Exodus 10:23
They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days… but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
What a striking contrast. Egypt sat in a darkness so thick that no one could see another person, and no one even moved from his place for three days. It was a paralyzing darkness. Everything came to a standstill. But while Egypt was swallowed up in gloom, the homes of the children of Israel were filled with light.
That three day darkness reaches farther than Egypt. It points ahead. When Jesus hung on the cross, darkness covered the land for three hours in Matthew 27:45. Then, after His crucifixion, the disciples passed through their own kind of darkness for three days. Everything they had hoped for seemed buried in the grave. Their hearts sank. Their expectations collapsed. But Easter morning proved that the darkness did not win. Hope was not gone. Death had not triumphed. The Light of the world had risen.
That is always the difference Jesus makes. Darkness says it is over. Jesus says morning is coming. Darkness says sit still in despair. Jesus says I am the resurrection and the life in John 11:25. The Lord knows how to bring light where men see no way forward.
And then there is that beautiful line: all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. I tend to think this was the glory of God, the Lord Himself making a difference between His people and Egypt. The same God who judged the land was also able to preserve His own in brightness, peace, and safety.
That raises a needed question for every one of us. Is there light in our dwelling? Is the Lord welcome in our homes? Are our children being shown what it means to fear God, to love His Word, and to walk in His ways? Is home a place marked by prayer, kindness, forgiveness, and truth? Or is it just another place filled with noise but empty of His presence?
The Lord still desires that His people live differently. He still desires that our homes shine in a dark world. Not with perfection, but with His presence. Not with outward religion only, but with a real sense that He is there.
So let us live in the light. Let us walk in the light. Let us obey what God has made clear. The darkness around us may be deep, but the Lord still gives light in the dwellings of His people.