Many Times God Visits In The Night. We Are Writing This Article To Dispel The Feelings Of Loneliness And Fear, Or Dread, Which Many Have When The Darkness Of Night Falls Upon Us. In This Article We Will Discuss Some Of The Visits God Made To People In The Night. So Read With Us About Some Of The Greatest Scenes In Our Bible That Took Place At Night.

Click On The Links Below To Go To The Different Scenes We Will Discuss.

————— Contents ————— A. Introduction B. The Last Night Of Sodom C. Three Nights With Abraham D. Jacob’s Night At Bethel E. The Night Jesus Was Born F. Israel’s Last Night In Egypt G. The Night Feast Of Belshazzar H. A Night With Jesus In Jerusalem I. Midnight In The Jail At Philippi ———————————————

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A. Introduction

Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
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.
4. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

In The Beginning Night Ruled, Then God Made The Light, And Time Began.

He Separated The Light From The Darkness And Divided Time Between Day And Night. The Night And The Day Were Made Equal In Command. And Each Was Appointed To Relieve The Other In Counting Of The Days Until Time Shall End.

Each (Night And Day) Has Their Own Way Of Proclaiming The Glories Of God.

The Great Creator Never Leaves Himself Without Witness Of His Majesty.

The Day Shines Forth By The Brightness Of The Sun, Lighting The Hills, And Valleys, And Streams, The Trees, And Bringing Life To All Living Things. The Night Brings Forth The Stars And Stills The Voices And Sounds Of The Day, And All Is Quiet.

The Teachings Of The Night.

The Night Is The Season Of Darkness, Of Silence, Of Rest.

The Night Is The Time To Turn Our Thoughts Inward And Reflect Upon The Meditations Of Our Heart.

In The Night We Learn Fearful Lessons Of Our Own Being. Far More Than Day Night Shows Us What It Is To Be Alone With Ourselves And God.

Psalm 77:6. I (The Psalmist David) call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Happy Is The Man Who Has A Song In The Night.

Have You Ever Spent A Wakeful Hour Upon Your Bed In The Night, When All The Sights And Sounds Of The Day Are Hushed? With Nothing To Divert Your Attention From Yourself, And You Lie Awake In The Night And Think.

You Get The Feeling That You Are Not Alone—That There Is Another Being—An Omniscient Presence Moves In. The Eye Of The Infinite One Is Upon You—And There Is No Escaping His Presence.

Psalm 139:12. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

You Lie Awake And Think Of What You Yourself Are, And What You Ought To Be, When Alone With God.

Those Hours Of Darkness, Of Solitude, Of Silence, Are Fearful, And Sometimes Maddening, To Those Who Are Afraid To Be Alone With Themselves And God.

They Compass Him About With Darkness And Make Him Feel How Dreadful A Thing It Is To Be Guilty—To Stand Face To Face With Almighty God—Condemned By Their Own Conscience. Judas Went Out, "And it was night." (John 13:30)

But When The Heart Is Pure It Is The Highest Blessedness To Feel Ourselves Alone With God.

Jesus Himself Retired To Desert Places And Spent Whole Nights Upon Desolate Mountains, That He Might Be Alone With His Father. (Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46-48; Luke 6:12)

He Taught Us The Importance Of Time Alone, In Solitude, With Our Heavenly Father, To Shut Out The World With, Its Sights And Sounds, And Seek His Face In A Secret Place. (Matthew 6:6)

I Know That We All Understand The Emphasis Which The Bible Places Upon Public Worship. There We Sing Together, Pray Together, Worship Together, Listen To Instructions From The Word Of God As A Group. Hebrews 10:25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

It Is Social, Public, Seen And Known Of Men--There We Have A Common Feeling, Practice, And Opinion. This Is All Well, Good, And Necessary, But Only A Part Of Our Religious Life.

It Is When We Are Alone In The Solitude Of The NightAnd The Sights And Sounds Of Others Worshiping Are Not Motivating Us, What Then, When We Are Alone, Do Our Thoughts Rest Upon? Is There Ever A Semblance Of Worship When We Are Alone?

In These Quite Hours Of The Night We Could Learn A Little More Of Refuge, Of Meditation, And Of Individual Communion With God. Just To Feel Ourselves Alone With Him For One Hour In The Whole Week, And For That One Hour To Have No Thought But Of His Presence, And No Choice But His Will To Be Done In Out Lives.

He Would Show Us That By Keeping Our Hearts Pure, We Can Always Have Unfailing Sources Of Joy Within Ourselves. In The Quite Moments Of The Night We Can Withdraw From Troubles And Conflicts Of The World Into The Sanctuary Of Our Hearts, And There, In Our Own Heart, We See The Vision Of His Face, Who Will Change The Night Into Day.

Psalm 77:6. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Too Often We Associate The Night With Fear, Weariness, Loneliness, Or Dread.

In This Study We Would Like To Dispel Those Feelings And Replace Them With Thoughts Of God’s Concern, God’s Protection, And God’s Intimate Fellowship With Us.

Night Is A Natural Phenomenon, A Part Of God’s Creation, And Therefore Should Not Be Feared.

The Bible Searches The Secret Chambers Of The Heart And Brings Out Of It, It’s Purest Love, It’s Darkest Hate, It’s Highest Joy, And It’s Deepest Grief. There Is No Middle Ground It Is A Love-Hate Response.

The Bible Compasses The Utmost Range Of Thought, And Feeling, And Emotions, And Desires And Sets Forth The Most Spiritual And Heavenly Truths In Stories Of Earthly Scenes And Human Characters.

To Understand And Treasure Up These Truths, Therefore, We Need To Know Something Of The Places, And The People That Are So Prominently Displayed On The Sacred Pages.

We Want To Apply The Lessons Of Inspired Writers To The Present Time And To Personal Examples For Duty. (1 Corinthians 10:6)

It Will Help Us Much If We Go Back In Our Imagination And Sit With Lot At The Gate Of Sodom, And See Angels Approach, Like Common Travelers In The Dim Light Of The Evening, And Then Watch In Horror At The Things That Occur When They Spend The Night At Lot’s House.

We Will Walk With The Two Disciples Into The Country And See Jesus Joining Our Company On The Way To Emmaus, And Follow Them As They Hurried Back To Jerusalem On That First Night After The Resurrection.

The Scriptures Will Come Alive If We Go A Days Journey Into The Desert With Elijah And See Him Falling Down In Despair And Wishing To Die.

We Will Sit And Listen To The Songs Of Praise Sung By Paul And Silas At Midnight In The Prison At Philippi.

We Will Spend The Night With Jacob At Bethel And See Angels Ascending And Descending On A Ladder Which Reached All The Way To Heaven.

We Will Also Be With Him That Night At Jabok When He Wrestled With God Until The Breaking Of The Dawn.

We Will Spend The Night With Abraham At Beersheba And Groan With Him During His Greatest Trial.

We Will Sit With The Disciples In Gethsemane And Listen As Jesus Prays During His Last Night With Them Before His Death.

We Will Sit With Belshazzar On His Golden Throne The Night The Finger Of God Wrote On The Plaster Of The Wall.

We Will Join The Children Of Israel As They Spend Their Last Night In Egypt.

We Will Read And Discuss Stories Of Angel Visits In The Night.

We Will Sit With Shepherds As They Watch Their Flocks In The Night Jesus Was Born.

And Finally We Will Look At A Place Where There Is No Night. (Revelations 22:5)

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B. The Last Night Of Sodom

Genesis 19:1. And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2. And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. (KJV)

Genesis 19:15. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (ASV)

Genesis 19:17. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. (ASV)

"Tarry All Night,…" Words Of Man,

"Escape For Thy Life:.." Words Of Angels.

The Man, (Lot) A Master Of Hospitality—

The Angels, Ministers Of Mercy And Of Vengeance.

The Man Speaks Of House And Home And Feasting And Rest.

The Angels Speak Of Impending Wrath And Swift Destruction.

The Man Persuades To Enjoyment Of A Quite Evening In A Luxurious Setting And A Promise Of The Return Of A Beautiful Day.

The Angels Would Hasten An Escape From The Awful Scene Of Enchantment, Of Lust, At The Sacrifice Of All Earthly Possessions.

The Man Speaks From Mere Feeling And His Impression Of Things As They Are Passing Before His Eyes.

The Angels Speak Of Things As They Really Are.

They See Behind The Calm And Peaceful Setting Of The Closing Day.

They See The Fiery Tempest Of The Coming Morning.

Such Is The Difference Between The Judgment Of Man Who Is All Involved In The Cares And Toils And Pleasures Of The Passing Day, And Of Beings Who Stand Outside The Range Of Our Vision, And Who See The Affairs Of Time In The Light Of Eternity.

The Partition Between Us And The Unseen World Is As Thin As The Garments Which Clothe Our Flesh. Every Day’s Experience Compels Us To Believe In The Reality And The Awful Nearness Of Forces That Take No Visible Body Or Form.

Let Us Believe In The Actual Appearances Of Messengers From The Unseen World Stepping Out From The Shadows To Teach Men Lessons From God.

1. The First Scene Of Genesis 19

It Is Evening At A Large City Which Lies Upon The Plain Which looks like A Garden. (Genesis 13:10)

Laborers Are Coming From The Fields And Vineyards On The Plains. Shepherds Are Bringing Their Flocks To The Fold Around The City.

There Are No Signs Of Wrath In The Sky—No Voices Of Wailing In The Air—No Tremor In The Sure And Firm Earth.

Yet Sodom’s Last Night Is Casting It’s Shadows Upon The Walls Of The Doomed City.

The Chief Men Are Sitting At The Gate of The City. The Young And The Old Are Milling Around In The Coolness Of The Late Evening Air. The Idle Multitude Are Coming And Going To Hear And Tell The Latest Gossip.

The Chief Men Display The Luxury And The Pride Of Princes.

The Common People Make A Holiday Of The Whole Year.

Ezekiel 16:49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good]. (KJV)

Idleness And Riches Stimulate The Appetite For Pleasure And They Go To Every Excess In Indulgence. They Have Everything That Sensual Appetite Can Desire—They Study To Find New Ways Of Gratifying The Coarsest And Basest Desire.

Jesus Said,

Luke 17:28. Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29. Until the same day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all:

They Lived For The Day, And Had No Thought For The Morrow.

How Many Millions Live Like The Thoughtless And Pleasure-Loving People Of Sodom? All Devoted To Earthly Cares, Joys, And Occupation Until The Grave Takes Them Away?

