Exiting Egypt Chapter 10B P3

Exiting Egypt

“The Ninth Plague – A Felt Darkness”

Exodus 10:21-29

By Dennis Lee: Chapter 10B P3

And so, the first significance concerning darkness is that it is a sign of God’s judgment.

Second, and this is quite revealing, is that it is a Sign of God’s Withdrawal, and that’s because of the severity of the judgment. The first thing that we must see in this point is that God is light.

We see that God is light (1 Jn. 1:5) and our own personal light (Psm. 27:1; Mic. 7:8). Also that God is the giver of light (Gen. 1:3; Prov. 29:13), and that God dwells in unapproachable light.

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:15b-16a NKJV)

Jesus describes Himself as the light of the world that has come to lighten the way for humanity.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Jn. 8:12 NKJV)

And so darkness is a removal of God from the scene. Darkness is what is left in the wake of His withdrawal. This is seen in His withdrawal from Calvary as His judgment fell upon His Son, Jesus, not for His sin, but for your sin and mine. Look at the scene and hear the words of Jesus.

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Mt. 27:45-46 NKJV)

God the Father withdrew Himself because of the harshness of the judgment poured out upon His Son, that God could not look upon sin, and for the first time since the foundation of the universe, for the first time since time itself, and even before that, the Father separated Himself from the Son. Does anyone really need any further proof of the awfulness of sin?

And so, darkness is associated with God’s withdrawal, and here in our Exodus account, it is a warning. Egypt is being told that God is about to withdraw His grace and mercy that will bring them down to their knees if they don’t turn, if they don’t repent and let His people go free.

The third significance concerning this judgment of darkness is its reference back to creation and that it is a sign that life without God is a life of chaos. And so darkness is a Sign of Chaos.

The earth and the universe prior to God’s intervention was without order, it was chaotic, or as it is described

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2 NKJV)

But God remedied this, when He brought the light.

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:3-4 NKJV)

Humanity cannot survive in a totally chaotic, empty, dark world. So, God in His goodness and mercy solved the problem for us through His creative power at creation. He fills up the world so that it is no longer empty. He fills it with life of all kinds. He brings order and structure to the world so that it is no longer chaotic. He separates the light from the darkness, the land from the water, the upper heavens from the lower heavens. And all of this is because He brought to this world His light.