One of the hard feelings to cope with in the pit, in the darkness, in the mine shaft you have found yourself in, is the great desire to leave. We must remember that while we are here, we may as well get all the treasures found here. “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3, NIV84)
One of the treasures of the darkness that we are called to find is authority. Authority is “a power or right delegated or given”. Authority requires influence, which is “the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others”. Authority must be given by someone in authority. Authority that is taken and not given is rebellion, and rebellion is witchcraft.
Godly authority is always established by a godly authority. “So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.” (Numbers 27:18–23, NIV84) Prior to being given authority, Joshua spent much time alone, obscure serving Moses in the presence of God. “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” (Exodus 33:11, NIV84)
To the degree that you submit yourself to the authority over you in life will be the degree that you will be able to walk in authority. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1, NIV84) In the church, we must be careful to honor our leaders by submitting to their authority. “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17, NIV84)
In the darkness, when we feel like we are forgotten by the authorities in our lives, we must continue to serve and walk in a heart of honor. Many at this time, choose to walk away believing that this cannot be what God wants and the authorities in their lives are not hearing God and they walk away. That is rebellion. “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”” (1 Samuel 15:23, NIV84) “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:2, NIV84)
Joseph was unfairly treated many times by those over him. His older brothers, who had authority as elders, sold him as a slave. His slave master decided to throw him in prison. And yet, although sad and perplexed, Joseph never left his place of submitting to authority. Consider this about Joseph: “Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,” (Genesis 39:4–6, NIV84) It seems that since Joseph was in charge of everything, he could have walked away easily and run away from his life as a slave. He knew that serving Potiphar as a slave was not his calling or his destiny. He also knew that Potiphar was not godly. Joseph served anyway. He did not leave his place of submission to authority. Joseph ended up being given great authority because he had learned great submission in his dark season.
Saul seemed to have everything going for him. “He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others.” (1 Samuel 9:2, NIV84) Samuel was God’s prophetic authority and Samuel placed Saul into leadership. “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10:1, NIV84) Saul had many victories but there was a day coming when his heart of submission would be tested. “Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ “” (1 Samuel 15:1–3, NIV84)
Saul failed the test. “Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”” (1 Samuel 15:12–19, NIV84) Saul ended up living his live in disgrace, haunted by demons and living in sin.
David was also in a dark place. He knew he was called by God to be king. “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:13, NIV84) However, David was a young shepherd. David’s darkness included many times that Saul tried to kill him, but Saul was David’s king. Never did David turn against his King. Always, David submitted and honored the authority over him. There came an opportunity when David was hiding in a dark cave being hunted down to be killed, that he had the opportunity to walk away from the darkness and establish himself in his calling and his ministry. David chose to submit. “Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.” (1 Samuel 24:8–12, NIV84)
David and Joseph understood that the only true authority came from God. They chose to submit to the authorities that kept them in a place of darkness because they understood the treasure of submission. They waited for God to establish them in their callings and in their ministries and did not attempt to establish themselves. They left their darkness with the treasure of nation changing authority because they found the treasure of death embracing submission.
In the season of darkness, nothing is stopping us from walking in honor and submission to those in authority over us who seem to have forgotten us. It is your treasure to embrace the submission. You will find that submission in darkness becomes authority in light.
Dark Night of the Soul
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