2. The Second Scene

Two Strangers Are Seen Approaching The City.

To Most Of The People Who Saw Them They Seemed To Be Only Common Travelers Coming From Some Distant City, And They Would Probably Seek Shelter For The Night And Be On Their Way Come Morning.

But One Man At The Gate Of Sodom Was Attentive And Arose To Invite These Strangers To His Own House To Spend The Night. Lot Saw Something Different About These Two Strangers That The Other People Of Sodom Did Not See.

The Strangers Were Reluctant At First, But Finally Agreed To Go Home With Him. Lot Treated Them With Great Courtesy And Respect While Others No Doubt Derided Him For Taking Them In.

We Should Always Be Aware—God’s Mightiest Messengers Of Mercy And Of Wrath Often Come In A Very Common Garb. They Do Not Always Announce Their Appearance.

We Must Give Earnest Heed And Keep Watch, Or The Angels Of Blessing And Of Deliverance Will Come And Pass By Us Unawares.

Like The Men Of Sodom, Most People Are Unawares Of God’s Workings. Many Do not Care To Know. Only A Few Were Aware When Jesus Was Born, A Few Shepherds, Simeon And Anna To Name A Few.

The Scriptures Tell Us,

Hebrews 13:2. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (KJV)

As Lot Led The Two Strangers Away From The Gate Of Sodom, No Doubt The Others Sitting There Derided Him, The Vilest Suggestions Are Passed To And Fro Among The Lewd And Leering Rabble As Lot Leads His Guests Away.

They Become More Clamorous, With Outcries And Rude Assault As The Night Wears On.

They Assault The House Where The Strangers Are Staying, Unaware That They Were Angels Who Had Come To See Whether There Were Any, In All The City, Who Could Be Persuaded To Escape From The Coming Doom.

But The Iniquity Of The Inhabitants Was Full, The Last Drop Was Added To The Cup Of God’s Wrath, And It Was To Be Poured Out At Daybreak.

Sodom Spent Its Last Night In Reveling And Riotous Living.

The Angels Urged Lot To Try To Persuade His Sons-In-Laws To Flee The Doomed City. "But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-laws’" (Genesis 19:14)

They Jest And Laughed The Hours Of Life Away While Lot Is Praying And Weeping For Them. The Disappointed Father In Law Returns Empty Handed To The Waiting Angels. The Sleepless Night Is Wearing Away For Lot’s Household.

The First Streaks Of Dawn Are Already Spreading Across The Eastern Sky.
There Has been No Change In The Earth Or Sky,
No Trumpet Of Wrath Has Blown,
No Earthquake To Shake A Sleeping Multitude,
No Sulphurous Fires Have Flamed Up From The Peaceful Valley,
No Threatening Wave Has Rolled Across The Quiet Lake,
No Cloud Of Vengeance Darkens The Coming Day.
The Sleeping City Dreams Of Long Life And Continued Pleasure.
But The Angels Have Said, "The Lord hath sent us to destroy it," (Genesis 19:13)
And That’s Reason Enough For Alarm And For Immediate Flight.

Even When A Thousand Voices May Promise Peace And Safety, But, Angels Say, "Leave Your Worldly Possessions Behind To Perish"—
"You Must Hurry Or Even You Cannot Be Saved."

Lot Lingered For One Last Look

Genesis 19:16. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. (KJV)
"While He Lingered..."
"Escape For Thy Life…"
"Look Not Behind Thee,.."

The Sun Is Beginning To Rise Over The Hill Of Moab On This, The Last Night Of Sodom, And Just Now The Hour Of Doom Strikes, Lot’s Wife, Disregarding The Voice Of The Angels, Turns And Looks Back, And Became One Of The Many Thousands OF Pillars Of Salt In That Region. Immortalized For All Time By Jesus Himself.

"Remember Lot’s Wife." (Luke 17:32)

The Lord Rained Fire And Brimstone Out Of Heaven Upon The City—Upon The Plains Which Had Seemed Like A Paradise The Day Before—And The Smoke Of The Burning Goes Up As The Smoke Of A Great Furnace…

It Is Seen As Far Away As The Hill Of Hebron And The Mountains Of Moab.

In One Moment This Fair City With It’s Surrounding Gardens Become A Desolation Never To Be Inhabited Again.

The Scriptures Expressly Declare That The Fate Of The City Of Sodom Is Set In It’s Pages For Us As An Example To Warn Men Against Living Ungodly Lives And Neglecting The Call To Flee The Wrath To Come.

As Always There Are Two Voices Which Call Out To Us As We Go About Our Daily Walk Of Life.

One Is From Man And The World,
The Other Is from Heaven And God.

The One Says,
"Tarry, Be At Ease, Enjoy Yourself While You Can."

The Other Says,
"Escape For Thy Life, Haste, Look Not Behind Thee; Flee To The Mountains Lest Thou Be Consumed."

One Says,
"Soul Take Thine Ease, Eat, Drink, And Be Merry.

The Other Says,
"Thou Fool This Night Thy Soul Is Required Of Thee."

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C. Three Nights With Abraham During His Great Trial

The Story Is Told In Genesis 22. Abraham Was An Hundred And Twenty Five Years Old When He Received A Command To Offer His Beloved Son Isaac For A Burnt Offering Upon An Unknown Mountain In The Land Of Moriah.

The Message Came To Him In A Vision During The Night In His Tent In Beersheba. We Can Well Imagine That There Would Be No More Sleep For Him That Night.

The Voice In The Night

The Voice Spoke Only To Him And Which Only Himself Heard.

Genesis22:1. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, [here] I [am].
2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (KJV)

Abraham Already Passed For An Old Man, Even In The Longer Than Average Of Human Life In His Time. The Years Had Taken It’s Toll Upon Him, The Fires Of Youth No Longer Burned Within Him—It Was no Longer easy For Him To Bend Before The Storm Of Affliction And Trial—And Rise Again With Renewed Vigor When The Test Was Over.

This Would Be A Bitter Thing For Him To Be Made To Drink More Deeply From The Cup Of Sorrow Than He Had Ever Done In His Younger Days. It Is Very Hard For An Old Man To Find The Sorest Trial Is Reserved For The Last.

Abraham Reminisces

Fifty Years Before This Night Abraham Had Heard This Same Voice For The First Time, And In Obedience To That Voice Had left The Land Of His Fathers And Had, Until The Last Few Years, A Sojourner In A Strange Country. (Hebrew 11:9)

Born In Ur Of Chaldees At The Mouth Of The Euphrates River Where It Empties Into The Persian Gulf, The Modern Country of Kuwait.

For Some Unknown Reason Terah Took Abraham And Sarai, Abraham’s Wife, And Lot, His Grandson, And Followed The Euphrates River To Almost Its Source, Across The Country Of Iraq Into North-Eastern Syria To The Town Of Haran. Terah, Abraham’s Father, Died In Haran At The Age Of 205 Years. (Genesis 11:32)

It Was Some Time During This Period That Abraham Heard the Voice Of God Speaking To Him For The First Time.

Genesis 12:1. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: (KJV)

Abraham Was Now 75 Years Old When He Received This Command From God. Abraham Journeyed From Haran To Damascus, On Southward Through The Land Of Canaan And Down To Egypt, And Back To Canaan—And God Blessed Him. "And Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold." (Genesis 13:2)

Abraham’s Household Had Grown Enormously With Hundreds Of Servants (Genesis 14:14), And Many Herdsmen (Genesis 13:7). But There Was One Thing Lacking In That Great Host Of People Which Surrounded Him--A Son To Whom He Could Bequeath His Goods.

For Many Years The Voice Of God Came To Him In Such A Way As To Indicate That Abraham Would Have Many Descendants.

Genesis 13:16. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered. (KJV)

Years Passed And No Heir Was Born Unto Abraham. Then One Day The Voice Of God Spoke Again Unto Abraham. Abraham Complained To God And God Again Made Him A Promise That "One out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." (Genesis 15:4)

Abraham Was 86 Years Old When In Order To Fulfill God’s Promise (He Thought) Abraham Had A Son By An Egyptian Servant Of Sarah. Abraham Named Him Ishmael. Can We Not Imagine The Joy In Old Abraham’s Heart When Ishmael Uttered His First Word, Took His First Step?

But After 13 More Years With Abraham’s Attachment To Ishmael Growing Each Day, God Appeared Again And Said that This Is Not Thine Heir." God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed ; and thou shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him……." (Genesis 17:19)

Genesis 21:5. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. (KJV)

Genesis 21:8. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. (KJV)

Abraham Was So Happy, Now he Could Just Live Out His Life In Peace. He Had Now Settled Down In Beersheba. He Planted A Grove Of Trees In Which He Built An Altar And Called On The Name Of The Lord. He Dug Wells Of Water From Which Men And Camels Have Drank For 3,500 Years.

His Young Son, Isaac Was With Him At Every Moment. Abraham Taught Him How To Build An Altar--How To Lay Wood In Order Upon The Altar—How To Prepare And Kill The Sacrifice.

There Was Nothing Abraham Held Back From His Son Isaac. He Confided Every Intimate Moment With Him—He Told Him Everything He Did—Everything He Thought. There Was No Secret Which Abraham Kelp From Isaac.

It Was At Such A Pleasant Time In His Life That The Night Vision Came And The Voice From God Speaking To Him.

Genesis 22:2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (KJV)

We Are Not Told What Raced Through That Old Patriarch Mind—But We Can Be Sure That His Heart Must Have Stopped For An Instant—Then The Full Realization Of What Was Said Came To Him.

It Would Have Been Hard Enough For An Old Man’s Heart To Lose Such A Son By Sickness Or Death. He Could Have At Least Tried To Make His Last Hours Comfortable By Acts Of Parental Affection. But How Could A Father Shed The Life Blood Of That Son By His Own Hand?

How Could He Heap Piles Of Wood Upon His Body And Burn It To Ashes In His Sight? It Would Be Extremely Hard For An Aged Father To Lose One Of Many Sons. How Much Greater To Lose An Only Son—An Heir.

If Isaac Had Been A Disobedient, And Licentious Son—If He Had made Himself Such A Grief To His Parents That May Somehow Softened The Blow. But Isaac Was So Gentle, So Loving, And So Deeply And Tenderly Loved.

If Abraham Had Been A Selfish, Cold Hearted Man, Caring Little For His Kindred And Not Caring Who Should Bear His Name. How Cruel, How Inhuman Must Have Seemed The Voice.

