The words of the prophet Isaiah speak of judgement on Edom. A long night of oppression and terror will soon come to an end, only to be met with more darkness ahead. It is almost like these verses are describing the ebb and flow of life. Victory and losses. Triumph and tragedy. Darkness and light.
Reading this passage immediately made me think of my mom. In her later years she struggled with sleep. Always being one to waken before sunrise, her early just kept getting earlier. She would tell us how she would lay awake praying for the first sign of dawn and the night to be over. She dreaded the dark. Not that she was fearful of it, but it was lonely and long. She wanted the night to be over.
We daily face darkness. Whether it is the physical darkening of a day, or the overshadowing of a heart, it is a familiar and an often-unwelcomed shade we would prefer to avoid. In their song, "The Sound of Silence", songwriters Simon and Garfunkel addressed darkness as a close acquaintance. "Hello darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again." It is maybe not so much a dim light that has encompassed the singers surroundings, but a discouragement that has settled over their hearts.
This often-dreaded atmosphere is not all negative. Darkness sharpens our senses. Distractions and busyness of day surrender to the quiet, calm of night. We listen more intently. God's Word tells us that He brings treasures in darkness (Isaiah 45:3), and the Psalmist, in Psalm 139, declares that darkness is as light to the Lord. There is no darkness with Him.
Whether just the going down of the sun for needed physical rest, or dark nights of the soul where we learn to trust in the Lord, there is a reason for the approaching twilight. As my mom yearned for the first sign of day, darkness is valuable for the tremendous purpose it serves. It causes our needful longing of light's approach, the Light's approach.
Like the Edomite we too come and ask, "How much longer? When will the night be over?" With daylights dismissal we long for the coming sunrise. The watchman's reply touches me so tenderly. Although he only gives hope of the morning returning briefly, he bids the inquirer to return, if needed, and ask again. The watchman seems to understand and empathize with the confusion and struggle that is present at night.
Jesus also invites us to ask again. When we don't understand and our thoughts are overrun with "whys" and "whats", our Saviour says, "Come back and ask." He never wearies of our questions. He never tires of our requests. We can keep calling on Him. He would so much rather we come to Him seeking answers than go elsewhere. We can stay as long as we would like and seek Him as often as we feel needful. The doorway of communication is always open.
So often throughout scripture "darkness" is synonymous with evil and wickedness. It can also reference those who live without Christ. We despise its presence because of what it represents, but consider the planting of a seed. It grows underground in the dark, fertile soil, relying on the Creator and stored cells to power its growth. What we have deposited into our hearts and minds will also energize our growth in night seasons if what we have stored away is the truth and promises of God's Word.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 instructs us, that as believers, we are all children of light, and of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. Let's not fear the night. "Sometimes in the contrast of the night, we can best see the glory of God." (Beth Moore)
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