The Power of Light: When God Steps In, Darkness Cannot Stand.

Have you ever come across a passage of Scripture that you’ve read countless times, only for the Holy Spirit to illuminate something you’ve never noticed before? That’s exactly what happened when I read Exodus 10:21 again:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’’ (Exodus 10:21 NKJV)

What Does It Mean to “Feel” Darkness?

The word felt means to perceive, experience, or sense something tangibly. But how can darkness be felt? Darkness, in a physical sense, is merely the absence of light. Yet, the plague of darkness in Egypt was not just the absence of visible light—it was a supernatural, oppressive force, a manifestation of divine judgment. This was a darkness so deep, so overwhelming, that it created an atmosphere of terror and despair. When I go to bed at night, I turn off the light. I don’t feel the darkness; there’s just no light. But the darkness described in Exodus was something entirely different—it was a darkness that carried weight, a presence that could be sensed and experienced.

Consider another instance where darkness had a tangible impact:

“For the day of the Lord is coming, So cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.” (Isaiah 13:9-10 NKJV)

This kind of darkness is not just a lack of illumination—it is a divine sign of judgment, separation, and the withdrawal of God’s presence.

God’s Presence Is Light

Light is not just a physical entity—it is the manifestation of God’s presence. From the very beginning, God introduced light before anything else:

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3 NKJV)

This light was not merely the sun, moon, or stars (which were created later in Genesis 1:14-19). This light was the very presence of God, illuminating all things. John 1:4-5 confirms this:

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:4-5 NKJV)

Wherever God’s presence is, darkness cannot stand. His light brings clarity, direction, and life.

When God’s Presence Departs, Darkness and Death Follow

Throughout Scripture, we see that when God’s presence is withdrawn, darkness and death follow.

In Exodus 12, another wave of judgment struck Egypt:

“And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” (Exodus 12:29-30 NKJV)

The plague of darkness in Exodus 10 was a precursor to the plague of death in Exodus 12. This pattern is repeated throughout the Bible: When God’s presence departs, destruction follows.

Adam and Eve experienced this in Genesis 3. The moment they sinned, they were cast out of God’s presence, and spiritual death entered humanity:

“Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man…” (Genesis 3:23-24 NKJV)

Saul is another tragic example. Once chosen and anointed by God, his disobedience led to God’s Spirit departing from him:

“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him”(1 Samuel 16:14 NKJV)

Without God’s presence, Saul spiraled into fear, paranoia, and ultimately, destruction.

The Power of Walking in God’s Presence

While some experienced the tragedy of God’s presence leaving, others were so filled with it that they defied death itself. Consider Enoch:

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”(Genesis 5:24 NKJV)

Enoch was so in tune with God’s presence that he bypassed death entirely! Similarly, Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, never experiencing physical death (2 Kings 2:11).

Moses, after spending time in God’s presence, radiated light so intensely that the Israelites could not look at his face:

“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai…that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him” (Exodus 34:29 NKJV)

I experienced the power of God’s presence in my own life. When I was in university, I used to fall sick a lot. I wrote many exams from my hospital bed. This cycle continued until I cultivated a vibrant prayer life. I can remember asking the Holy Spirit one day—I just found out I had stopped stammering. I just found out I didn’t have intense bouts of asthma attacks anymore. I can’t even remember how those things stopped, but they just did. So when I stumbled on how Enoch carried God’s presence so tangibly that God couldn’t bear to let his body die, I understood that the presence of God gives life even to our mortal bodies.

Jesus: The Restoration of Light

Thankfully, Jesus came to restore what was lost. He is the Light that dispels all darkness:

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16 NKJV)

Jesus declared:

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”(John 8:12 NKJV)

Through Him, we are called back into God’s presence. The more we dwell in His presence, the more light we carry. This is why Jesus tells us:

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NKJV)

Conclusion: Stay in the Light

Darkness isn’t just a physical phenomenon—it is the result of separation from God. Egypt’s plague of darkness was a symbol of divine judgment, a preview of what happens when God’s presence departs. The ultimate judgment, eternal separation from God, is described as outer darkness:

“And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30 NKJV)

But for those who abide in Christ, we are filled with His light. When we walk closely with God, as Enoch did, we step into the fullness of life He always intended.

The question is: are you dwelling in His presence? Or are there areas where darkness still lingers? The solution is simple—step into the light of Jesus, and darkness will have no place to remain.