Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: I. THE MIXED CHARACTER OF OUR EARTHLY LIFE. "The light shall not be clear nor dark." The lot even of the good man is chequered. No Christian is ever in absolute and unrelieved darkness. It may be a long twilight with him, but it is never night. Why does God permit so much of darkness in our lot? Set forth some of the reasons why we have so much of difficulty and affliction to contend with. 1. Through the trials of the past God has disciplined us into fitness for the duties of the present. We did not see this at first, but we have discovered it now. Resistance is needed for the development of physical vigour, and difficulty is as much required for the formation of strength in moral character. 2. Our trials are frequently connected with our sins. Illustrate from the history of Jacob. 3. The shades of darkness in our earthly lots lead us to long for heaven. If everything here were as we should wish to have it, we should not desire to go elsewhere; but "God has provided some better thing for us" in the world beyond, and He takes care that we shall not get wedded entirely to the concerns of earth. II. THE CHRISTIAN'S SOLACE AND SUPPORT. Suggested by the words, "It shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord." 1. Our condition is known to the Lord. The world is governed by a Person, and He under whose eye all things come to pass, is our Father. 2. Our lot is ordered by Jehovah. Our lives are not "by chance." There is an order in them, and a plan running through them. Then things that seem to be working against us must really be working for us. III. THE HAPPY TERMINATION OF THIS MIXED STATE OF THINGS TO THE CHRISTIAN. Relief shall come, and that at the time when it is least expected. If the day has been lowering, we look for a deeper darkness than ordinary when evening comes: but here, when men usually anticipate that it will be evening, it will be morning. You have seen this illustrated very often in separate passages of your lives. These separate chapters are only miniatures of life as a whole, for, at its evening time there comes to the Christian the dawning light of heaven. (W. M. Taylor, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:WEB: It will happen in that day, that there will not be light, cold, or frost. |
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