John 1:4-5 “In Him [Jesus Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 3:16-20 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
Continuing this word study of darkness from a biblical perspective, the fourth definition of the English word “darkness” is: 4. A private place; secrecy; privacy. (Hidden, out of the sight of others, behind the scenes, behind closed doors, not wanting the attention or notice of others). Isaiah 29:15 tells us, “Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” We live in a world with secret meetings, back door operations, and under-the-table deals. These are often performed out of the public eye with the hopes of never being discovered. If it’s in the dark no one sees and you can get away with it, or at least you think you can. Though some things are legitimately done privately, this definition revers to illegitimate deeds and sinful actions; endeavors performed which are sin in the all-seeing eyes of the just and holy God in Heaven.
Daniel 2:20-22 says, “May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.”
The fact that Almighty God really does see and hear what is done in the dark should be reassuring because it means that no one escapes justice. They may conceal their sinful exploits from the public eye or elude the long arm of the law but they can never escape the eye or arm of the Lord; there is a day of reckoning, Judgment Day. A deed done in darkness is supernatural carelessness of the sinful nature of our corrupt, fallen flesh desires, which is caught even before the thought. Matthew 10:26-27 “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” Mark 4:22 “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.” Luke 12:2 “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.” Luke 8:17 “For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”
1 Corinthians 4:5 “The Lord will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts.”
Theologian Blaise Pascal points out that our soul is immortal. Nothing is of more importance to man than his state, nothing more fearful than eternity. It is the most shameful thing to have no sense of shame of sin, that take no steps in the direction of the light. 2 Peter 2:9-10 tells us, “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.” This life is but an instant in time, while the state of death is eternal. The consequences of our thoughts, words and deeds done in darkness on this side of eternity are undeniable terrible. So, it is surely beyond all nature that man is indifferent to how things are being weighed in the hands of eternal God. Job 12:22 “He [God] uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light.” Job 34:22 “There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”
Ephesians 5:8-14 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Let's continue this biblical word study of "darkness" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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