What A Night!

If It Had Been His Silver And Gold, His Flocks And Herds, His Servants And Herdsmen, His Promised Land, His Home, It Would Have Been Easy. Even, Lord, If It Had been Himself That Was Demanded.

Oh, My Son, Would God I Could Die For Thee" (2 Samuel 18:33), Was The Cry Of Another Distraught Father (David) On The Death Of His Son.

Abraham Probably Staggered Out Of His Tent Into The Night And Looked Up Into The Sky—The Stars Are Out. He Remembers What The Voice Had Said One Time Before.

Genesis 15:5. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (KJV)

But Now, If The Command Be From God, Then It Must Be Obeyed. Abraham Walks Towards The Grove And Beneath Its Branches—He Kneels At The Altar He And Isaac Had Built—And In Agony he Prays. Every Sound Seems To Echo The Words, "Take Now Thy Son, Thine Only Son Isaac, Whom Thou Lovest,..." (Genesis 22:2a)

The Dawn Is Already Beginning To Break—If The Journey Is To Be Undertaken At All—There Is No Time For Delay. So The First Night Has Come To An End.

Abraham Goes To One Of The Tents Where His Servants Sleep. Of The Hundreds, He Chose Two. They Prepare Wood For The Sacrifice And Lay It Upon The Beast Of Burden.

Then Abraham Calls His Son Isaac—He Turns His Head When Isaac Appears In The Tent Door. Shall He Tell Isaac What The Voice Had Spoken To Him? He Cannot! Only That We Are Going To The Land Of Moriah To Make A Sacrifice. "Why So Far, To Make A Sacrifice?" And Possibly A Few More Questions.

"O, Why Cannot I Tell Him? Abraham Mutters To Himself. There Will Be A Time Along The Way. But What About Sarah, His Mother? Shouldn’t She Be Told? After All That Is Her Son Too--Her Only Son." "Cannot She Give Him One Final Kiss—One Final Goodbye—After All She Will Never See Him Again--?"

There Are No Final Farewells

The First Days Journey Begins In Company With His Son To Whom He Had Confided Everything. He Now Travels All Day By His Side With A Secret In His Heart Which Affected His Very Life—And He Cannot Bring Himself To Tell Isaac.

A Hundred Times The Opportunity Comes And Goes. He Cannot—He Just Cannot Tell Him. I Wonder If Abraham Walked Unusually Close To Isaac—Sometimes Putting His Arm Around Him—Or Did He Keep A Distance from Him All Day Long? At Any Rate Abraham Must Have Been Relieved When Night Came On.

The Second Night

They All Lay On The Bare Earth—And Isaac And The Young Men Slept.

I Believe Abraham Withdrew From Them—And Under The Cover Of Darkness Poured Out The Sorrow Of His Heart. Even As A Greater Sufferer Prayed In Agony, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." (Matthew 26:39)

The Countless Host Of Stars Came Out To Remind Abraham Of The Promise. All Night Long He Waits For An Answer. "Let My Son Live!" He Prayed, But No Such Message Came.

The Hours Of Darkness Are Always Long For A Sleepless Man. But Morning Comes Too Soon For Abraham—For He Must Renew His Journey.

The Second Days Journey Begins.

He Soon Passes The Oaks Of Mamre Where He Had Once Interceded For Sodom (Genesis 18). But No Angels Appear To Hear His Petition For His Son. He Begins To Ascend The Hills Of Hebron And Into Bethlehem. The Second Day Finally Wears Away.

The Third And Final Night Falls Upon The Weary Travelers

Abraham Lies Down With The Others Fully Aware That The Journey Will End Early Tomorrow, And Yet He Has Not Told Isaac The Reason For This Journey. Isaac Sleeps, As The Lamb Sleeps The Night Before The Sacrifice.

Abraham, Tired And So Weary, Yet So Restless—His Body Craves Sleep Yet His Mind Will Not Let It. All The While Abraham Listened For The Voice To Speak—"It is enough; thy son shall live."

The Third Night Passes And No Such Message Has Come.

Abraham Can Still Go Back—No One Will Ever Know—It Could Have Been A Mistake—A Bad Dream, An Hallucination. We All Know The Conclusion—The Journey Of The Third Day Is begun. Sometime Early On The Third Day Mount Moriah Appears Before Them. The Mysterious Sign Appears Also To Abraham.

Now It Is Settled Beyond All Questions In Abraham’s Mind—The Voice In The Night Vision At Beersheba Was A Reality—The Command Was Divine—The Sacrifice Must Be Made.

Abraham lays The Wood For The Offering Upon Isaac To Carry—Abraham Takes The Knife And The Fire. They Begin To Climb The Mountain Together. Somewhere Along Near The Top Isaac Wonders Out Loud To His Father About The Lamb.

To Which Abraham Responds, "God will provide himself a lamb…" Genesis 22:8

They Reached The Top Of The Mountain Together And Built An Altar As They Had So Many Times Before. They Laid The Wood On The Altar.

The Last Dreadful Moment Has Come And No Delivering Angel Appears—No Divine Voice Speaks To Stay The Sacrifice.

Abraham Must Tell His Son The Awful Message Which He Has Carried In His Heart For Three Nights And Three Days. It Must Be With His Own Consent If He Is Offered At All—He Is Full Grown—His Father A Hundred Years Older.

We Do Not Know What Expression Of Feelings This Brought From Isaac. We Are Not Told What Surprise, What Horror, What Fear, What Distrust, What Agony He Showed.

Did He Try To Reason? Did He Try To Plead? Did He Try To Resist?

We Do Not Know The Answer To These Questions. We Do Not Know What Was Said, Thought, Or Felt By Isaac. What We Do Know Surpasses All Comprehension.

We Know That Isaac Submitted To The Sacrifice. He Consented To Be Bound.

He Gave Up His Life, His Hope, Everything Just Because His Father Told Him That It Must Be So. He Waited For The Stroke Which Would End His Life.

We Know The End Of The Story—The Voice Sounds At The Last Possible Instant.

Genesis22:11. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. (KJV)

The Fourth Night Was A Night Of Rejoicing For Abraham After Three Awful, Dreadful Nights. Our Lesson From This.

Nothing Is Too Precious For Us To Give To God. We Never Receive Full Value Of Any Possession Until We Give It All To Him. Give Him Your Money, Your Time, Your Talents, Your Efforts, Your Work. Give Him Your Children, Your Heart, Your Soul, Your Life, Your Everything. Then Jesus Is Yours, Eternal Life Is Yours, Eternal Joy Is Yours. Nothing Is Too Precious For God To Give To Us.

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D. Jacob’s Night At Bethel Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis28:10. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put [them for] his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (KJV)

Few Passages In All The Bible Have Equaled These Verses (Genesis 28:10-22) In Their Influence Upon Religious Thought. The Story Of Jacob’s Dream About The Ladder Set Upon Earth And Reaching Up To Heaven, And The Angels Ascending And Descending On It.

No Man Could Number The Souls Who Have Taken Heart At The Thought Of It. "It Could Happen To Me," Is Our Thought. This Story Is Told And Retold In Prayers, And Hymns, And Sermons Every Lord’s Day.

One Of The Spirituals Goes,

"We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder, Ladder,
Each Day Brings Me One Rung Higher, Higher…."

Thousands Upon Thousands Have Joined In Singing, "Nearer My God To Thee."

2nd Verse.
"Tho Like A Wanderer, The Sun Gone Down,
Darkness Be Over Me, My Rest A Stone,
Yet In My Dreams I’d Be, Nearer, My God, To Thee, To Thee."

How Many Of You Have Slept (Or Laid) On A Bed Which Seemed To Have Rocks In It.? I’ve Slept On Lumpy Feather Beds. I’ve Also Slept On Straw Ticks Which Gouged Me Every Time I Moved. There Is An Old Saying, "If You Make Your Bed Hard, You Will Have To Lay On It."

Jacob Had Made His Bed Hard—He Would Have To Lay On It.

Never A Man Has Lain Down, On Any Bed, More Troubled Than Jacob Was That Night. He Was A Fugitive, And He Was Afraid. He Probably Surrounded Himself With Stones And Used One For A Pillow.

This Was Probably The First Night In Jacob’s Life That he Had To Sleep Outside. Jacob Had Been A Mama’s Boy, Nourished From His Earliest Youth With All The Tenderness And Care Of A Mother’s Love. Born Second In A Set Of Twins (Esau Was First), His Mother, Rebekah, Had Spoilt Him.

Rebekah Had A Revelation About Jacob Before He Was Born, And Throughout His Early Life Did All She Could To Fulfill This Prophecy.

Genesis25:22. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb.
25. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: (KJV)

I Feel This Prophecy Influenced Her Every Action Towards Jacob.

We Notice In The Preceding Verse That When The Twins Were Born That Esau Came Out First But When Jacob Came Out He Was Holding Onto Esau’s Heel, This Act, No Doubt, Influenced The Name Which Was Given Him, Jacob, Meaning, Heel Grabber, Or Supplanter. Jacob Began His Life Long Struggle Even Before He Was Born. And This Was To Continue Most All His Life.

But God Had Plans For Him. God Was To Use Him, And Bless Him.

Jacob Would Dig Wells That People Would Drink From For 3500 Years (I’ve Drank From One Of Them Myself).

God Would Make Him The Father Of A Nation Which Still Exists When Most Of The Nations Of His Day Have Long Ago Faded From Existence.

Genesis25:27. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man (Pious, Gentle, Perfect, Undefiled, Upright), dwelling in tents.
28. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. (KJV)

Jacob Was Aware Of His Mother’s Revelation, And Also Of The Significance Of The Birthright. The Birthright Did Not Mean Inheritance Of Money, Land, Flocks, And Herds. It Meant The Headship Of The Family In It’s Covenant With God To Abraham. The Birthright Was A Spiritual Blessing, And Jacob Craved It, He Desired It, He Hungered For It.

Jacob Could Not Be Content With The Things Of The Flesh, As Esau Was. So The "Heel Grabber," Or "Supplanter," In Jacob Came To The Forefront In Acquiring Of The Birthright From Esau.

