Well, it's good to see you all
out and remember Samson family in your prayers. The young girl,
Anaya, who had cancer before and had treatment for it, has
got it back again. It's in her brain. And their
house caught fire this week also, too. So remember that family
in your prayers. Loretta's got some good news
on her cancer. She's a small lumpectomy, I guess
it will be, where they're taking out that little small spot. It's
early stages, no threat, just second. She's gonna be operated
on outpatient on Tuesday. To have it removed and then she'll
be on some medication afterwards. But we're thankful for that.
It's a good report. That's a good report. And Fred's
feeling pretty good. And Wayne told me to tell everybody
hey. He was feeling pretty pure yesterday when I spent some time
with him. He was carrying on telling me more stories about
him and his brothers. his two wives and the love of
his life, Miss Laverne, and it was a good time. We had a good
time together. Had some, read some scripture, had prayer together.
What was, what? Garfield Long's family, Garfield
passed away. Garfield Long's family? Yeah. They found him, passed away after
he didn't show up to work a couple days. Okay. Oh my goodness. What's
her name? If you think of it, let me know,
OK? Probably come to you later. I'll let you be like me. Also, Dee Parks is still doing
OK, but we don't know how long he's got. So just remember him
and Moose and Sandy and CJ and the Morales and all of them are
ministering to him at this time. Okay, let's begin our worship
service with hymn number 205, Once For All. Free from the law, O happy condition,
Jesus has bled and there is remission. Cursed by the law and bruised
by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. Once for all, O sinner, receive
it. Once for all, O brother, believe
it. Cling to the cross, the burden
will fall. Christ hath redeemed us once
for all. Now are we free, there's no condemnation. Jesus provides a perfect salvation. Come unto me, oh, here is we
come. Come and he saves us. Once for all, O sinner, receive
it. Once for all, O brother, believe
it. Cling to the cross, the burden
will fall. Christ has redeemed us. Surely His grace will keep us
from falling. Passing from death to life at
His call, blessed salvation. ? Once for all, oh sinner, receive
it ? Once for all, oh brother, believe it ? Cling to the cross,
the burden will fall ? Christ hath redeemed us once for all
M number 228, my faith has found a resting place. My faith has found a resting
place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living One. His wounds for me shall heal. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. Enough for me that Jesus saves. This ends my fear and doubt. A sinful soul, I come to Him. He'll never cast me out. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough. My heart is leaning on the Word,
the written Word of God. Salvation by my Savior's name. Salvation through His blood. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. is enough that Jesus died and
that he died for me. My great physician is the sick,
the lost he came to save. For me, his precious blood he
shed. For me, his life he gave. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that He died for me. If you have your Bibles, turn to Exodus
chapter 10. I'm going to look at something
that I didn't deal with when I was in chapters 9 and 10, and
I'm going to look at This, Exodus chapter 10 verse 21, And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch
out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the
land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses
stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick
darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They saw not one
another, neither rose any from his place for three days. But
all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Let
us pray. Our Father in heaven, holy is
your name, sovereign and majestic is your throne. You who rule
all things after the counsel of your own will, we praise you and thank you that
you have shown kindness and mercy to sinners. We are thankful,
Father, that our plea indeed is that Jesus Christ died in
my room and stayed. I have no other plea. I need
no other plea. Father, we thank you for the
good report on Loretta. We're thankful that the doctors
are confident they'll be able to take care of it quickly. We
praise you for that. Continue to pray for Brother
Fred as he will have his next chemotherapy treatment in a couple
of weeks. We ask, Lord, you'd be with him, strengthen him,
be with Arlene as she ministers to him. Pray for Brother Dee
Parks as you continue to minister to him. We thank you for the
spirit that you've given him, the joy that you put in his heart. Pray for his family as they face
this, which is a horrible thing for mom and dad to face. breaks the heart of all who know
him. We ask you to be with them and
be with CJ, his sister. Help them, Lord. Give them strength
for this time. Pour out your spirit upon them,
a spirit of peace and confidence in Christ. Pray for this family,
the Sampson family. This child has developed this
cancer back again. We pray for her and pray that
you'd be with the family as they minister to her. Pray for this
other lady who's been found with cancer, we pray you'd be with
her. Pray for our shut-ins tonight that you'd be with them and watch
over them and give them faith and strength in Jesus Christ.
