PSALMS 88:12
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
A pastor wrote a book entitled “Learning to Walk in the Dark,” the context of which is that God can be found and is much closer in darkness than in light. I’m hesitant to call Barbara Taylor a pastor, but that is how people call her. Featured in Time Magazine (04/28/2014), her audacity is such that it had triggered my appetite to write off those contentions.
This book is apparently written in darkness, inspired by darkness, and is against Christ and God. Taylor alleged that great things happened in the dark. Among these are that Paul was called when he was blind, therefore in darkness; the exodus from Egypt happened at night; God met Moses in the thick darkness at the top of the mount Sinai; that Jesus was born beneath a star, and resurrected in a cave of darkness. Note the following quotations published in Time Magazine.
“The exodus from Egypt happened at night. God met Moses in the thick darkness atop Mount Sinai to hand down the Ten Commandments. The Apostle Paul’s conversion happened after he lost his sight. Jesus was born beneath a star and resurrected in the darkness of a cave.” (Time Magazine. April 28, 2014, “Let There Be Night,” page 7/13).
Let us begin our analysis on what kind of thinking Barbara Taylor has. Biblically, light is better than darkness!
ECCLESIASTES 2:13
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
“Darkness holds more lessons than light, and contrary to what many of us have long believed, it is sometimes in the bleakest void that God is nearest.” (Time Magazine. April 28, 2014, “Let There Be Night,” page 10/13).
The allegation that “Darkness holds more lessons than light,” in the article written in Time Magazine is simply against the Bible.
Take note that there was an inherent darkness before God pronounced and expressed what was in His thinking, “Let there be light.” Contrary to what Taylor espoused, what is biblical is, Let there be light and not, Let there be night!
GENESIS 1:2-3
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Isn’t Taylor’s just a play of words and phrases, changing a declaration from the mouth of God from where comes life, to something directly opposite, “Let There be Night?”
Isn’t this an intentional betrayal of God’s wisdom? How audacious!
God’s thinking is undoubtedly higher and not just better than anybody’s thinking but the best!
ISAIAH 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
And according to the highest thinking of the Almighty Creator, after the light showed in the midst of the inherent darkness, He saw that it was good.
GENESIS 1:4
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
If Taylor is reading her Bible, she will know that there is not a single verse in the entire scriptures that says that darkness is better than light in any given time since the creation of light. On these premises, let us put under the light of the scriptures the darkness created by the thinking of Taylor and illuminate the thinking of those who believed in the fallacy being spread by her, a false pastor. I mark my points.
1. God himself dwells in light unapproachable.
I TIMOTHY 6:16
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
2. If darkness is better than light, God should have inhabited darkness from eternity! Jesus Christ, the begotten Son of God, is the light that shone in Galilee, who later said that He is the light of the world.
MATTHEW 4:15-16
15 The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
JOHN 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
3. Where there is darkness, there is no light. And where light is, darkness is exterminated. If the Father and Jesus Christ are lights and are dwelling in light, how can you find them in darkness? It is something stupid to think God can be found more in darkness.
Taylor appears to have launched her darkness campaign beginning with redefining darkness as something divine. Darkness to her is how God could be found more than in light. Darkness is as a tool for lessons to learn from – more than from light. The direction proposed is from where you are, go to the dark because the dark offers more good, hence “Let There Be Night.”
4. Contrasting light from darkness, there are more lessons in light than there are in darkness.
Let us delve on things that will prove this. The paradox is that things done in darkness are not to be taught or even be talked about. What is being done in darkness is not a lesson to be learned.
Marvelously, when a man and another man’s woman are in darkness, there is no institution that will teach them what to do in darkness.
EPHESIANS 5:12
It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark.
The Apostle Paul did not even want to talk about things being done in darkness because there is no lesson worthwhile learning.
Walking with a definite goal to reach is better done in light than in darkness.
JOHN 11:9-10
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
5. It is Christ commandment to walk in the light – because the way is clear. Not in the darkness where one cannot see.
JOHN 12:35
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Let us investigate further Taylor’s errors of fact.
Was Paul converted in darkness because he was blind? Paul was blinded by the intense light he saw upon encountering the Lord Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus.
THE ACTS 9:3-4
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
The time when he encountered the Lord Jesus Christ was at midday when the sun, the literal light of the world, was at its peak.
THE ACTS 22:6-8
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
In conclusion, it is wrong to say that Paul’s conversion happened in darkness unless the understanding of the one saying this is under complete darkness.
Second, the liberation of the Jews from their bondage from Egypt did not happen at night. They took the first step forward out of Egypt during the breaking of the day.
The Hebrew word used is yôm which literally means “day.”
EXODUS 12:41
And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
It was further clarified that they left the next day after the Passover
NUMBERS 33:3
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.EXODUS 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Considering these verses it is inevitable to conclude that the exodus did not happen at night but in the day.
Third, Taylor alleges that the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected in a dark cave claiming that the resurrection happened in darkness. The truth is, to resurrect is to leave darkness and go towards the direction of light.
EPHESIANS 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Fourth, as God’s wisdom in the Bible teaches us about resurrection according to which is also accepted in Science, light helps in the budding of a planted seed and shows the direction in order for the plant to grow. It is the same with a human being who needs light – physical and spiritual.
I CORINTHIANS 15:35-38
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
Resurrection is the moment when those that are in graves of darkness will come out to light and life.
JOHN 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Life is in light, so to resurrect is to come out from darkness into light.
JOHN 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In contrast, physical darkness is only good for resting the eye and allowing the production of melatonin by the pineal gland. Melatonin induces sleep, deep sleep that is. So, darkness is only good when you are not going to do any work.
Fifth, while physical darkness is allotted by God for people to sleep, you will not learn lessons while you sleep! Physical darkness is used as the opportune time of the cohorts of the devil to do their business.
MATTHEW 13:25
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Spiritual darkness is where man abhors the light and intentionally prefers the dark because light tends to expose, to illuminate, to point to truth. Evil loves this kind of cover; it is dim; there is no light. Spiritual darkness gives no benefit whatsoever.
EPHESIANS 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.ROMANS 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
All good things, divine and humane are achieved in light. Physically, light is necessary to put in order the minutest detail of a delicate scientific instrument or a work of art. The module that brought man to the moon was not made in darkness: and though I was not there, I am pretty sure that the Mona Lisa was painted in a well illuminated place.
But more than physical light is spiritual light that lightens the soul, the mind and the heart. God dwells in it and Himself is light! It the best thing that exists with God!
EPHESIANS 1:18-19
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Finally, to end up all discussions and to see the truth in this topic, let us give due course to the Bible and listen to what it says about darkness and light.
I JOHN 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
In sum, God is light and there is no way he is connected with darkness. No one then should be looking for darkness in order to find God.
Down with darkness and on with the light!
To God be the glory and light forever and ever! Amen.