Jacob Made A Deal With Esau, "And He Sold His Birthright Unto Jacob." (Genesis 25:33b) "And Thus Esau Despised His Birthright." (Genesis 25:34c)

Thus Esau Discarded His Privilege, He Discarded His Tomorrow, Because He Was Only Interested In Today.
"All I Want is Something To…."
"And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way." (Genesis 25:34b)
"Nothing Will Ever Come Of It."
"No One Will Ever Believe Him."
So Frivolous, So Irresponsible, So Lacking In Seriousness,
"These Thing Are Of Little Weight Or Importance."

But The Day Would Come When He Would Weep Bitterly Over This Day. (Hebrews 12:17)

One Day Rebekah Over Heard Isaac Talking To Esau Concerning His Death And The Giving Of His Blessing To Him Before He Died. So She Devised A Plan Where By Jacob Could Deceive Isaac. Scheming For Jacob To Steal The Birthright And Blessing. She Wanted Jacob To Have The Best Of Everything No Matter How He Got It.

Genesis27:13. And his mother said unto him, Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them]. (KJV)

When Esau Discovered That Jacob Had Obtained His Blessing He Was Very Angry.

Genesis27:41. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. (KJV)

A Note Of My Personal Feelings. God Had Ordained That Jacob Received This Blessing Even Before His Birth (Genesis 25:23) And God Would Have Brought It To Pass Even If He Had To Cause Esau To Be Killed. So I Feel That What Took Place Actually Saved Esau’s Life.

Rebekah Realizing The Anger Of Esau And Fearing For The Life Of Jacob Purposed To Save Him By Sending Him To Haran. Her Brother Laban Was Now Living In Haran And Jacob Could Seek Shelter There Until Esau’s Wrath Cooled. "Then I will send for thee." (Genesis 27:45)

Again Rebekah Seemed To Have The Way To Solve This Problem With His Father Isaac. She Said to Isaac That She Just Could Not Live If Jacob Married Any Of The Daughters Of The Land. So Isaac Agreed And He Called Jacob To Him And Gave Him The Blessing Of Abraham And Sent Him Away. (Genesis 28:3-4)

"The Blessings Of "El-Shadai," "God Almighty" Be Upon Thee." (Genesis 28:3)

Then Isaac Bestowed Upon Jacob The Inheritance Of The Land. (Genesis 28:4)

The First Blessing (Genesis 27::28-29) Was Only Natural Blessings.
"God Give Thee Dew Of Heaven…"
"Fatness Of The Earth…"
"Plenty Of Corn, Wine…"
"Let People Serve Thee…"
"Be Lord Over Thy Brethren…"

God Must Have Had A Hand In The Decision To Send Jacob To Laban’s House To Seek His Wife. This Would Keep The Bloodline Pure From Abraham Down Through Jacob. (Genesis 24:2-9)

So Jacob Left The Security Of His Father’s House To Go To Haran.

It Would Take A Man At His Age 20 Days To Travel So Far On Foot Alone, In A Strange Country—No Roads, No Landmarks, No Food But What He Could Gather Along The Way, No Houses Of Rest On The Way, With "Nothing But A Staff In His Hand." (Genesis 32:10)

His Heart Was Heavy As He Walked—His Thoughts Only On His Troubles Which He Had Brought Upon Himself. He Had Lied To His Father, He Had Deceived Him And Obtained His Brother’s Blessing. His Mother Had Told Him To "Go For A Few Days And I Will Send For You." (Genesis 27: 44-45) But Jacob Realized It Would be Much Longer, In Fact He May Never See Them Again, He Thought.

This Blessing He Had Been So Anxious To Receive Had Only Made Him An Outcast, A Wanderer, A Stranger In A Strange Land. Many Times We Feel As Jacob Felt, Our New Found Faith Separates Us From Old Friends, Making Us An Outcast In Their Society.

Genesis28:10. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put [them for] his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. (KJV)

His Brother Esau Could Be Close Behind, Wild Beasts Were Lurking On Every Side Roving Bands Of Men Were Always Waiting For Some Lone Traveler To Come By.

As The Sun Set Jacob Piled The Stones Around Him For Protection, He Lays His Head Down On A Stone For His Pillow. But When Men Lose All Confidence In Himself, It Is Time For God To Help, To Such A Man, Unworthy, Remembering All The Things He Had Done, Sleep Doesn’t Come Easy.

Finally In The Solitude Of The Darkness Jacob Fell Asleep.

I Have Told You Before (Introduction) That In The Night Watches God Becomes More Visible To Us. Elihu Reminds Us That’s When God Speaks To The Soul—"In A Dream, A Vision—Pain—Sickness." (Job 33:14-24)

God’s Unexpected Presence

Genesis28:12. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, …

And In This Vision He Received Divine Assurance That The God Of Abraham And Isaac Was With Him In His Wanderings, And Would Bring Him Back Again Into This Land And Give It To Him And To His Seed As An Inheritance Forever.

Genesis 28:15. And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of. (KJV)

Jacob Was A Fugitive And He Was Afraid—He, In Our Estimation, Had Not Deserved A Vision Of God—But He Needed It. All His Life In His Groping And Unworthy Way He Had Desired It. He Had Never Been Content With The Things Of The Flesh, As Esau Was.

Even Guilty Of All His Many Sins He Knew That There Was A Higher Righteousness To Which He Was Accountable.

Genesis28:16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not.
17. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven.
18. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.
20. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21. So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22. And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (KJV)

Our Lesson From This Night Scene In The Bible Is That Even In Our Unworthiness, In Our Fears, In Our Unexpectedness Of Any Favor, God Appears Sometimes In Our Darkest Night.

Jacob’s Night At Bethel Was A Great Turning-Point In His Life. In This Night Vision Reassured Him Of The Reality Of His Mother’s Conversation With God (Genesis 25:22-23, One Of The Very Few Conversations Recorded That God Had With A Woman) That He Would Be The One That God Would Call To Be The Father Of A Great Nation.

We Will Record At Least One More Night Scene That Took Place In Jacob’s Life A Little Later In This Study.

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E. The Night Jesus Was Born

The Night God Came Down To Dwell Among Men

Luke2:7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (KJV)

"Keeping watch over their flocks by night."

There Are No Words In The Gospel Of Luke Upon Which Our Minds Have Dwelt More Thoughtfully And More Tenderly Than Upon These Which We Have Read. The Words, As Luke Wrote Them, Form A Picture In Our Minds As Vividly To The Imagination As Though We Looked With Our Own Eyes.

A Small Town In Darkness, In A Remote Part Of The Earth, A Jostling Crowd Of People Arriving And Pushing Ahead Of One Another For A Place To Spend The Night. Joseph And Mary Coming Wearily To The End Of Their Long Road. There Was No Room For Them In The Village Inn. Nothing To Do Then But To Find A Corner In A Stable Where Mary, Great With Child, Could Lie Down To Rest.

Poets, Song Writers, Artists, Preachers And Teachers Have Long Tried To Express It’s Simple Beauty—Grandeur. These Were The First Verses Of Scripture Which I Committed To Memory. They Let Us Know That The Most Wonderful Event That Ever Took Place Took Place At Night.

Birth-date? 4—7 B.C?

In The Third Century Some Celebrated January 6. In The Fourth Century It was Changed To December 25, Where It Has Been Celebrated Since. Luke Tells Us It Was At A Time When Sheep Could Still Be Kept In The Field. Probably Sometime Between April And November. We Know Only The Things Which God Chose To Reveal To Us.

Today We Want To Think About The Things That Happened Which Led Up To That Night And Especially Those Thing Which Took Place That Night.

First Scene, 9 Months Previous To This Night.

Luke 1:26-35. Describes The Scene When The Angel Gabriel Suddenly Appears To A Young Virgin Named Mary, Telling Her The She Would be The Mother Of A Child, Not Just Any Child, But, The Child Would Be The Son Of God Himself.

Luke1:35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (KJV)

This Is One Of The Most Important Verses In the Entire Bible, Unless We Can Believe This Verse We Will Have Trouble Believing The Other Things We Read About Jesus. In Fact We Must Believe It To be Saved.

This Brought About A Problem In Mary’s Life Because She Was Engaged To A Local Carpenter Named Joseph, And Was Soon To Be Married To Him. When She Told Him What Had Happened And That She Was Expecting A Child He Could Not Believe The Story. But God Had A Way Of Convincing Him That Night.

Second Scene Number Three, Joseph’s Predicament

Matthew1:18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Though Humble Enough In Position—For He Was By Trade A Carpenter—Joseph Was, In Reality, Of The Noblest Blood Of His Race, For He Could Claim Descent From The Ancient Kings Of His Nation, And Was The Legal Heir To The Throne Of David And Solomon.

Though Betrothal Was Virtual Marriage, And Could Only Be Broken Off By A Formal "Bill Of Divorcement," The Betrothed Did Not At Once Go To Her Husband’s House. To Give Time For Preparation, And To Soften The Pain Of Parting From Her Family, Or, In Part, To Let Them Get A Longer Benefit Of Her Household Services, An Interval Elapsed Before The Final Ceremony; It Might Be So Many Weeks, Or Months, Or Even A Whole Year.

Joseph Had Two Options Available To Him When He Knew Of Her Pregnancy. He Could Accuse Her Publicly Of Immorality And Have Her Stoned (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). Her Death Would Then Have Broken The Marriage Contract. A Second Alternative Was To Divorce Her, Because Of Mary’s Pregnancy There Was Sufficient Ground To Seek An Annulment Of The Marriage Contract.

But Since Joseph Did Not Want To Expose Her To Public Disgrace, He Had In Mind To Divorce Her Quietly. Joseph Was Not Hasty In Carrying Out His Decision.
20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (KJV)

The One Who By His Power Had Created The Universe, Would Come In Human Flesh Through Mary’s Womb. Jesus Christ, The Eternal One, Reached Out Through His Birth And Took To Himself A True And Complete Humanity. He United True Humanity And True Deity In One Person Forever.

Such Was The Revelation Given To Joseph. Joseph’s Response Was One Of Implicit Faith And Obedience. He Did Not Ask For Confirmation. He Did Not Ask For Explanation. He Accepted The Fact That Isaiah’s Prophecy Concerning The Virgin Birth Was The True Explanation Of Mary’s Pregnancy, And He Obeyed The Command Of The Angel And Took Mary Home As His Wife.

This Brought On Another Problem. All The Prophecies Of The Old Testament Foretold That The Messiah Would Be Born In Bethlehem, And Bethlehem Was Many Miles Away, And He Had Not Made Any Plans To Go To Bethlehem, But God Had Plans Of His Own.