We pray for ourselves as we're gathered here that you might
open your word to us. Give us worship. Cause us to
see the glory of your person and what you've done for us.
rehearse it again in our minds, that old story, that old, old
story. It's always sweet, sweeter than
honey in the honeycomb. Help us now, we pray, in Christ's
name, amen. Well this week I was reading
over again some previous chapters of Exodus and looking at what
I'd preached on in my own notes. and the last phrase of verse
twenty-three caught my attention and stuck in my head when it
said this and all the children of Israel had light in their
dwellings. I look back at the study of this
chapter and saw that I had not addressed this particular passage
when we did when I did address chapter nine and ten I addressed
them together and dealt mostly with the with the plagues and
the Lord's hardening of Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh's response
to him and so forth. I saw this but it didn't register
but sometimes that's the way the scripture is. You're reading
the scripture and then something will grab a hold of your mind
and this did in the last few days. This passage speaks of
the plague of darkness that God placed on the land and the people
of Egypt for three days Now, the darkness was described in
several ways in this passage. First, it is intimated that with
the stretching of Moses' hands toward heaven that the sun, the
moon, and the stars of night were darkened, and it was total
darkness. I don't know whether you've experienced
total darkness, but I have. I've experienced total darkness.
I was in a dungeon in a castle in Norwich, England, and they
cut the light off. I could see colors and things
like that, but they were in my mind and somewhere stuck in the
back of my eye, but I couldn't see anything. I actually took
my hand up and put it right in front of my face. I could not
see my hand, total darkness. And even though I knew I was
among friends and I knew that I was on a tour, that the guy
that was guiding me wouldn't do me no harm, a certain amount
of trepidation and fear began to creep into my mind because
your mind can do wondrous things when you cannot see. And this
is what happened in Egypt. In every household in the land
of Egypt that was owned by the Egyptian families, there was
total and complete darkness. Total. The darkness is described
as being felt. That's how dark this was. You
could feel it. This has been compared, and reasonably
so, to the darkness of overwhelming sin felt by the sinner when he's
touched by the Spirit of God. The sinner, as the old poet said,
is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost has made him so.
And this darkness is real for those who come in contact with
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost tells them what
they are, and they finally see themselves in light of the glory
of Christ as absolute, ruined, and wretched sinners worthy of
eternal punishment. And this darkness might be compared
to that. But the Egyptians felt no such
knowledge of sin. for those three days that they
were in this darkness. The language suggests terror,
terror that forms in the mind when one cannot see. Every sound
is a threat, every silence is a torment. It's a darkness felt
in the mind that excites the adrenal gland to flight or fight. That overtakes the body, but
there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide because you can't move
because you can't see. It's a darkness that can be felt. A kind of darkness is described
over in Revelation chapter 16 when the fifth vial is poured
out. In Revelation chapter 16 verse
10 it says, And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the
seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they
gnawed their tongues in pain. That's how scared they were.
They chewed off their own tongues in pain because the darkness
was so intense. In Psalm 78, as the plagues are
being revealed, and many times in the Psalms you'll find these
plagues are spoken of and rehearsed over and over again. Chronologically,
verse 49 of Psalm 78 speaks of this darkness being felt, and
it says, He cast upon them a fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation
and trouble by sending evil angels among them. so in during this
darkness as it was described in psalm 78 the lord sent evil
spirits to them so this was really a terrifying experience that
went on 24 hours a day for three whole days the darkness was also
said in verse 22 to be thick It was thick. This description
gives the sense that this darkness surpassed the inventiveness of
the imagination and suggests that the darkness was actually
palpable. It said it could be felt, but
here it seems to say it was palpable. It was thick. It had matter. It seemed to have matter to it.
We have all experienced the humidity of our mountains and said that
the atmosphere around us was as thick as soup. We felt the
air. We felt it. We felt like we could
touch it. We felt like sometimes we can't even breathe. Some scholars
have suggested that the Egyptians' houses were filled with vapors,
like a dense humidity during this time. This may account for
the fact that the flame of the hearth and the light of the candle
was snuffed out. There was no light. If they tried
to light a candle, it would not light. If they tried to light
a fire, it would not light. There was no light, no light
whatsoever. Over in Proverbs chapter 13, Proverbs chapter 13 verse 9,
it says this, The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp
of the wicked shall be put out. And that's what happened that
night. The lamp of the wicked was put out. Now the darkness
was such that the inhabitants of the Egyptian houses could
not see one another, that's what it says in verse 23, which resulted
in them sitting immobile in their place for three days. So much
comfort is present, especially in times of fear if we can see
our loved ones, if we can just see them. You've all experienced
as parents when a child sometimes is in trouble, and they're in
another place, in another room, and you're not around, and they're
not around you, they'll run in to the room and touch you or
look at you, and that's enough. They go back to what they were
doing. And that's a comfort to be able to see people we love.
