Introduction
If human beings can understand the Biblical impressions about them, they will not have to worry too much about status and things of this world. Consider the following impressions of God about us and think deeply about your life and some important individuals you had known: who may not be alive today.
Job 14:1 – Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Psalm 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
Psalm 103:15 – As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
Psalm 144:3 – Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him, or the son of man, that thou makest account of him.
Jeremiah 10:23 – O Lord, I know that the Way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Psalm 8:4 – What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?
Ecclesiastes 9:12 – For Man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
The more we look into this world with high expectations, the more we are disappointed. The rich, the poor, the married, the unmarried, the highly placed, the low placed, the loved and the unloved are the same in this matter. One person has said “the more we look the less we see”. Ps. 49:10-20 Eccl. 2:10. The lives of many as well as their expectations have been brought to unexpected Nights. In this study therefore, we look at God’s processes and provisions for us to enter into a new morning, even if our situations had brought us to our “unexpected Nights”
B. Questions for Consideration
(a) Let us discuss the different dimensions of Night-be it a section of a day, or a situation or circumstance, or the end of a life;
(b) How can somebody actually know whether he/she is in the Night?
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(c) In the light of the following passages, identify and discuss the three types of nights that people may experience. I Thess. 5:7, Isaiah 59:10, Gen. 1:5, Job 5:14, 34:25
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
C. The Night
Night is the other side of the day. Sometimes, it is always considered as negative – a period when evils are planned and in some cases executed. There are forces, powers or situations that do turn good day to “night” Job.36:20.
- What are the situations that can make somebody’s day to become a night? Job 5: 14
- _______________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- _________________________
- Tell us your experience in this wise Psalm 91:5, Job 7:3
- How relevant are the following situations to your position then:
- Felt awkward and out of place – like a Pelican in the wilderness -Psalm 102:6
- Under heavy trial and travail – Jeremiah 6: 24
- Under heavy burden and pressures -Job 7: 20
- Stationed at a cross road – Obad. 14
- Meeting a dead lock or an end of life
- Loosing hope and highly discouraged
- Feeling pain and discomfort – Job 14:22; 15: 20
- Tired of life
- Without emotion and feeling (the loss of everything)
- Attempting suicide or praying for death
D. The Watchman-The Burden of Dumah-Isaiah 21:11-12
Dumah was one of the sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:14) and Seir was a range of mountains in Edom. The people of Edom made enquiry about “their Night” from Isaiah, the man of God, the Watchman. The Night represented the calamity that had befallen them as well as the Israelites.
(a) “Watchman, how was the night”? That is, they asked how far have they gone in the night of their lives or Nation? The Nations – Judah and Edom were both under the invasion and yoke of the Assyrian people for quite sometimes. They needed to ask from Isaiah when were they getting out of this “Night” (calamity)
(b) Isaiah told them that their night was almost over and that daylight or morning would soon come. How is your night? Tell somebody-my night is over. This is the time to favour you and your new morning has come –Psalm 89:17
(c) Isaiah also told the Edomites that “The morning cometh, and the night: ‘if ye will enquire ye: return, come’. Isaiah told them that apart from the morning they were about to enter, there would be yet another night which was probably the coming of the Babylonians to carry them to captivity.
(d) Morning can be regarded as:
(i) The early part of the day
(ii) The early days/years of one’s life;
(iii) The beginning of new things;
(iv) The resurrection time; Rev. 21:25, 22:15
Psalm 30:5 – weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the Morning. Notwithstanding your present circumstance there is a new morning for you. God will cause you to enter the new morning of your life. The Lord said behold I will do a new thing …….Isaiah 43:19
(e) The strategy of the Devil is to make one enter another night after a new morning. He tried this in the beginning and the Almighty God checkmated him. Gen.1:1-. He caused the first world created by God to enter the Night by making it formless. But God declared – “let there be light and there was light”.
I pray that as you enter a new morning in this Conference:
(i) The light of God shall shine to every area of your life and make it prosperous.
(ii) You will never enter another night in your life in the Name of Jesus;
(iii) No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper Isaiah 54:17;
(iv) Affliction shall never rise against you the second time in the Name of Jesus. Nahum 1:9
(v) Every Evil arrangement against your life is brought to naught in the Name of Jesus Ps.7:1-2.
(f) Your morning shall be permanent, because the Lord renews your days or strength as Eagles Psalm 103:5.
(g) Even though devil planned another night for the Israelites and Edomites after their new morning but God provided a way of escape for them (Isaiah 21:13-15)
They should go and enjoy protection and feeding in Arabia (in Arabian forest). The Lord will always provide a way of escape for you in Jesus name. I Cor. 10:11, the Lord will make your enemies that rise up against you to fall before you.
(h) Consider and discuss briefly the following levels of fortress provided by God for widow(er)s in these last days
(i) God’s power in His name for protection -Prov.18:10;
(ii) God’s power for a time of favour-Ps.89:17;
(iii) God’s power of multiplication-II Kgs 4:1;
(iv) God’s power of restoration-Lk.7:11-15;
(v) God’s power of provision-I Kgs. 17:9-16;
(vi)God’s power of attention/ appearance -Isaiah 1:23; Zech.7:10
Our Responses
For a widow(er) to maintain her/himself in his/her new morning position he/she must respond well by:
(a) Keeping to the Border in widowhood -Prov. 15:25: Mention at least four different borders God wants a widow(er) to keep and state if you are keeping them I Cor. 7:8.; Job 27:15; Num.30:9; Isaiah 47:8
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(b) Widow indeed trusts in the Lord-I Tim.6; Jer.49:11:
(c) Importunity in prayer and character-LK 18:1-12
(d) Doing service to God and humanities-Lk 2:37; I Kgs. 17:1-9
(e) Patient for a new morning (you remember the patience of Job) -James 5:11
Job had an early morning, a night and a new morning. The New Morning lasted till his death. Use the following verses to discuss these three stages and show the implications for us today-
(a) His early morning-Job 1:1-8; Job 29
(b) Events leading to his night-Job 1:914; 2:1-10;
(c) Situation at his night-Job 30
(d) He entered a new morning – Job 42:1-17.
Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment, in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning
Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of thy power, yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee I do trust; cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee
Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward
Lamentation 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not.23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
God who did it in the lives of Job and Ruth will do it also in your life. As the Lord recreated this world again and make everything beautiful at its seasons, your life, destiny and those of your children will come to terms with the purpose of God and begin on a fresh note like early morning dews. As you enter your new morning, you will never leave there. The devil will never bring you back to another night. Your night is over. You are in your new morning and shall stay there throughout your life. May the Lord help you for evermore. Amen