“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads across Egypt–darkness that can be felt.” Exodus 10:21 NIV
The book of Exodus includes the account of Moses using various plagues in dealing with Pharaoh to gain the release of Israelite slaves from Egyptian bondage. They included blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death. God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart, which required extraordinary means to cause him to give up and release the Israelites. (I would have folded on the first one!)
As a side note, many people think Bible stories are allegorical. That is, they really didn’t happen, and they are akin to fairy tales to teach a particular lesson. Relative to the plaques reported in Exodus, many archeologists believe these events actually occurred to the ancient city of Pi-Ramses located on the Nile River, which served as the Egyptian capital during the reign of Ramses the second as Pharaoh from 1279 BC- 1213 BC. According to evidence found on the site, archeologists have discovered that the prosperous capital city was mysteriously abandoned about 3,000 years ago. They attribute the plagues to radical changes in weather and climate patterns of the region–aka the miraculous workings of a supernatural God.
I love the imagery of “darkness that can be felt.” Have you experienced it? Years ago my wife and I visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. At 600 feet below ground level in a cavern room, the tour guide turned off the lights for a few minutes. Of course, our pupils opened to the max position, but we saw absolutely nothing–not even our hands held a half-inch away from our eyes. In this setting we didn’t dare move a single step. We know what it’s like to “feel the darkness”. Likewise, the Bible informs us that the Egyptians couldn’t see or move for three days!
1 John 1:15b tells us that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” I envision hell as an actual place that is devoid of God. As a result, it has no light, and its inhabitants feel the darkness forever. Heaven is an actual place, too, and God emanates light that is never-ending where everything beautiful is seen.
Do you have the light in your life?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for being the light of the world. May we forever shine in your holy brightness. Amen.