Initially I only thought of the Biblical concept of ‘blackest darkness’. Then came to mind the contrast in the paint job in our house when at decorating time my wife and I played the role of amateur interior decorators.
Various tradesmen including painters were following our instructions conveyed via our son-in-law who knew them from his younger days growing up in the area and also because plumbers know all the trades.
Shopping for the right shade
Until we went looking in various paint shops, we didn’t realise there were many shades of white. We thought white was (well you know)…white.
Our house walls are now one shade of white, the ceilings are a different shade of white and the skirting boards are yet a third shade of (gloss) white.
There are shades of black also. God’s book mentions the ‘blackest darkness’: different from and fearsomely worse than just plain darkness. There is black darkness and blackest darkness, the latter like being in the lowest level of an underground coal mine minus lights.
God knows about colour because He invented it, having brought into existence the amazing variety of seemingly endless colours in jungle birds and reef fish, in coral, sea cucumbers and snails.
The one God of light
We, His adopted family, are called upon to live as ‘children of light’. No-one does it well and certainly not perfectly although Jesus whom we try to follow and emulate, is the light of the world.
Saul, soon to be renamed Paul by God to reflect how he was later changed, neared Damascus on his murderous quest and experienced a: light from heaven [that] flashed around him, the blinding light of God.
As a young Jamaican medical student (Victoria Richards) said recently in her Christian Today article:-
‘Yes evil continues to prevail in this world and that’s because of choices…some of us choose to devote our lives to God while others choose to stay in darkness.
Nevertheless this does not change the sovereignty of God…even though there are many questions we do not have the answers to.’ (emphasis added)
The Bryce Courtney novel ‘The Power of One’ set in South Africa refers to “one idea, one heart, one mind, one plan, one determination”. This described the single-mindedness of the main character, Peekay in his burning desire to one day become the welterweight boxing champion of the world. He said “Hoppie [an influential man in the little boy’s life] gave me a defence system and with it he gave me hope.” (p124).
A sandwich board advertisement read: ‘I grew up with Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope but now there’s no jobs, no cash and no hope. Please don’t let anything
happen to Kevin Bacon.’
Most comfortingly, every Christian has an infinitely greater hope than Peekay had, for: There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit…you were called to one hope…, one LORD, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians chapter 4 verses 4-6)
Why does the Bible mention ‘blackest darkness’?
What is the eternal future reserved for the monstrous atheistic dictators of history? Shockingly, atheists include the gentle unbelieving grand/mother and the friend we recently had lunch and a beer with. They are described as: springs without water and mists driven by a storm…who mouth empty boastful words…appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error…
There’s a momentary breath of hope for those who: have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter chapter 2 verses 17-20), although because some again become entangled in the world, their end becomes worse than it was previously.
Blackest darkness is reserved for those who ignore God. (2 Peter chapter 2 verse 17). That darkness endures ‘till the end of time without escape, a terrifying prospect. They are like Demas who: loved this world (2 Timothy 4:10) that being a personal choice. The atheist does not believe in the afterlife, and discovers the truth way too late thereupon ushering in a looong time for horror and regret.
God’s enemies are differently described elsewhere as: clouds without rain blown along by the wind, autumn trees without fruit and uprooted…They are wild waves of the sea foaming up their shame, wandering stars for whom blackest darkness has been reserved for ever. (Jude verses 12/13). They are: grumblers and fault-finders who follow their own evil desires. (v16).
Jesus is coming: to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way. (Jude verse 15).
Jesus foreshadowed
Sometime before his death in 681 B.C., Isaiah the prophet wrote foretelling the coming of Jesus that:
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned…For to us a child is born, a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders…Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. (Isaiah chapter 9 verses 2-7 quoted in Matthew ch4 v16). Probably the majority of Aussies today are walking dangerously in spiritual darkness.
The unknowable
From their perspective they have personal power and control over the remainder of their lives right until their day of departure from this mortal coil…but: no-one has power over the day of his death, (Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verse 8) and they: cannot keep themselves alive. (Psalm chapter 22 verse 29).
Don’t discover the truth way too late. It’s time to act.