The Dark Night of the Soul

Genesis 15

One who truly fears God, and is obedient to Him, may be in a condition of darkness, and have no light; and he may walk many days and years in that condition...."

So wrote the Puritan divine Thomas Goodwin (1600-1679), and the Prophet Isaiah agrees with him: "Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God" (Isa. 50:10, nkjv).

At times even the most dedicated Christian feels "in the dark" and wonders why God seems so far away. During the Boxer Rebellion, the China Inland Mission suffered greatly; and its founder, J. Hudson Taylor, said to a friend, "I cannot read; I cannot think; I cannot even pray; but I can trust." It was a dark time, but God eventually gave light.

Abraham had an experience of what spiritual directors call "the dark night of the soul." The term comes from a sixteenth-century spiritual classic of that title by St. John of the Cross. Based on the night scenes described in the Song of Songs, the book tells how the child of God enters into deeper love and faith by experiencing temporary darkness and seeming separation from God. It is not an easy thing to experience, but sometimes necessary. Abraham had three great concerns. During that "dark-night" experience, God met all three of them.

His safety (Gen. 15:1)

Listening to himself. The previous chapter focused on Abraham's actions, but this chapter deals with his emotions, including the "horror of great darkness" (15:12). People with faith are also people with feelings, and feelings must not be discredited or ignored. Many orthodox Christians are prone to emphasize the mind and will and minimize the emotions, but this is a grave error that can lead to an unbalanced life.

We are made in the image of God, and this includes our emotions. While it is unwise to trust your emotions and bypass your mind, or let your emotions get out of control, it is also unwise to deny and suppress your emotions and become a religious robot. In the Psalms, David and the other writers told God honestly how they felt about Him, themselves, and their circumstances; and this is a good example for us to follow. Jesus was a real man, and He expressed openly His emotions of joy, sorrow, holy anger, and love.

But now that the battle was won, why would Abraham be afraid? For one thing, he was human; and our emotions can "fall apart" after a time of great danger and difficulty. This helps explain why Elijah was so discouraged after the victory over Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 19). After the mountaintop comes the valley.

Another factor was the possibility that the four kings might return with reinforcements and attack Abraham's camp. Abraham knew that Eastern kings did not take defeat lightly or let enmity die down quickly. And suppose Abraham were killed? What would happen to God's covenant and promise?

Listening to God. You certainly ought to "listen to your feelings" and be honest about them. "When a person assumes responsibility for his feelings," writes psychiatrist David Viscott, "he assumes responsibility for his world." But don't stop there: Take time to listen to God, and receive His words of encouragement. This is the first time in the Bible you find the phrase "the word of the Lord came"; it is used more than 100 times in the Old Testament. The faith that conquers fear is faith in the Word, not faith in feelings.

God spoke to his friend by name (John 10:3). When I was a lad, I often went shopping for my mother; and the clerks in the stores would call me by name and ask about my family. When my parents went to the bank, the tellers usually knew who they were and greeted them. With very few exceptions, the clerks I meet today see me only as a number in the computer. It seems incredible, but the God who names and numbers all the stars also knows your name and is concerned about your needs (Ps. 147:3-4).

This is also the first time you find the assuring words "fear not" in the Bible. God repeated them to Isaac (Gen. 26:24) and Jacob (46:3) and often to the people of Israel (Ex. 14:13; 20:20; Num. 14:9; Deut. 1:21). The "fear not" promises in Isaiah are good to read and ponder when you find yourself dealing with fear (Isa. 41:10, 13-14; 43:1, 5; 44:2, 8).

God's remedy for Abraham's fear was to remind him who He was: "I am thy shield, and thy exceedingly great reward" (Gen. 15:1). God's I AM is perfectly adequate for man's "I am not." "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). Your life is only as big as your faith, and your faith is only as big as your God. If you spend all your time looking at yourself, you will get discouraged; but if you look to God by faith, you will be encouraged.

God is our shield and our reward, our protection and our provision. Abraham didn't have to worry about another battle because the Lord would protect him. And he didn't need to regret losing the wealth offered him by the King of Sodom because God would reward him in far greater ways. This is the Old Testament equivalent of Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:19.

Protection and provision are blessings that the world is seeking and the politicians are promising whenever they run for office. Candidates offer voters protection from war and danger on the streets as well as provision for jobs, health care, education, and old age. Some of the promises are kept, but many of them are forgotten. Almighty God is the only One who can offer you protection and provision and keep His promises. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11).