They couldn't see the people they loved. This was a terror.
This was a terror. Just to see the face and visibly
account for their presence is a comfort that was entirely absent
in this land. As in Adam's fall, darkness was
upon the face of the deep. It was dark. We can't imagine
that. We have lights all over the place.
We have beautiful lights across the street, these Christmas lights.
These two houses seem connected. Have you noticed that? They're
working together on the Christmas lights. They've not put up our
angel yet. I don't know why. We won't hear the trump this
Christmas, maybe. I don't know. But then at the
end of verse 23 we have these words, we find a blessed little
conjunction that declares a total opposite of this darkness that
can be felt, this thick darkness. It says, but all the children
of Israel had light in their dwellings now. I wonder what
this must have been like. Of course, the Egyptians couldn't
see that. They were in total darkness.
I don't know how the Lord worked this, but they couldn't see the
light in the Israelites' houses. But inside the Israelite houses,
everything was lit up. It was lit up. Here God again
makes a distinction between the people and His people and their
enemies. He said He severed severed them
from Egypt. He made a distinction of his
people from the Egyptian people and here he does it again. He
severs the light from darkness because he's the creator of both.
He's the creator of light and of darkness. That's what he said
in Isaiah chapter 45 after he has set forth the fact
that he's anointed Cyrus not to salvation but to be of use
to the freeing of Israel from Babylon. But he says in verse
7, I form the light and create darkness. I form the light and
create darkness. I make peace. and I create evil,
I the Lord do those things. I do all those things. He's the
one that does it. So He has control over light
and darkness. In the Psalms it says light and
darkness are the same to Him. No difference to Him. He created
them both and uses them as He sees fit. Both of them serve
His purpose. So this darkness is upon the
face of Egypt, but there's light in the Israelites' house. As
in the beginning, the Lord said, Let there be light. And He said
it after He said there was darkness upon the face of the deep. He
said, Let there be light. And we know that light back then
did not speak of the sun, moon, and stars. They were days later
in their creation. He's talking about the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's the light. He's the light. And that's what this pictures
in this passage of scripture. The natural light that brightened
the Israelites' homes pictured the light of the knowledge and
understanding of the promise of salvation. This is a light. In Psalm 119 and 130 it says,
The entrance of thy word, which is the gospel, giveth light and
understanding to the simple. And where is that light shining?
We see it shine in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what it says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 6. God makes
His light, His glory to shine in the face of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is Christ. This light in these homes, this
is Christ. It's a picture in type and picture.
The light in a world of darkness is Jesus Christ and He lives
in your house. In your home, there's light in
your house. When the world outside is full of darkness, spiritual
darkness, spiritual blindness, inability to see light, your
house is lit. This is Christ in type and picture.
He's the light of the world. in a world of darkness. Scripture
says the people that dwelt in darkness have seen a great light.
And the ministers of the gospel, we bear witness of that light.
Now who has to tell somebody that the light, who do you have
to tell that the light is on? You have the person who can't
see. So we're going out into the world and telling folks the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're bearing witness that the
light of the world has come. They can't see it until the Lord
enlightens them and puts that light in their house. That's
according to His good pleasure. The minister does not make the
light shine. We can't make the light shine. He simply reports
that the light has come and that light is Jesus Christ and He's
the light of the world. That's how it's described in
John chapter 1. John chapter 1, we'll just read
verses 1-14 because this is a description of Jesus Christ. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. and the
light shineth in darkness and the darkness doesn't understand
it or comprehendeth it not. There was a man sent from God
whose name was John, speaking of John the Baptist. He came
before a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through
him might believe. He bore witness that the light
has come. We just looked at that Sunday morning. Behold the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. The light has come.
the light has come that was the true life jesus christ that light
of every man to come within the world he was in the world the
lord was the world was made by him in the world knew him not
michael's world lies in darkness he came to his own jewish people
and they received him not there's that wonderful conjunction again
it says this is something opposite this happened in the last then
what happened in the last two verses But as many as received
him gave he power, or authority, to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of nor of the will of man, but of God. And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld
His glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth." That's the Light of the Word. That's what we tell
men. We tell men who that is. Now,
we can't make them see. We can't open their eyes. If
they stay in darkness, if God has cut off all their lights,
they may never see. But if God gives them eyes to
see, then they'll see that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.
over in John chapter 8, verse 12. Our Lord said that about
Himself. He said, Then spake Jesus 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.
