not going to start with you and your situation. You may fall, and you may sit in darkness, but the Lord will always be your light and He will always lift you up. If you don’t believe Enoch, Noah and Jeremiah, look to the cross of Cavalry and the empty tomb. If that doesn’t convince you I don’t know what will.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5