“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who live in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined. From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.’” (Matthew 4:15-17 NLT)
Matthew borrowed verses 15-16 above from the great Prophet Isaiah, to describe the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. These ancient words could describe many communities, my nation, and I suspect, yours. Darkness is plentiful in our world today, some, ironically, have grown so accustomed to it, they can’t recognize the light when they see it.
When my son was a teen, we camped a few days in a camping area not too far from where we lived. Being the “rough it” kind of guys we were, we took our microwave, his Xbox and some games, as well as plenty of food and snacks, but soon decided we should explore a little beyond our tent. So, we decided to go to a nearby cave.
Our guide had a big light and led us down into a very broad and damp area and shut off the light. It was a blackness I’d never experienced. It was eerie, almost frightening, even though I knew where we were. When she turned the light back on, she told us about a small species that lived in the cave that generations before had had eyes and could see, but over the years, because eyes are useless in the darkness, they began to be born without eyes.
It’s not unlike that in the age in which we live. People without Jesus are being enveloped by darkness, yet, they have no clue. It’s perhaps “the land of darkness and utter gloom” of which Job spoke in 10:22. “It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight.”
He likely believed that’s where he was headed when he finally died and was released from his misery, but, ironically, God had other plans for Job! And guess what? He has other good plans for you also! Yes, of course, on many levels, there’s a lot of darkness in our world today, but nothing compared to what’s coming for those who don’t yet know Jesus.
And that raises another issue. What happens to those who continue to walk in darkness; who ignore the light? Revelation gives us a clue when John writes: “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.”
Some have said some version of: “How could a loving God sentence people to an eternity of torment? What kind of vengeful ‘god’ would allow such a horrendous punishment?” The Bible is clear who will be punished and why, but there’s not space to go into that in today’s post. But I will say that in the verse above notice two things: “they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores.” And “But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.”
Even though God allowed a severe punishment to get their attention, they chose to curse God rather than repent and turn to Him. Even to the end of their fiercely evil lives, He still offered them forgiveness, but they wouldn’t accept it. It wasn’t HIS choice for them to continue to suffer, it was THEIRS/OURS!
Food for thought. Let’s look at this in more detail tomorrow.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 