This Is Why It’s Good That God Keeps Secrets
Immediately after bringing light into existence and declaring it good, God divided the light from the darkness. The Hebrew term translated “divided” here is yabddel, which signifies to “divide” or “separate.”2 Why did God feel it necessary to separate physical light from physical dark?
Well, before God created light, everything was dark, right? Then, after he created light, it switched. Everything was now illuminated. Apparently, God didn’t want it always to be light or always dark.
In other words, he didn’t want the creation of light to eliminate all darkness or darkness to overpower all light. He wanted both. So he put limits on each. Basically, God gave them boundaries.
The good, the bad, or is it?
Because God called the light good, I found the idea that he wanted both light and dark to exist a little strange at first. God called the light good before separating the light from the dark, meaning he called the light good while everything was illuminated. Essentially, he called the absence of darkness good.
If the absence of darkness pleased God, why limit the light? If the light was already good as it was, why change it? Why allow darkness any place at all, especially when God didn’t call darkness or earth’s unformed emptiness good?
Could it be that darkness in this sense wasn’t bad?
Maybe God doesn’t consider darkness in this sense a bad thing because, for him, light and dark are the same. As it says in Psalm 139:12,
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
In essence, darkness doesn’t impede God’s vision or comprehension. He can see and understand with equal clarity in both darkness and light.
In addition, as their Creator, God has power over both light and dark. He demonstrated his power over both when he separated them. He created both light and darkness, as Isaiah 45:7 reveals: “I form the light and create darkness.” In both texts, the Hebrew word translated as “create” is bara, which means to create out of nothing and is an ability attributed solely to God.* Thus, both light and dark are the same to God.
Since God created light and dark the same way—out of nothing—and he sees the same way when in both, God doesn’t see physical darkness as bad. Nor does he see darkness in the sense of the unknown or ignorance of his will as bad either. Instead, God sees darkness in both cases as an instrument created with a unique purpose.
The purpose of darkness.
God’s purpose for spiritual darkness is secrecy—privacy. That’s why
He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies. (Psalm 18:11)
Sometimes God wants to keep things to himself. He wants to keep them secret. At other times God wants to move without being observed or disturbed. He doesn’t want us to see his every move. More colloquially, he doesn’t want us in his business.
However, when God spoke the light into existence, he also revealed his will to the whole universe. Thus, while light spanned the universe in its totality, the universe had full understanding of his will. To create moments of secrecy, God put boundaries on spiritual light and spiritual darkness—just as he did physical light and physical darkness.
God isn’t always silent; nor does he always speak. Sometimes, like when the Spirit of God was hovering, God will be quiet. Other times, as was the case when he created light, God will speak.
God didn’t tell me when I fell in love with Reggie that Reggie would die only four years later. He didn’t tell me on our wedding day that creating a new life after Reggie’s death would become my message. If he had, I might have fought him each step of the way. God didn’t want this constant conflict. He wanted to accomplish some of his plan for my life undisturbed, so he didn’t tell me until he was ready.
Looking back, I also realize he didn’t tell me because I wasn’t ready. He waited—he hovered—until I was ready.
And I’m thankful he waited. I was able to enjoy my life with Reggie blissfully ignorant of God’s plans. We lived life to the full; I have few regrets where Reggie is concerned. So, to me, not knowing of Reggie’s impending death—being ignorant of God’s will for my life on this point—was a blessing. I’m thankful it pleased him to keep me ignorant of this. I’m thankful it pleased him to keep me in the dark.
Taken from When Your World Ends by Dawn Mann Sanders
Chapter 5, “Time to Come Out of the Shadow”
Meet Dawn Mann Sanders
Dawn Mann Sanders (MDiv, Bethel Seminary, summa cum laude) is a Bible teacher, author, and associate minister at First Baptist Church of Glenarden International (FBCGI), where she serves as the Director of the Sermon-based Life Groups ministry. Her passion is expository teaching and sharing that combines her deep scholarship with practical application to help women rebuild their lives. Her debut book, When Your World Ends: God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life, offers hope and guidance for those facing life’s most challenging seasons.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
