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Jeanette

THE DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE

A small girl was taking her first trip by train along with her mother. After her initial anxiety had worn off she began to play in the aisle and soon was completely free from car or worry. As she was romping up and down the aisle in childish glee the train entered a long, dark tunnel. The little girl was terrified and let out a cry. Her mother called her and the little girl flew into her mother's arms where she found comfort and security.

EVERYONE WILL HAVE A DARK TUNNEL
There is a sense in which all of us go through the dark tunnels of life. Fortunately, most of them are brief interludes in our journey, but they can still be very frightening.

ISRAEL EXPERIENCED DARK TUNNELS
Israel was going through one of these dark tunnels down in the land of Egypt. "...Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, 'Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we...Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens...So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage...Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives,...And he said, 'When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women...if it is a son, then you shall kill him';...." (From Exodus 1).'

As Israel passed through this dark tunnel their sighs, cries, and groans could be heard throughout the land. There appeared to be no hope.

REASONS FOR THE DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE
From our perspective we can understand some of the reasons Israel experienced suffering in the land of Egypt. We know they were there because it was in the plan and will of God. In Genesis 15:13, Jehovah said "...Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years." Like an embryo develops into a perfect baby in the warm womb of its mother, the twelve tribes were developing into the nation of Israel in the womb of Egypt. God gave another reason for the length of time Israel would be in Egypt. "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." Genesis 15:16. God was going to use Israel as His rod of judgment on the Amorites but He also revealed that rod of judgment does not fall until iniquity is full. God said it would take four hundred years.

SATAN IS BEHIND THE DARK TUNNELS
We know an attempt to kill all Israelite males was an attempt by Satan to destroy God's promised Messiah. The beloved John gave us this insight in Revelation 12:3,4, "And another sign appeared in heaven: a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born." (Revelation 12:9), "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world'..." You will recall that Satan engineered this attack again in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus through orders by King Herod. And so we know they suffered because of a great conflict that rages between Satan and God.

DARK TUNNELS CAN BRING GLORY TO GOD
We also know that God intended to make His glory known by defeating and discrediting the gods of Egypt through the ten plagues. At the same time God intended to break the shackles of Israel's bondage and set them at liberty enriched with the wealth of the Egyptians.

GOD KNOWS AND UNDERSTAND OUR SUFFERINGS
But in their suffering Israel knew not as yet any of these things. What did God reveal to Israel through Moses? "And the Lord said: 'I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them ..." (Exodus 3:7, 8a). Although Israel did not understand the plans and purposes of God, they came to realize that God did have a plan and a purpose. Most importantly, Israel discovered that God knew about their sufferings and cared; and that He called them to His bosom for comfort and security and ultimately delivered them from their sufferings.

DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE BUILDS FAITH
Israel would be called upon to pass through many more dark tunnels. Each time they would be reminded that even though they did not understand God's purposes and plans they could be confident that God had a purpose and a plan and He knew and He cared and someday, deliverance would come.

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK TUNNELS OF LIFE.
As God's children pass through the dark tunnels of their life God whispers, "I have a purpose and a plan. I know about your suffering and I care. Come and find comfort and security in the bosom of my love. Someday, deliverance will come."