His heir (Gen. 15:2-6)

Asking (vv. 2-3). God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (13:16) and that they would bring blessing to the whole world (12:1-3). But Abraham and Sarah were still childless; and if Abraham died, the only heir he had was his "chief of staff"—Eliezer. (He may be the servant mentioned in 24:2.) Lot was no longer in the picture, and Abraham's other relatives were 500 miles away in Mesopotamia. What had happened to the promise?

Abraham's concern was not just for himself and his wife, though like all Eastern couples, they wanted children. His concern was for the working out of God's plan of salvation for the whole world. God had a glorious plan, and God made a gracious promise, but God seemed to be doing nothing! Abraham and Sarah were getting older, and time was running out.

One of the basic lessons in "the school of faith" is: God's will must be fulfilled in God's way and in God's time. God did not expect Abraham and Sarah to figure out how to have an heir; all He asked was that they be available so He could accomplish His purposes in and through them. What Abraham and Sarah did not realize was that God was waiting for them to be "as good as dead" so that God alone would receive the power and glory.

It is good to share your concerns with the Lord, even if what you say seems to evidence unbelief or impatience in your heart. God is not deaf to your questions or unconcerned about your feelings. He did not rebuke Abraham; instead, He gave him the assurances that he needed. "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

Looking (vv. 4-5). God made it clear that Abraham alone would be the father of the future heir. Heirship depends on sonship (Rom. 8:14-17). Then God dramatically assured Abraham that this one heir would be the father of so many descendants that nobody would be able to count them. Even when life is dark, you can still see the stars. Someone has well said, "When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook." Abraham had been looking around, trying to solve his problem; but the answer lay in looking up.

About 30,000 stars are listed in the General Catalog used by astronomers, but it is estimated that there are 100 billion more! God did not say that Abraham would have that many descendants but that, like the stars, there would be too many to count. Whether Abraham looked down at the dust (Gen. 13:14) or up at the stars (15:5), he would recall God's promise and have confidence. This promise was repeated to Abraham (22:17) and reaffirmed to Isaac (26:4).

Believing (v. 6). Promises do us no good unless we believe them and act on them. Abraham had already trusted God's promise (12:1:3) and proved it by leaving home and going to Canaan (Heb. 11:8). But Genesis 15:6 is the first reference in the Bible to Abraham's faith. It is the John 3:16 of the Old Testament; and for this reason, the New Testament writers use it to illustrate salvation by faith.

There are only five words in the Hebrew original of Genesis 15:6, but what a wealth of meaning they contain. The verse is quoted three times in the New Testament: Galatians 3:6; Romans 4:3; and James 2:23. The three key words are believe, counted, and righteousness.

Abraham believed God, which is literally, "Abraham said, 'Amen, God!"' The Hebrew word translated "believed" means "to lean your whole weight upon." Abraham leaned wholly on the promise of God and the God of the promise. We are not saved by making promises to God but by believing the promises of God. In the Gospel of John, which was written to tell people how to be saved (John 20:31), the word "believe" is used nearly 100 times. Salvation is the gracious gift of God, and it is received by faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

What was Abraham's greatest need? Righteousness. This is the greatest need of people in our world today, for "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "There is none righteous, no, not one" (3:10). It is not enough to be "religious"; God demands that we have perfect righteousness or He will not let us enter His heaven.

How did Abraham receive this righteousness? He believed the Lord, and righteousness was imputed to him. "Impute" means "to put to one's account." On the cross, our sins were put on Jesus' account ("numbered [counted] with the transgressors," Isa. 53:12) when He suffered the punishment that belonged to us (53:6). When you trust Him, His righteousness is put on your account (2 Cor. 5:21), and you stand righteous and forgiven before a holy God.

Abraham proved his faith by his works when he offered Isaac on the altar (James 2:14-24). Abraham was not saved by obeying God, or even promising to obey God; but his obedience proved his faith. Sinners are not saved by faith plus works but by a faith that works.

Take time to read Galatians 3, Romans 4, and James 2; and you will see how Abraham illustrates salvation by faith. In Galatians 3, Paul focuses on believe; in Romans 4, he deals with impute; and in James 2, James explains righteousness. It takes three New Testament chapters to unfold one verse!

The answer to Abraham's fear was God's presence—I AM. The answer to Abraham's concern about his heir was God's promise—I WILL. How will God answer Abraham's third concern?

His land (Gen. 15:7-21)

Affirmation (v. 7). God had told Abraham that He would give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants (12:7; 13:15, 17), and now He reaffirmed that promise. The land is an important part of the covenant for it is in the land of Israel that the divine drama of "salvation history" was enacted. The land of Israel will also be the stage for the final act of that drama when the Messiah returns to reign on earth.

