He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they did not rebel against His word. (Psalm 105:28)

The darkness that struck Egypt was much more than the mere absence of light; it was a tangible substance that completely immobilized people. The Bible says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt’” (Exodus 10:21). No one was able to see their neighbors nor could they venture out of their homes — it was unprecedented. In fact, the Hebrew word translated as “darkness,” choshekh, is the same word used to describe the darkness that was upon the face of the deep, before there was light of any kind (Genesis 1:2). In other words, the darkness that fell on Egypt was intense; every living thing was captive for three days by this incredible display of God’s power. No doubt, this caused all of Egypt to dread and fear the God of the Hebrews.

This demonstrates to us that God, who is the Master of all, has used darkness — and dare I say even spiritual darkness — to make a point with mankind. That is not to say He condones wickedness but it is to say that He will permit situations that we would characterize as darkness in order to manifest His power. Spring boarding from that notion, we should consider what David revealed: “He made darkness (choshekh) His secret place” (Psalm 18:11). In other words, God was in the thick darkness that gripped the land of Egypt, thus reaffirming that the plague was no accident of nature — it was a demonstration of His sovereignty and authority over all so that the people would come to realize, “I am the LORD!”

God was speaking through the darkness “and they did not rebel against His Word.” They were compelled to listen to Him speak, and just to place an exclamation point on His message, the Scripture said, “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Exodus 10:23). In the midst of the darkness, there was light. Just as it was in the beginning, when God said, “Let there be light,” light shone in the midst of the blackness that engulfed Egypt serving to guide those in the light and to attract those who desired to come out of darkness.

There is no doubt that, at present, spiritual darkness is becoming increasingly intense, causing many to become immobilized with fear and dread. It is our duty, as the people of God, to be the light — to be the city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden. We are to reflect the light of God’s glory so that men will see that the God of Israel is sovereign and there is no other. In short, God uses darkness to draw attention to the light. That being so, all people should humble themselves before Him so that what has been written will come to pass:

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill