After a moment of silence, whispers could be heard. You literally could not see your hand in front of your face. Everyone and everything had disappeared from sight. Completely surrounded by the darkness I felt isolated, even though my wife was sitting right next to me. I had absolutely no clue in what horizontal direction I was facing. Then I thought of a worst case scenario. What if we were trapped in this cave with no light to find our way back out? I felt utterly helpless without some kind of light. Left to grope in this darkness we would all eventually perish. I could sense the coldness of the pressing darkness. When the lights came back on it felt warm and inviting, like seeing a long lost friend.
As we made our way back to the landing, I thought about the plague of darkness that covered the land of Egypt like a blanket during the time of Moses. When I got home I read the story again in Exodus, chapter 10. The darkness was described as thick darkness (Ex. 10:22). So dark was it that they (the Egyptians, added) did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place (Ex 10:23). This lasted for three days. The only light to be found in all the land of Egypt was in the area of Goshen where the Israelites lived. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings (Ex10:23). This would suggest that the Egyptians didn't have any light whatsoever, even in their own private dwellings! Inside and out the Egyptians were experiencing thick darkness for the first time.
This darkness was physical in nature. Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt (Ex 10:21), in other words, groping after something in order to identify it or to move around it. The light had to be completely removed for darkness to succeed in proving to the Egyptians that not even their powerful pagan sun god Re, whom they worshiped and looked to for light, comfort, and productivity, was unable to aid them in their affliction. This darkness was from Yahweh; and no pagan god was going to be credited for bringing any light of comfort to the land of Egypt. And so for the next three days everything in Egypt came to a grinding halt. It was an oppressive darkness similar to that which I experienced briefly in the underground cavern.
Actually, the darkness in the cave turned out to be a stunning enlightenment! In that fleeting moment void of any light, I saw in dramatic fashion my spiritual condition before I knew Christ and what it is like for those who do not know Him. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble (Prov. 4:19). Without wanting to be rescued by the Light (Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life, Jn. 8:12), unbelievers will never find their way out of the cave of sin and darkness on their own, never.
When the guide turned the lights back on in that dark cavern, I also thought to myself, "Man, I love the light bulb!" Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until is temporarily absent or gone forever. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Frankly, I was uncomfortable in the darkness, not because of fear, but because I enjoy being in the light. Paul told the Ephesian believers, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).
Whenever I look at a light bulb now, I can help but to think back to that time in the cave. I see not only my personal need of the light of the Word in my daily walk but for those who are helplessly trapped in spiritual darkness. Let's face it; wouldn't you rather walk in the light than grope around in the darkness? Faith is walking in the Light. I can only hope by my walk as a child of Light I can affect a rescue as well as keep myself from stumbling along the way as an example. Jesus said, You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Mt. 5:14, 16). I love the light bulb; don't you? <><
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