The light of life. Jesus Christ is that light. That's
what's going on that night. darkness throughout Egypt with
light in every house in Israel in every house in Israel and
light is in every house of the Israel of God over in first John
in the epistles of John excuse me in first John chapter 1 in verse 5 says this then is
the message this then is the message which we have heard of
christ by christ and we declare it unto you that god is one and
in him is no darkness at all if we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness we do not the truth but if we
walk in the light that is in christ as he is in the light
We have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin. We walk in the light of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That light in the Israelites'
homes said that there was life there. There was life there. Have you ever been driving on
an old country road sometime where there ain't no street lights? All you got is your car lights.
You go by houses, you're completely dark. Then you pass by a house,
and there's a yellow and orange glow from a window. And you look
at that house differently than all the other houses you've passed
by. Why? Because you know something's going on in there. There's life
in that house. There's a light in that house.
Because light speaks of life. And that's what Christ says.
You have me. You have the light of life. The presence of light in this
world severs the people of God from the people of the world.
That's what the light does. It's a disclosing thing. It discloses
all things is what it says in Ephesians chapter five in Ephesians chapter five verse
eight it says this for you were sometimes darkness speaking of
us as believers we were not only dark we was darkness And God
often refers to us in essential terms. Do you know that? He said
we were sin, not sinful. We are sinful, but He says we're
sin. And He says in Christ we are righteousness. He doesn't
say we're righteous. He said we're righteousness.
And here He says before you knew Christ you were darkness. You
were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
of the light. Then down in verse 14, verse
13, he says, But all things are reproved, or that is, discovered. All things that are discovered
are made manifest by light. For whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. And that's speaking of understanding.
Speaking of understanding. Our Lord, when He was talking
with Nicodemus in John chapter 3, most people think the conversation
ended at verse 12, but it doesn't end there. It ends at verse 21. But He said this about this light. in john chapter three verse eighteen
he says he that believeth on him is not condemned he that
believes on christ is not condemned but he that believeth not is
condemned already because he's not believed on the name of the
only begotten son of god and this is the condemnation well
what is the condemnation that light is coming to this world
understanding is here men are without excuse because the gospel
is here christ is coming to the world and men love darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. And every man that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be disclosed, or reproved, discovered, as we
read in Ephesians 5. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are
wrought in God. Every child of God comes to the
light with his deeds. And he says, I didn't do any
of this. God did it all. God did it all, everything wrought
spiritually in me was wrought by God. The difference has nothing
to do with the people, this difference, this severing. It doesn't have
to do with the people themselves, but entirely due to their connection
with the Lord Jesus Christ. What hast thou that thou hast
not received? And if you have received it,
why would you boast as if you hadn't received it? That's what
it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 7. Romans 8.32 says,
God gave Christ to His people. He has given Him to all His people. And with Him, He has given Him
all things. All things. He says in 1 Peter,
All things that pertain to godliness and life, He has given in the
Lord Jesus Christ. You see, the believer's eyes
are singularly fixed on the light. on the light and the result is
that he's filled with the light himself that's why Christ could
say you were darkness but now you're light our Lord said that
in Luke chapter 11 in Luke chapter 11 verse 34 he says he says the light of the body
is the eye Therefore, when an eye is single, you have one thing
to look at, you're looking at one thing, you're fixed on one
thing, thy whole body is full of light. But when an eye is
evil, that is double, you're looking at more than one thing,
the body is also full of darkness. Take ye therefore that the light
which is in thee be not darkness, If thy whole body therefore be
full of light, having no part of dark, the whole shall be full
of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give
thee light. The single eye of the child of
God is fixed on that light. Fixed on that light, that understanding,
in that city that we're going to one day. Which I think about
a lot more than I used to think about. away never time i'm with
him says i'm just waiting for the trump to blow waiting for
that last round in that city who's building makers got in
that place where there will be no need of sun or moon or stars
there were likewise be no need of darkness and there will be
no dot but there will be like that there will be like that
local revelation chapter twenty one Revelation 21 verse 23, And the
city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine
in it. For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the
light thereof. The Lamb is the light thereof. All the children of Israel had
light in their dwellings. Father, bless us to understand
and pray in Christ's name. Amen. All right. God bless you.