Scene Number Four, Bethlehem The Night Jesus Was Born.

Luke 2:1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2. ([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (KJV)

Jesus Christ Was Born During The Reign Of Caesar Augustus. In The Roman Method Of Taking The Census, We See God Acting Providentially To Bring Joseph And Mary To The Place In Which Micah Had Predicted The Messiah Would Be Born.

Since Joseph Was The Descendant Of David, Joseph’s Legal Inheritance Rested In David’s City, And Since Mary In Like Manner Was A Descendant Of David, Her Legal Inheritance Was In Bethlehem As Well. This Necessitated A Difficult Journey From Nazareth To Bethlehem. When Joseph And Mary Arrived In Bethlehem They Found The Village Crowded With Other Travelers Who Had Come To Be Enrolled In The Roman Census. They Sought Some Place To Stay, Since it Was Obvious They Would Have To Remain In Bethlehem For Some Time.

Luke2:6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV)

This Was To Become An Eternal Parable Of Jesus’ Life.
"No Room For Them In The Inn."
"No Room For Him In The People’s Heart And Life."

The Only Complaint That Ever Escaped His Lips Was,

"The Son Of Man Has No Place To Lay His Head."

If Mary And Joseph Had Come Earlier To The Inn, They No Doubt Would Have Gotten In. These Travelers From Nazareth Had Come Too Late—Now The Inn was Crowded, And They Could Not Get In. We Have Filled All The Space We Have With Other Guests.

So It Was Not Through Any Particular Hostile Will That Jesus Is Excluded From Our Hearts. We Do Not Mean To Be Irreligious—But Our Thoughts And Feelings Are Occupied With Other Matters Which Had Come First.

Now Religion And Jesus Cannot Find A Place When He Comes With His Infinite Gift To Enrich Our Souls—There Is Simply No Room For Him In The Inn Of My Heart—It’s Already Filled.

Another Reason There Was No Room For Mary And Joseph And For The Christ Child Who Would Be Born That Night. It Was Because Nobody Knew That They Were Coming, And Did Not Recognize Their Importance When They Came.

If The Inn-Keeper Had Dreamed Who Mary’s Child Would Be—He Would Have Found Means To Welcome Him. He Would Have been Flattered At The Idea Of Welcoming Greatness. If Someone Had Only Told Him That Here Was The World’s Savior—That A Star Would Shine Over His Place That Night—That Angels Would Sing—That Here Was The One By Whose Name Every Little Town And Village He Entered Would Be Made Famous.

Then He Would Have Rearranged His Guests And Sent Some To Find Lodgings Elsewhere So That Mary The Mother Of Jesus Might Come In. But He Did Not Know--That’s The Way It Always Is.

We See Only An Ordinary Stranger When He Comes Knocking—

"There Is No Room In The Inn Of My Heart."

In One Of Those Innumerable Caves Close To The Inn Which Was Used To House The Many Animals Joseph Found Shelter In The Little Town Of Bethlehem-Ephratah, In The Land Of Judah. He Had No Choice But To Be Content With Such Accommodations In An Unoccupied Corner On The Filthy Area, Which Must Be Shared With Other Late Comers, Amid The Mules, Cows, Goats, Sheep, And Camels. I Am Sure That Joseph Tried To Provide All The Cleanliness And Decency Amid The Unpleasant Smell Of The Close Quarters That He Could.

The Night The World Had Awaited For Thousands Of Years Came. (Galatians 4:4) It Was The Grandest Night That Ever Came.

Luke 2:6b. "while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;

Only The Simplest Of Provisions Could Be Made For This Babe. She Wrapped Him In Strips Of Cloth. These Strips Of Cloth Or Swaddling Bands Had Been Used From Ancient Times (Ezekiel 16:4). There Were No Trappings Of Royalty, No Purple Robes, And No Sign Of Wealth Or Of Position, Even Though This One Was Born To Be King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords.

A Manger Became His Cradle And The King Of Glory Condescended To Be Cradled In The Manger That Was To Hold Food For Cattle. He Who Had Come To Provide Heaven’s Bread Descended To A Manger.

That Same Glorious Night On The Judean Hillsides. The Announcement To The Shepherds.

An Announcement Of The Forthcoming Birth Of Jesus Christ Had Been Made To Zechariah And To Mary And Joseph. Now The Fact Of The Birth Of Christ Was Announced By Angels To Shepherds. These Were The Most Unlikely Recipients Of Such A Revelation, For Shepherds Were Despised As A Class Because They Were Considered Unclean.

The Work Of Tending The Flock By Night Was Divided Into Shifts By The Shepherds. While Those On Duty Watched Over The Flocks, The Remaining Slept.

The Darkness Of The Night Was Suddenly Dissipated!

Luke 2:8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

"The Glory Of The Lord Shone Round About Them:"

This Was The Glory That Had Appeared To Abraham While He Dwelt In Ur (Acts 7:2), The Glory That Appeared In The Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35), And The Glory That Appeared In The Temple. (1 Kings 8:11)This Was The Glory That Ezekiel Saw Depart From The Temple (Ezekiel 10:4, 18-19; 11:22-23). For More Than 500 Years The Nation Of Israel Had Been Without That Visible Sign Of God’s Presence Among His People, And Now The Glory For Which Israel Had Waited Was Revealed To Shepherds In The Field, Not To The Priests In The Temple.

"And They Were Sore Afraid."
The Shepherds Evidently Recalled God’s Word To Moses:
"There Shall No Man See Me And Live." (Exodus 33:20)
For They Were Terrified By The Revelation Of God’s Glory.

In The Stillness Of The Night Their Fear Was Dissipated By The Angel’s Voice. He Had Not Come As The Minister Of Death, But Came To Bring Good News Of Great Joy.

10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)

"I Bring You Good Tidings Of Great Joy, Which Shall Be To All People."

"A Saviour Which Is Christ The Lord."

Such A Momentous Event Required A Sign, And A Sign Was Given By The Angel.

"Ye Shall Find A Baby Wrapped In Strips Of Cloth, Lying In A Manger."

One Would Expect To Find A Baby Of Royal Parentage In A Palace. Such A Baby Normally Is Wrapped In Luxurious Garments And Surrounded By Every Comfort And Convenience, Signs Of Wealth And Station Everywhere Evident.
But Such Was Not The Case With This Baby.
He Was In A Manger.
No Royal Garments Clothed His Body.
But Rather, He Was Wrapped In Strips Of Cloth.
The Baby Had The Appearance Of Being Prepared For Burial.

How Fitting That He Should Be So Seen From The Time Of His Birth, Since He Truly Had Been Appointed To Death. All Heaven Turned Out That Night To Sing His Praises.

Luke 2:13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)

Such A Momentous Announcement Compelled The Shepherds To Leave Their Flock That Night And Go To Bethlehem To See The Thing That Had Come To Pass.

After Seeing The Babe, They Departed And Became The First Evangelists. They Spread The Word About This Child Which Was Born That Night.

Scene Number 4 Which Took Place That Wonderful Night When Jesus Was Born.

Men In A Far Off Country To The East Were Gazing Into The Sky That Night And Saw A Very Bright And Unusual Star.

Matthew 2:1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3. When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6. And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The Wise Men’s Dream.

God Warns Joseph In A Dream.

Joseph At Once Obeyed The Command From God To Flee To Egypt, Where He Stayed Until Herod’s Death. Joseph Had No Financial Resources Available To Him, But God Graciously Provided The Needs Of This Family Through The Gifts That The Wise Men Offered As A Token Of Their Esteem. With These Gifts, Joseph No Doubt Was Able To Pay All The Expenses Of The Trip To Egypt, As Well As The Return To Palestine.

So We See How God Chose To Bring Christ Into The World At Night. He Sent A Host Of Angels To The Judean Hillside To Sing Of His Birth To A Group Of Shepherds Watching Over Their Flocks That Night.

Can We Expect God To Appear To Us In Some Miraculous Way Some Night When We Least Expect It? I Really Think We Can, And As We Continue In This Study Of Night Scenes In The Bible We Will See How God Did Come Unexpectedly In The Night.

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F. Israel’s Last Night In Egypt

The Night Of Israel’s Birth.

Before This Night.
1. A Large Family.
2. A Group Of Slaves.

After This Night.

Exodus 12:42. It [is] a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this [is] that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. (KJV)

That Night Jehovah Stood Guard To Protect Israel. Therefore Israel Must Guard The Memory Of This Night. It Was The Beginning Of A History That Shall Flow With A Continuous Current Till Time Shall End. And That Stream Shall Carry Life And Blessing To All Nations Of The Earth.

On That Memorial Night God Himself Appeared On The Earth On Behalf Of An Enslaved And Despised Race, And Brought Them From The House Of Bondage To Take Their Place Among The Great Historical Nations. As Suddenly As The Sunrise A Nation Was Born.

Never Before, Nor Since, Has A Nation Been Formed So Suddenly. When The Sun Went Down, The Descendants Of Abraham Were Sojourners And Slaves Toiling Under The Lash Of The Taskmasters, And In A Land Not Their Own. When The Morning Broke, They Were A Great Nation On The March, With An Army 600,000 Strong—And With The God Of Hosts For A Guide.

Rome Began As 30 To 40 Shepherds And Robbers Were Drawn Together In A Small Cluster Of Huts. Yet It Took 700 Years To Reach The Summit Of It’s Greatness. The Hebrews Numbered Nearly 3,500, 000 The First Day Of Their Life As A Nation.

The Egyptians, The Babylonians, The Assyrians, All Great Nations Of Ancient Times, Have Utterly Passed Away From The Earth—They Have Few, If Any, Representatives To Bear Their Name Or To Glory In Their History. They Have No Influence In The Life Of The World Today. Only The Egyptians Have Their Name Mentioned In Today’s News.

But The Hebrews, In All Their Wanderings, And Dispersions, Are Hebrews Still. The Descendants Of The 3 ½ Million People, Who Marched Out Of Egypt That Night, May Be Found On All The Continents, And In All The Great Cities Of The Earth.

That Nation, Born Under God In A Night, Has Been The Teacher And Leader Of The Human Race. Their Laws, Their Sacred Principals Of Morality, Their God Given Faith, The Character Of Their Great Men, Exert More Influence Upon The Minds Of Men Today Than All The Other Nations Of Antiquity Put Together. The Birth-Night Of The Hebrew Nation Was The Great Era Of Ancient Times.