For centuries, Israel was a nation without a land; and it seemed that the covenant promises would not be fulfilled. In 1932, British expositor G. Campbell Morgan wrote, "I am now quite convinced that the teaching of Scripture as a whole is that there is no future for Israel as an earthly people at all" (This Was His Faith, p. 290). Then came May 14, 1948, and the rebirth of national Israel! Just as God kept His promise to Abraham and sent the Messiah, so He will keep His promise and restore the land to His people.

Assurance (vv. 8-12). Abraham's question was not a sign of unbelief but a request for a token of assurance. He was confident that God would give him the promised son, but the land was in the hands of ten pagan nations (vv. 19-21). It was one thing for Abraham to own the land, but how would his descendants possess it so they could enjoy it?

What is described in verses 9-17 was known in that day as "cutting a covenant." This solemn ritual involved the death of animals and the binding of people to a promise. The persons making the covenant would sacrifice several animals and divide the bodies, placing the halves opposite each other on the ground. Then the parties would walk between the pieces of the sacrifices in declaration that, if they failed to keep their word, they deserved the same fate as the animals. (See Jer. 34:18-19.)

But Abraham's experience was different. He killed the animals, laid them on the ground, and spent the rest of the day fighting off the birds of prey that were attracted to the flesh and blood. When the sun went down, Abraham fell into a deep sleep; and then God appeared to him and spoke to him. But God alone passed between the parts of the sacrifices! (Gen. 15:17) It was God who made promises to Abraham, not Abraham who made promises to God. There were no conditions attached; the covenant of grace came from the generous heart of God.

Anticipation (vv. 13-21). Out of the "horror of great darkness," Abraham heard the terms of God's covenant and discovered God's plan for the nation (vv. 13-14, 16-17), himself (v. 15), and the land (v. 18-21).

The nation (vv. 13-14, 16-17). Jacob and his family went to Egypt to be protected by Joseph, and there they grew into a mighty people (Gen. 46-Ex. 1). Arriving in Egypt as honored guests, the Jews eventually became a threat; so Pharaoh made them slaves and afflicted them greatly (Ex. 1:11-12). Perhaps the smoking furnace (Gen. 15:17) was a symbol of the nation's suffering in Egypt (Deut. 4:20). Pharaoh's cruelty could not exterminate the nation because God had plans for His chosen people. God judged Egypt with ten plagues and then enabled Moses to lead the people out triumphantly (Ex. 5-15).

The events and their timing were in the hands of God. The 400 years of Genesis 15:13 refers to Israel's entire stay in Egypt, from Jacob's arrival to the Exodus. It is a round figure, because Exodus 12:40 puts it at 430 years. (See also Acts 7:6.) Why did God wait so long to deliver His people? Because God was long-suffering with the nations in Canaan and delayed their judgment so they might have more time to repent (2 Peter 3:8-9; Matt. 23:32). Those who condemn Israel (and God) for the way the Canaanites were treated seem to forget that God gave them centuries to repent of their wickedness.

Abraham (v. 15). Abraham's "good old age" was 175 years (Gen. 25:7), which means he walked with God for a century (12:4). In spite of Abraham's occasional failures, he accomplished the will of God and brought blessing to the whole world. This promise from God must have given Abraham and Sarah great encouragement during times of difficulty, just as promises like Philippians 1:6 and Ephesians 2:10 encourage God's people today.

The land (vv. 18-21). At the beginning of Abraham's pilgrimage, God said to him, "I will show thee" the land (12:1). Later He said, "I will give it unto thee" (13:15-17). But now His word is, "To your descendants I have given this land" (15:18, nasb). God's covenant made it a settled matter: The land belongs to Abraham's descendants through Isaac.

Solomon exercised dominion over a vast area (1 Kings 4:21; Ps. 72:8), but Israel did not possess all that land. The kings merely acknowledged Solomon's sovereignty and paid tribute to him. When Jesus Christ reigns from the throne of David (Matt. 19:28; Luke 1:32), the land of Israel will reach the full dimensions promised by God.

God's covenant with Abraham stands no matter what Israel believes. The covenant is unconditional; its fulfillment does not depend on man's faith or faithfulness. In like manner, the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ is dependable whether people accept it or not. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ enter into that covenant and receive eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9; 9:12), an eternal inheritance (9:15), and eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10).

When Abraham was concerned about himself, God assured him by saying, "I AM!" When he was concerned about his heir, he heard God say, "I will!" His concern about the land was met by God's, "I have given!"

In Jesus Christ, God gives those same assurances to His people today.

Abraham believed God.

Do you believe?

[For a more detailed study of Galatians 3, see Be Free. Romans 4 is explained in Be Right. The subject of faith and works in James 2 is dealt with in Be Mature. These titles are published by Cook Communications.]