In the Darkness, I See the Light

Versi Bahasa Indonesia dari tulisan ini sudah lebih dulu dimuat di WarungSaTeKaMu dengan judul Di Tengah Kegelapan, Aku Melihat Terang.

As an environmental consultant, I often conducted field works in various habitats. These environmental surveys usually are carried out in the day, but recently I had the opportunity to go for night surveys.

Although the scope of work for night survey is the same as its day counterpart – i.e. observing what flora and fauna species exist on the site – the stark contrast in terms of lighting couldn’t leave a deeper impression. During the day, I felt way safer since I can clearly observe my surroundings and hence anticipate well the threats of wild animals, weather, or falling branches. In contrast, I became far warier at night, flashing my torches almost omnidirectionally to spot various nocturnal species and to ensure my well-being.

But nature was not my only concern when going for night surveys. 

While walking through one of our transects, a colleague asked about my impression of my inaugural night survey.

“Are you afraid, Jeff?” asked her. 

I nodded very briefly.

“Of the natural or supernatural threats?”

A moment of silence passed before I finally answered in reluctance, “Both.”

“Are you afraid of the dark?”

As an Indonesian, I was supposed to be familiar with blackouts. Singapore’s night light should also be strong enough to illuminate most corners of the island. Not to count my identity as a follower of Christ, the Lord of all creations, natural and supernatural. Why was I still afraid of the dark?

After a thorough observation, I found that that particular night seemed unusually dark for me because:

• We were in the middle of nowhere in one of the corners of the island;
• The fastest way out of where we were would take approximately 20 minutes;
• Lots of wild boars and dogs were roaming around that site, which we learnt from our day survey;
• All torches had been turned off as we were standing as still as possible to check if there had been any fireflies there; and
• Although Singapore’s night light assisted our eyes in adapting with the darkness around, we still couldn’t see our surroundings clearly.

When thrown into this kind of situation, I believe most of us would naturally feel afraid. Our senses would be dialled to eleven to ensure our personal safety.

Amidst the suffocating darkness, interestingly there was a part of me that was fully alert, observing and reflecting about this circumstances and how I was reacting against it. I was not really sure why I responded so, until I looked up to the sky and saw the moon, shining ever brightly, which I immortalised and displayed as the cover image of this writing.

At that moment I realised what God was conveying to me in relation with Good Friday and Easter, which would be celebrated in a matter of days. All of it is summarised in a Bible verse that suddenly echoed loudly in my mind:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

- Isaiah 9:2 ESV

“Walked in darkness”: Judah’s choice

You may frown at the verse I quoted above, which is more commonly shared and quoted during Christmas. However, when we consider this verse’s background from the previous passages, we will clearly see its connection with Easter.

In Isaiah 7, the LORD commanded King Ahaz to ask a sign from Him (7:11) after He promised the demise of Judah’s enemies – Kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim – that shook the heart of the people of Judah (7:2). This decree He gave to strengthen King Ahaz’s weak faith, who in the end really turned away from the LORD and relied on Assyria to fend off Syria and Ephraim (2 Kings 16:1-9). 

Alas, the king rejected the LORD’s grace by replying, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test” (v. 12). Wearied by King Ahaz’s unbelief (v. 13), Isaiah prophesied the birth of Immanuel the Messiah that would take place after Syria and Ephraim fell by the hands of Assyria (vv. 14-16). The latter kingdom itself would become a bigger threat than the former two and deliver the end of Judah.

Chapter 8 tells the fulfilment of this divine prophecy: the birth of Maher-shalal-hash-baz the son of Isaiah as a short-term sign of the end of Syria and Ephraim (vv. 1-4), the incoming Assyria that would persecute Judah (vv. 5-8), the victory of Immanuel and destruction of the LORD’s enemies in the future (vv. 9-10), and the call to the remnant of Judah (vv. 16-18) to trust and take refuge in the LORD amidst the depravity of a nation that put their faith on mediums and necromancers (vv. 19-20). Due to their own choice, God’s chosen people would experience “distress and gloom”, where they would eventually be “thrust into thick darkness” (vv. 21-22).

If chapter 8 ended there, whoever is reading would be suffocating as well in the face of Judah’s tragic fate. They were God’s chosen people who turned away from Him and chose to worship false gods. At the same time, the LORD promised to save the remnant of the people who still trusted Him. However, would they see through the end amid this dark world?

The Light that shines in the darkness

“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” - Isaiah 9:1 ESV 

The first verse of chapter 9 reveals a plot twist and prepares us the readers to welcome the Light of hope in the deep darkness (9:2). The LORD would multiply His faithful remnant and increased their joy as at the harvest (9:3), He would break the yoke, staff, and rod of oppression (9:4), dan every enemy He would throw into the fire (9:5) by the hands of the Prince of Peace, Immanuel (9:6).

The original audience of Isaiah’s prophecy – which was written approximately 2800 years ago – were surely long gone when Lord Jesus came, died on the cross, and rose, but they directly experienced what the Word of God means by “distress and gloom”. While meditating on Isaiah 9:1 during the night survey, I imagined the condition of the Judahites of that age, whose nights only had the moon, candles, and campfires as their night lighting. They experienced not only physical darkness, but spiritually they were going through a crisis. The kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim were plotting to conquer them. The LORD had spoken through His prophet Isaiah, but King Ahaz rejected Him categorically and instead prepared a counterattack through his reliance on Assyria. The people were confronted with a choice: to stay loyal to the LORD or follow the ignorance of their king.

This reflection of the Judahites’ choices of response in the past brought me to contemplate on individual choices of response in the present to the Good News that the LORD conveys through His Word that transcends space and time. We know that 800 years after prophesied, far after Syria and Ephraim were deserted (7:16), the sign that King Ahaz rejected really came as the son conceived by the virgin (7:14). The divine Light Himself, by His great love for His created people who have been living in the dark, chose to become like us and lived in our midst. The darkness that had been ruling the earth then tried to vanquish Him by crucifying Him on the cross, but He rose three days later as the Prince of Peace that conquered darkness. The world is still dark, but like the moon that shone bright and gave me a bit of security in my night survey, the Light of Christ shines brightly and proclaims the truth that gives us hope: the Reality is Him, not the dark. Even though the darkness surrounds us, disorienting and instilling fear in our hearts, as long as we open our eyes as wide as possible and focus on Lord Jesus, we will live in His never-ending peace (9:7). 

To embrace or to reject the Light: our choice(?)

A popular quote says, “The light shines brightest amids the gloomiest darkness.” On Good Friday on the cross approximately 2000 years ago, that quote took a concrete form in the person of Christ who was hung there and resurrected three days after to proclaim the glory of God in the world corrupted by sin.

Behold the Light that gives warmth, hope, and obliterates all darkness outside and inside humans. That Light is always with us; even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that makes the darkness of the world seem darker, that Light shines even brighter. Lord Jesus is not the direct solution to all our problems, but He is the “Yes” for all the promises of God. “That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Through the works of His death and resurrection, all promises of God have been fulfilled that “all things [including this COVID-19 pandemic] work together for good, for all those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The question is, Do we want to open our eyes and embrace that reality of the Light, or reject Him like King Ahaz? Do we love Christ the Light and live in obedience to Him as our Lord, or reject Christ and choose to worship false gods like most Judahites did under King Ahaz? 

Lord Jesus be with you, soli Deo gloria.