Let Us Study The Events Of That Night That We May Learn In What Way God Gave Life To The Hebrew Nation. Let Us Suppose Ourselves Carried Back To That Night And Become Spectators As God Works That Night.

ISRAEL’S LAST NIGHT IN EGYPT

It Is Night Throughout All The Land Of Egypt In Late March Or Early April. A Bright Full Moon Shines From A Cloudless Sky. It Is Dark In The Twenty Thousand Cities And Villages That Line The Banks Of The Nile—All Is Still.

The Laborers Have Come In From The Field, And All Are Asleep. The Princes Of Pharaoh Are Asleep—The House-Slaves Are Asleep On The Floors—The Bondsmen, The Wise Men, The Magicians, Which Had Withstood Moses And Aaron, Were Asleep, Along With Pharaoh And All His House--All Egypt Slept.

The Mighty Monarch Has Said That The Man Moses Shall See His Face No More. He Has Sworn That The Hated Hebrew Shall Die The Moment He Appears Again.

For Many Days This Fugitive From The Desert Had Haunted The Proud King. His Shepherd’s Staff Has Become More Powerful Than The Scepter Of Pharaoh. The Wise Men And Priests Of Pharaoh Had Been Confounded And Put To Shame.

The Waters Of The Sacred River Had Been Changed To Blood. The Cattle Smitten With An Infectious Disease, Plagues Of Lice, Plagues Of Locusts, Plague Of Boils, Plague Of Hail, Plague Of Frogs, All These Things Invaded Every Home In Egypt At The Bidding Of Moses. But Pharaoh Has Had Enough. He Has Forbidden Moses To Ever Come Into His Presence Again.

Exodus 10:29. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. (KJV)

Now The Locusts Are Gone, The Boils And Blains Which Afflicted Everyone Are Healed, The Flax And Barley That Was Beaten Down By Hail Has Been Replaced By A Harvest Of Wheat. The Blood Stained Waters Have Become Pure And Fresh, The Thick Darkness Has Given Way To The Light Of A Full Moon.

A Weary Monarch Sleeps, Forgetting All Threats Against His Kingdom. So In Egypt All Sleep As Of Death—Silence Reigns.

But It Was Not So In The Land Of Goshen Where The Hebrew Slaves Lived. In All The Houses Of The Hebrews, Every Soul Is Awake And Every Eye Upon The Watch.

There Is No Stir In The Streets--The Families Are Inside Of Their Houses—There Is A Blood-Stain On The Lintel And On The Side-Post Of Every Door. As Rahab Was Commanded To Get Your Family In, So Was It In The Land Of Goshen.

Children Are Clutched In Their Mother’s Arms. They Have Just Finished Eating Supper—A Roasted Lamb, Unleavened Bread And With Bitter Herbs (A Symbol Of The Bitterness Of Their Toil).

Their Long Robes Are Gathered Up And Tightly Girded Around Their Loins. Their Feet Are Shod With Sandals For A Journey. They Have A Shepherd’s Scrip Upon Their Shoulders Filled With Provisions For The Way. Men And Women Stand With Staffs In Their Hands, Ready To Go Forth When The Sign Shall Be Given.

Psalm 105:37. He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes. (KJV)

It’s Almost Midnight. Strong Men Turn Pale, Women Weep, Children Too Frightened To Cry. They Had Been Told By Moses That At Midnight,

Exodus 11:6. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. (KJV)

God Had Told Moses,

Exodus 3:7. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which [are] in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; (KJV)

For 400 Years God Had Heard The Cry Of The Hebrews—He Remembered Every Cry, The Groaning, The Signing—He Would Return 400 Years Of Crying In One Night.

MIDNIGHT IN EGYPT

Listen! Was Not That The Sound Of Someone Yelling?

This Followed By A Piercing Scream Coming From A Distant Home.

Cold Chills Ran Up The Spines Of Everyone Who Heard It.

Exodus 12:29. And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
30. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. (KJV)

Within Minutes, Not Just One Egyptian Home, But From Every Home, Shrieks And Howls Break Forth Upon The Stillness Of The Midnight Air. Village After Village, City After City, From The Palace Of The King, To the Mud-Huts Of The Poor, Even Unto The Captive In The Dungeon. Rich And Poor, Young And Old Was Visited By The Angel Of Death.

There Was Universal Terror, For In One Awful Moment The Angel Of Death Has Smitten Every Family In The Whole Nation—With Just One Stroke Which Must Have Caused The Most Crushing Sorrow.

The Scriptures Tell It Best.

Exodus 12:31. And he (Pharaoh) called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, [and] get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
32. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
33. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We [be] all dead [men].
34. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
35. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
36. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them [such things as they required]. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
37. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot [that were] men, beside children.
38. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, [even] very much cattle. (KJV)

Psalm 105:37. He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes. (KJV)

In One Glorious Night Israel Was Set Free From Bondage And Servitude.

Our Lesson from This, Jesus Christ Came to Set Us Free From The Bondage Of Sin. In One Glorious Moment, It Don’t Take All Night, We Can be Released From The Chains Which Bind, And Come Forth Into The Glorious Liberty With God’s People. Jesus Said, "He hath sent me… to preach deliverance to the captive,… to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18)

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G. The Night Feast Of Belshazzar

Daniel 5:1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
30. In that night was Belshazzar the king slain." (KJV)

Belshazzar Was The Last Of The Babylonian Kings. The Great Feast Which He Made For A Thousand Of His Lords Was On The Last Night Of His Reign.

Belshazzar Belonged To The Proud, Profligate, Race Of Chaldeans—Licentious, And Wildly Extravagant, Grossly Self- Indulgent, And Very Wicked. The Hebrew Prophets Described Them As "Given To Pleasures, Dwelling Carelessly, And Trusting In Wickedness." (Isaiah 47:8-10)

Their Young Men Were Showy, Sensual, And Lewd. They Dressed Themselves In Dyed Garments Of Bright Colors. They Curled Their Hair, Used Perfumes, Wore Jewelry, Carried Walking-Sticks With A Bird Or A Serpent Carved On Their Handle. They Were Fond Of Gold And Silver Chains, Costly Furniture, And Great Feasts.

They Frequented Dramatic Entertainment In Which Dancers And Singers Appeared With Little Dress And Less Decency, For Their Amusement. They Drank Wine And Sang Lewd Songs, Were Out Late At Night And Did Everything Else That Wild, Half-Intoxicated Young Men Are Likely To Do.

All This Is Well Documented By Isaiah, Jeremiah, And Ezekiel, And From The Greek Historians, As Well As From Inscriptions From Their Own Monuments That Remain To This Day. And Knowing All This Concerning The Young men Of That Great And Mighty City We Are Not Surprised That Babylon Became A Desolation.

The Day Of Doom Is Not Far off From Any Great City, Or Country, When It's Young Men Become Effeminate, Self Indulgent, Fond Of Pleasure, And Afraid Of Work. Four Words Most Often Heard in the Work Place Today Is, "It’s Not My Job."

That Is The Way Babylon Was Ruined, That Is The Way Rome Fell To The Barbarians (All Work Was Done By Slaves), That Is The Way Constantinople Came Under The Sway Of the Mohammedans. That Is The Way Venice Ended A Thousand Years Of Independent History With Shame And Servitude. We Could Go On And Name You Some More.

It Will Happen Again—Maybe To Some City You Know—Heaven Help This Generation Of Youth. People Do Not Realize How Far They Have Drifted Over The Edge. It Was Later Than They Thought.

Belshazzar Had Everything To Flatter His Pride And Feed His Passions. He Was An Absolute Monarch, Holding The Life And Property Of His Thousand Lords And His Countless People Entirely At His Disposal.

He Answered To No One. His Servants Were The Princes Of Conquered Nations. His Wives And Concubines Were The Daughters Of Kings. His City Was Enriched With The Spoils Of Many Nations—His Fields Were Cultivated By Captive People. Belshazzar Was Hasty And Had A Violent Temper.

History Records The Chaldeans As The Most Ruthless Race Of People On Record. Yet History Tells Us That Belshazzar Was Effeminate And Luxurious In His Habit Of Living.

Belshazzar Inherited the Pride, The Glory, The Riches, The Power, The Palaces, The Capital, The Kingdom Of His Great Father Nebuchadnezzar. He Gained All This Power And Glory At The Age Of 15. It Quickly Went To His Head.

Belshazzar Lifted Himself Up Against The Lord Of Heaven, And He Despised The King Of Kings. But Material Power Is No Obstacle To God. The Moving Fingers Of Judgment Were Already Writing.

At The Time Preceding The Great Feast Which Belshazzar Made For His Lords (Daniel 5:1), His Province Had Been Invaded And His City Assailed By A Great Army From The North. But For Some Strange Reason The Attacking Force Had Apparently Withdrawn. They Could No Longer Be Seen From The Towers. It Was Taken For Granted That The Siege Was Over.

The Whole City Was Immediately Given Up To Rejoicing. The Guards Deserted Their Posts. No Attention Was Given To The Strange And Startling Fact That The Water In The River Was Beginning To Fall—The River-Bed Was Bare In Some Places.

Belshazzar Himself Takes The Lead In The Reveling

font color=blue>Daniel 5:1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. (ASV)

Indulgence In The Intoxicating Cup Prepares The Way For Every Excess Of Profanation. Belshazzar And His Thousand Lords Did Not Profane The Golden Vessels Of Jehovah Until They Had Drunk Wine. The Feasting And The Mad Pursuit Of Thrills Is A Sign Of A Sick Generation.

Daniel 5:2, Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine (under the influence of wine), commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (KJV)

The Loss Of The Sense Of Sacred Things Is Always One Of The Signs Of Moral Decay. But Be It Known That The Eye Of The Great Judge Is Upon Every Scene Of Profanity And Dissipation.

5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (KJV)

The Handwriting Appeared Upon The Wall Of The Banqueting Hall In Belshazzar’s Palace In The Hour Of Their Wildest Mirth, To Show That God Was There. God Writes In Very Conspicuous Places And In Very Inopportune Times.

God Is In Every Scene Of Wickedness And Debauchery Not less Really Than In The Holy Place Of His Own Sanctuary.

The Finger Of God Is Ever Writing The Witness Of His Presence Upon The Living Tablets Of Our Hearts.

As Long As We Have A Conscience, We Have A Voice Within Us To Tell Us That God’s Eye Is Ever Upon Us, And That We Must Give Account Of All That We Do.

