THE DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE
A small girl was taking her first trip
by train along with her mother. After her initial anxiety
had worn off she began to play in the aisle and soon was
completely free from car or worry. As she was romping up and
down the aisle in childish glee the train entered a long, dark
tunnel. The little girl was terrified and let out a cry.
Her mother called her and the little girl flew into her mother's
arms where she found comfort and security.
EVERYONE WILL HAVE A DARK TUNNEL
There is a sense in which all of us go through the dark
tunnels of life. Fortunately, most of them are brief
interludes in our journey, but they can still be very frightening.
ISRAEL EXPERIENCED DARK TUNNELS
Israel was going through one of these dark tunnels down in the
land of Egypt. "...Now there arose a new king over Egypt,
who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, 'Look,
the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than
we...Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with
their burdens...So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve
with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard
bondage...Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew
midwives,...And he said, 'When you do the duties of a midwife for
the Hebrew women...if it is a son, then you shall kill him';...."
(From Exodus 1).'
As Israel passed through this dark
tunnel their sighs, cries, and groans could be heard
throughout the land. There appeared to be no hope.
REASONS FOR THE DARK TUNNELS OF
LIFE
From our perspective we can understand some of the reasons
Israel experienced suffering in the land of Egypt. We know
they were there because it was in the plan and will of God.
In Genesis 15:13, Jehovah said "...Know certainly that your
descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and
will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years."
Like an embryo develops into a perfect baby in the warm
womb of its mother, the twelve tribes were developing into the
nation of Israel in the womb of Egypt. God gave another
reason for the length of time Israel would be in Egypt. "But
in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity
of the Amorites is not yet complete." Genesis 15:16.
God was going to use Israel as His rod of judgment on the Amorites
but He also revealed that rod of judgment does not fall until
iniquity is full. God said it would take four hundred years.
SATAN IS BEHIND THE DARK TUNNELS
We know an attempt to kill all Israelite males was an attempt by
Satan to destroy God's promised Messiah. The beloved John
gave us this insight in Revelation 12:3,4, "And another sign
appeared in heaven: a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew
a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth,
to devour her Child as soon as it was born." (Revelation
12:9), "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world'..."
You will recall that Satan engineered this attack again in
Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus through orders by King Herod.
And so we know they suffered because of a great conflict that
rages between Satan and God.
DARK TUNNELS CAN BRING GLORY TO GOD
We also know that God intended to make His glory known by
defeating and discrediting the gods of Egypt through the ten
plagues. At the same time God intended to break the shackles
of Israel's bondage and set them at liberty enriched with the
wealth of the Egyptians.
GOD KNOWS AND UNDERSTAND OUR
SUFFERINGS
But in their suffering Israel knew not as yet any of these things.
What did God reveal to Israel through Moses? "And the
Lord said: 'I have surely seen the oppression of My people
who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their
taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down
to deliver them ..." (Exodus 3:7, 8a).
Although Israel did not understand the plans and purposes of God,
they came to realize that God did have a plan and a purpose.
Most importantly, Israel discovered that God knew about their
sufferings and cared; and that He called them to His bosom for
comfort and security and ultimately delivered them from their
sufferings.
DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE BUILDS FAITH
Israel would be called upon to pass through many more dark
tunnels. Each time they would be reminded that even though
they did not understand God's purposes and plans they could be
confident that God had a purpose and a plan and He knew and He
cared and someday, deliverance would come.
TRUST GOD IN THE DARK TUNNELS OF
LIFE.
As God's children pass through the dark tunnels of their life God
whispers, "I have a purpose and a plan. I know about your
suffering and I care. Come and find comfort and security in
the bosom of my love. Someday, deliverance will come."
Copyright © 2002
Thomas E Berry
Scripture quotations from NKJV unless otherwise noted
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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