He Is Witness Of Every Day Of The Week And Every Hour Of The Day. His Ear Catches Every Word That Passes From Our Lips. In The Deepest Solitude We Must All Have One Companion.

"God Is Here—God Is Everywhere!" We Cannot Hide Anything From Him.

Daniel 5:6. Then the king's countenance was changed (His Color Changed, The Blood Drained From His Face, He Was White As A Ghost), and his thoughts troubled him (He Had Anxious Thoughts, Alarming Thoughts), so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. (KJV)

Daniel 5:7. The king cried aloud (Literally—Called With Strength)

This Writing Was Something Strange Which No One Could Read. It Wrote Only Four Words, But God Writes So Much In So Few Words. Since It Was A Ghostly-Hand It Was In Some Ghostly-Script, No Wise Man Had Ever Seen. There was Room For Alarm When Professional Wise Men Were Unable To Interpret The Writing.

The Queen Mother Came In With A Suggestion, "There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the Holy Gods;"… " Now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation." (Daniel 5:11a, 12b)

Daniel Was 83 Years Old—He Had Been A Captive Here In Babylon For 67 Years. From 538 B.C.—605 B.C.

Daniel Was Brought In Before The King And The King Offered Him Gifts of Gold And Silver If He Would Give Him The Answer To The Writing On The Wall. Daniel Refused The Offer Of Gifts But Told The King He Would Give Him The Interpretation Of The Words.

Daniel Began By Giving The King A Sermon Which We Will Only Give A Portion.

Daniel 5:22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: (KJV)

Daniel 5:24. Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25. And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26. This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. (KJV)

Belshazzar Had Riches, And Pleasure, And Power, And Glory—The Absolute Master Of The Greatest City Of The Ancient World.

Belshazzar, Excited With Wine And Carried Away With The Delusion That No Foe Can Ever Capture His Great City. He Was Anxious To Make Some Grand Display Of Defiant And Blasphemous Desecration.

The Armies Of Cyrus Had Turned The Euphrates Out Of Its Channel And Marched Into The Unguarded City Under The Wall. They Were Already In Possession Of The Palace-Gate When Belshazzar And His Lords Were Drinking Wine From The Golden Vessels Of Jehovah.

That Great Feast Of Boasting And Of Blasphemy Was THE LAST NIGHT OF THE CHALDEAN KING.

While Belshazzar Was Yet In The Height Of His Power And Glory, His Days Were Numbered—His Character Was Weighed And Found Wanting Before The Infinite Judge.

Someone Has Said That, "Belshazzar With All His Power And Weight in The Ancient World, Was Still A Light-Weight In God’s Sight." And The Same Sovereign God Counts Out The Days Of Life To Us All.

Oh, To Be Wanting When God Weighs Motives, Character, Life, Soul..

To Be Wanting When Judged By The Most Compassionate, Indulgent And Generous Friend..

To Be Wanting In A Hope Sure And Steadfast When God Takes Away The Soul.

To Be Wanting When The Book Of Life Is Opened And The Eye Of The Final Judge Turns To See Whose Name Is Written Therein.

To Be Wanting In Love And Obedience To Christ.

To Be Wanting In Fruits And Joys Of A Holy Life.

O The Excuses We Offer.

Judges 11:1-3
Jeph-thah Was The Son Of A Harlot..
Jeph-thah Was Thrust Out Of His Home At A Young Age…
Jeph-thah Was Joined By Vain Men…

What An Excuse Jeph-thah Had For Going On A Downward Spiral To Become One Of Those Vain Fellows. But Jeph-thah Rose Above All Those Things That Were Against Him And Became A Leader Of Men And One That God Used To Deliver His People From Their Enemies.

It Could Have Been Different, He Could Have Used All The Excuses Of His Hardships And Never Became A Judge In Israel.

Our Life Is Filled With Crises..

There Are Moments When Our Whole Future Is At Stake..

In Those Moments Of Crises We Want To Make The Right Decisions, For The Day Will Come When We Will Answer Before The Judge Of All Earth. We Will Hear Him Say "Well Done Thou Good And Faithful Servant," Or, We Will "Be Cast Into Everlasting Darkness." Cast Into Everlasting Night.

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G. A Night With Jesus In Jerusalem

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A Night With Jesus In Jerusalem

It Seems That There Is Not A Day That Goes By When We Do Not Hear Of An Important Meeting Between Two Individuals On The World Scene. Sometimes The Destiny Of A Nation Is Held In The Hands Of Diplomats Attempting To Work Out An Answer To A Crisis That Has Developed Between The Nations Involved. The World Awaits The Outcome Of The Meeting With Bated Breath.

In This Night Scene In The Bible We Want To Take A Look At A Private Conference Between Two Individuals Of Far More Importance That One Held At Geneva, Or Baghdad, Or Washington, Or Any Other Place.

This Interview Was Not Watched With Eager Expectations By Great Armies. It Was Not Arranged Before Hand By Watchful Agents Guarding The Interests And Safety Of The Two Who Met. In Fact The World May Have Never Known About This meeting If It Were Not For One Lone Listener Who Recorded It For The Entire World To Read.

This Meeting Which We Will Study Today Has Been Read In Every Known Language And By More Human Beings That Will Ever Read Of The Meetings Taking Place In All The Diplomatic Areas.

It Was Late At Night When An Old Man Made His Way To Where A Young Teacher, Whom He Had Seen And Heard That Day, Was Spending The Night.

He Wanted To Know More The Old Man Was Nicodemus, The Young Teacher Was Jesus. It Was The First Passover After His Ministry Began.

John 3:1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (KJV) (One Of The Most Important Passages In The Entire Bible John 3:1-21)

Jesus Had Come Up From Capernaum To Keep The Passover Feast (John 2:12). Multitudes Had Come From Every City And Village In Palestine And From Far Distant Nations. The Houses In Jerusalem Were Full. The Streets Were Thronged. Everywhere You Looked Jerusalem Was Crowded With People.

The Temple Was The Chief Attraction. Jesus Mingled With The Crowd. His Anger Was Aroused With What He Saw.

John 2:14. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. (KJV)

All During That Day Jesus Spent His Time Healing The Sick And Teaching The People Who Came Unto Him.

John 2:23.Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast [day], many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. (KJV)

One Man Who Saw And Heard Him Would Not Openly Give To Jesus His Allegiance. But None The Less His Heart Was Affected By What He Saw And Heard.

That Evening Jesus Retired To Some Abode Outside The City Of Jerusalem. Nicodemus Felt That He Could Not Sleep Until He Had Personally Become Acquainted With This Teacher From Galilee.

Nicodemus Was Himself A Master (Teacher) In Israel, A Member Of The Sanhedrin, And Known To All The Jews In Jerusalem For His Wealth His Learning And Liberality. For Reasons Known Only To Him, Nicodemus Chose To Wait Until The Crowds Dispersed, And Then Make His Way Alone In The Darkness Of The Night To The Place Where Jesus Was.

Nicodemus, Rich, Learned, Powerful—A Member Of The Proud And Strictest Sect Of The Jews, A Pharisee, Came Trembling, Doubting, Unsatisfied, Seeking After More Light (Only Way To Come) He Came To Jesus By Night. He Would Come Again, The Next Time At The Tomb, Bringing 100 Pounds Of Myrrh And Aloes.

Nicodemus Addressed Jesus With Awe And Respect.

John 3:2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (KJV)

The Answer Jesus Gave Him Was A Great Surprise To Nicodemus.

John 3:3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. {again: or, from above} (KJV)

Never Before Had Any Man Heard Such A Statement, Nicodemus Wanted An Explanation.

John 3:4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (KJV)

Jesus Then Declared That Even Such A Person As He (Kind, Generous, Learned, A Master In Israel, Descendant Of Abraham) Must Be Born Again. He Must Have A new Heart, A New Life, Or Not See The Kingdom Of God, Born Again, This Set Christianity Apart From All Other Religions.

John 3:5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (KJV)

Nicodemus Sat In Silent Amazement At The Thought Of A Kingdom So Pure That Even He Could Not Enter It Without Becoming A New Man.

John 3:7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. {again: or, from above} (KJV)

"Ye Must Be Born Again." 5 Words That Would Change The World.

If Men Would Only Study This Conference Between Jesus And Nicodemus, Which Took Place At Night 2000 Years Ago, And Would Become Obedient To This Message, There Would Be No Need Of Peace Initiatives, Or Peace Conferences, Or Peace Keeping Forces, For All Would be At Peace With One Another.

Jesus Is Still Saying That Man Is Depraved And Lost In His Natural Condition And Must be Renewed And Saved By The Gospel Of Jesus Christ. Man’s Life, As The Gospel Finds Him, Is A Waste And A Perversion, And He Needs To Begin All Anew. (Ephesians 2:2-5)

Man Is A Prodigal (Luke 15:11-24), He Is A Wanderer, And He Must Be Called Home. He Is In Bondage To His Worst Enemy, And He Must Be Made Free By The Gospel Of Jesus Christ. (John 8:32)

He Is In Subjection To The Old Man Of Sin And Misery, And he Must Be Made A New Man In Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:24).

He Is An Alien And A Stranger From The Holy And Blessed Kingdom Of God—Even Good Men Like Nicodemus—He Must Be Made An Heir Of God By Faith And A Son By Gracious Adoption. Every Man Must Be Born Again Or He Cannot See The Kingdom Of God.

If A Person Does Not Feel Himself Lost, Then He Is Not Prepared To Turn To Christ For Hope. Our Main Purpose Of Coming To Church Should be That We May be Made Better. The Man Unaware Of His Own Need Or His Own Unworthiness Is Also Unaware Of Nearness Of Disaster. A Man Must Renounce The Sway Of What The Bible Calls The Carnal, The Earthly, The Worldly Principal. The Bible Calls This Repentance.

John 3:7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (KJV)

The Bible Gives Hard Names To All Who Have Not Put On The New Man Which Is Created In Righteousness And True Holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The Bible Says That They Are Dead In Trespasses And In Sins, And They Must Be “Quickened” And Raised Up To A new Life And Holy Life (Ephesians 2:1).

The Un-Regenerated Men Are Sold Under Sin, And They Must Be Bought With A Great Price (1 Peter 1:18). They Are In Bondage, And A Mighty Deliverer Must Set Them Free. They Are Blind Both To Their Interests And Their Obligations, And Their Eyes Must Be Opened That They May See.

Man In His Un-Regenerated State Is Without Love, Without Peace, Without Hope, Without Pardon. He Is At War With Himself, He Carries A Heavy Burden Upon His Heart—He cannot Shake It Off.

In This Night Conference With Nicodemus Jesus Gave The Answer To All Men For Their Heavy Load Of Sin. He Also Gave Us The Evidence Of A Born Again Experience.

John 3:8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (KJV)

This Night Scene In The Bible Is Told In The First 21 Verses Of The 3rd Chapter Of The Book Of John And One Of The Most Important Passages Of Scripture in The Bible.

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I. Midnight In The Philippian Jail

Midnight In The Prison At Philippi

Acts 16:25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (KJV)

The Inmates In The Prison At Philippi Had Long Been Accustomed To Prisoners Being Brought In At All Hours Of The Day And Night. Shrieks And Groans, And Cursing, And Swearing Had Been Heard Many Times In That Dark Dungeon.

But Never Before Had The Inmates Been Disturbed At Midnight By The Sound Of Praise And Prayer.

Two Men Had Been Brought In A Very Bad Condition And Thrust Into The Deepest Part Of The Prison—It Was From This Part of The Prison Which The Singing Was Coming. And They Kept On Singing Until All The Prisoners Were Awake And Heard Them.

Three Questions We Want To Answer In This Lesson.

1. Who Were These Men Who Were Drawing The Attention Of All The Prisoners At The Midnight Hour?

2. What Had They Done To Be Cast Into This Prison With Their Backs Beaten?

3. Why Did They Sing? I Would Like To Answer The Second Question First. What Had They Done?

The Day Before These Men Had Been Down By The River Talking To A Group That They Had Met A Few Days Before About Jesus And The Way Of Salvation. They Were Doing Nothing To Excite The People Or To Disturb The Peace Of The City. There Had Been Some People Baptized, Including Lydia And Her Household.

Then Another Woman Entered The Picture—She Was As Different From Lydia As Daylight Is From Night. Lydia Was A Business Woman From A Neighboring City, Thyatira, And A Seller Of Dye, And Also A Worshiper Of God (Acts 16:14).

This Other Woman Was A Slave Girl With A Demonic Mind. She Was In Double Bondage. This Demon Had Given Her The Power Of Divination, (Fortune Telling).

Acts 16:16. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Paul Had Mercy Upon This Poor Unfortunate Woman And cast This Spirit, Along With The Power Of Divination, From Her. This Is What Caused All The Following Events.

19. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20. And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

This Is The Results Of Mob Violence, Mob Vengeance, Mob Justice.

23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: (The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (Acts 16:16-24). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

So These Men, Who Sang Praises In The Mid-Night Hours Had Been Beaten And Cast Into Prison For Casting The Devil Out Of A Woman.

Now To The First Question, Who Were These Men? And Why Were They In Philippi?

It Would Not be Enough To Say That They Were Missionaries Of Jesus Christ, Of Which, There Have Been Thousands. And For Many Their Ministry Has Been Brought To A Close By Just Such Incidents That We Have Just Read About—By Being Tormented And Thrown Into A Dungeon Never To Be Heard From Again.

Then There Have Been Many Voices From The Prison, Voices Which Will Never Be Silenced. John Bunyan’s Voice Is Still Being Heard From Deep Inside Bedford Prison, Where He Wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, After Spending Several Years There.

The First Of These Two Men, Who Sang In The Midnight Hours, Needs No Introduction Other Than What He Says Of Himself. The Following Are His Own Introduction.

2 Corinthians 1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, …

Ephesians 1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

Philemon 1:1. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, …

Then We Have God’s Introduction Of Him.

Acts 9:15. “for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name…”

Paul Was No Stranger To Suffering And Persecution.

Acts 9:16. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

Paul Had Been Beaten Before, And On One Occasion Been Stoned, And Left For Dead, At Lystra (Acts 14:19), But God Raised Him Up To Life. But Possibly This Was His First, Of Many, Prison Experiences.

I Am Glad That Paul Had Silas For A Companion. That Is The Other Man Who Sang In The Midnight Hour In The Prison At Philippi.

Some People Are An Inspiration To Be Around. I Feel That Silas Was Such A Person. Some People Are So Gloomy That They Cannot Sing In The Best Of Circumstances. You Sure Don’t Want To Be Shut Up In Prison With Them.

Although Far Over-Shadowed By Paul By Some Estimations, Silas Had Some Great Outstanding Qualities Himself.

We Are Introduced To Silas In Acts 15:22. Where The Church Of Jerusalem Chose Him To Carry, And Read, The Letter To The Church At Antioch.

His Introduction Reads,

Acts 15:22. “…and Silas, chief men among the brethren:” (Years Of Devoted Service)

Acts 15:32.Tells Us That Silas Was A Prophet. A Man Who Could Interpret The Divine Will Of God.

Silas Was A Preacher Of The Gospel.

Acts 15:32. “…Silas, ………., exhorted the brethren (At Antioch) with many words, and confirmed them.”

“Exhorted The Brethren”—To Urge Forward, To Encourage. “Confirmed Them” ---Established Them, Strengthened Them.

Silas Encouraged And Strengthened The Spirits Of The Brethren At Antioch. He Helped Them To Be Brave And Staunch In The Face Of All Opposition.

Paul Needed A Companion, Silas Came With High Recommendation Of His Peers.

Acts 15:40. “And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.”

Paul Was Never Himself When He Was Alone, He Needed The Sympathy Of A Friend Or Group Of Friends To Bring Out The Best In Him. Silas Was A Great Encourager, His Religion Was Of The Bright And Cheerful Sort. We See This From What He Did When He Visited Antioch, He Put Them All In Better Heart.

He Came Into Paul’s Life In One Of The Most Important Times Of Paul’s Life. God Knows What We Need. We See This Later In Paul’s Life When He Was In Corinth Alone, He Felt Dejected And Depressed Because The Men Of Athens Had Rejected His Lord. That Feeling Changed When Silas Rejoined.

Acts 18:5. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

“Was Pressed In The Spirit,” (KJV) Constrained By The Word (RV). Like A Full Head Of Steam. He Was Born Along By It, Like A Ship In Full Sail—Preaching Became An Easy Task Now That Silas Was By His Side. So We See That Silas Was A Cheerful, Inspiring Soul.

Now Let Us Return To A Statement That I Made That Silas Came Into Paul’s Life Just When He Needed Him The Most.

Acts 15:36. And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40. And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

It Is Difficult When People Fall Out With Each Other, But It Is Extremely Difficult When Close Friends Fall Out. Barnabas Had Been The Best Friend That Paul Had In His Gospel Experience (Acts 9:26-27; 11:22-26 & 29; 13:1-4 & !4:26-28; 15:2 & 22 &35).

One Always Feels Bad When You Have An Argument With Your Best Friend. Now Arguments And Division Had Driven These Best Friends Apart. Paul Needed Another Friend. People In Ministry Need Friends, And Often Need One Special Friend. Paul Found That Friend In Silas. So They Set Out On Their First Missionary Journey Together.

Acts 16:6-7. Records A Series Of Disappointments Or Setbacks In His Ministry. Paul Wanted To Take The Gospel To The Regions Of Asia, But Was Forbidden By The Holy Ghost To Preach There. Paul Was Anxious To Know God’s Will.

Paul Turned West And Came Down To Troas. Troas Is the Gateway To Europe. There In Troas Paul Had A Vision—Probably The Greatest Single Thing That Ever Happened In The History Of European Civilization.

It Is Impossible To Exaggerate The Influence Of Paul On The Development Of Christianity. Paul’s Obedience To The Vision Brought Christianity To Europe. It Shifted The Balance Of Power—Western Empires Sprang Up, Including America. If Paul Had Gone East Like He Planed, Christianity May Have Followed, And The Whole Of Asia, Including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, And The Asian Isles May Have Been Different, And The Western World May Have Still Been In Darkness To The Gospel.

So After The Vision, Paul, Along With Silas, Timothy, And Luke (Whom He Met In Troas), Crossed The Aegean Sea To The City Of Philippi Of Macedonia And A Colony.

It Is Here That He Met Lydia, Whom We Discussed Before, Who Was Baptized Along With Her Family. The Next Few Days Paul And Silas, Luke And Timothy, Along With Lydia’s Household Had A Revival. It Seems That God Was Pleased With Them And Sent His Blessings.

But All This Was Brought To An Abrupt Halt By The Healing Of The Slave Girl. That Night They Found Themselves In A Dungeon With Their Backs Lacerated And Torn From A Severe Beating. Their feet Fastened In Stocks Which Made It Impossible To Stand Or To Even Turn Over.

Great Pain And Disappointment Must Surely Have Been Felt By Them. Disappointment And Frustration Can Bring On A Lot Of Soul Searching. Am I Really In The Will Of God? I Thought It Was The Will Of God To Come To Philippi. It’s Things Like This Which Has Broken The Spirit Of Many Men.

Acts 16:25a. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,” (This Is A Natural Reaction) I Do Not Wonder That They Prayed—It Would Have been Surprising If They Had Not Prayed.

Acts 16:25b. “and sang praises unto God:” (This Is An Un-Natural Reaction) In Such A Place And Under Such Conditions They Sang! And They Kept On Singing Until All The Prisoners Were Awake. It Is One Of The Most Triumphant Moments Of New Testament Christianity.

This Brings Us Back To Silas. We Do Not Read Of Paul Ever Singing When He Was By Himself, But He Couldn’t Help Singing When Silas Was Near. Silas Sang In The Prison At Midnight, And Paul Couldn’t Help Joining In. Silas Was A Happy, Cheerful Singing Christian. If You Are Ever Cast In A Prison For The Gospel’s Sake, Pray For A Silas To Be Near You.

The Results—An Earthquake At Midnight, The Prison Doors Were Flung Open, The Jailer Was Baptized, And A Church Was Founded In Philippi.

Twenty Years Later In Another Prison (Mamertime In Rome?) In The Heart Of Rome. Paul Cannot Tell The Day From Night—He Has No Way Of Measuring Time. Weeks And Months Pass In Solitude. We Writes To Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:16. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
17. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (2 Timothy 4:16-19.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

We Hope You Enjoyed Reading Of The Events We Have Discussed Which Took Place At Night. There Are Several More Events That We Will Be Adding To These From Time To Time And We Would Like For You To Check It Again Soon.

We Would Also Like For You To Check Our Other Studies By Clicking On The Links Below.

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