Jesus was often in the night

JESUS WAS OFTEN IN THE NIGHT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 6:12 In those days, Jesus went out to the
mountainto pray, and He spent the night in prayer to
God.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Biblical Illustrator
And continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12
Specialprotractedprayer
C. H. Spurgeon.
If any man of woman born might bare lived without prayer it was surely the
Lord Jesus. In some parts of prayer He could take no share, e.g., confessionof
sin. Then again, He had no need for self-examination eachnight, and no need
to pray to be protectedfrom sin eachmorning. Yet never was there a man
more abundant in prayer.
1. Notice the place which Christ selectedforprayer. The solitude of a
mountain. Why?
(1)To prevent interruption.
(2)That He might be able to pray aloud.
(3)To avoid ostentation.

2. The time selected. The silent hours of night. To some of us, the night might
be most inappropriate and unsuitable; if so, we must by no means selectit, but
must follow our Lord in the spirit rather than in the letter.
3. Again, our Lord sets us a goodexample in the matter of extraordinary
seasonsofdevotion in the protracted characterofHis prayer. He continued all
night in prayer. I do not think that we are bound to pray long as a general
rule. Force is its standard rather than length. When the whole soul groans
itself out in half a dozen sentences there may be more real devotion in them
than in hours of mere wire drawing and word spinning. True prayer is the
soul's mounting up to God, and if it can ride upon a cherub or the wings of the
wind so much the better, yet in extraordinary seasons, whenthe soul is
thoroughly wrought up to an eminent intensity of devotion, it is well to
continue it for a protractedseason. We know not that our Lord was vocally
praying all the time, He may have paused to contemplate;He may have
surveyed the whole compass of the field over which His prayer should extend,
meditating upon the characterofHis God recapitulating the precious
promises, remembering the wants of His people, and thus arming Himself
with arguments with which to return to wrestle and prevail. How very few of
us have ever spent a whole night in prayer, and yet what boons we might have
had for such asking!
4. Jesus has further instructed us in the art of specialdevotion by the manner
of His prayer. Notice, he continued all night in prayer to God — to God. How
much of our prayer is not prayer to God at all! That gunner will do no service
to the army who takes no aim, but is contentso long as he does but fire; that
vesselmakes anunremunerative voyage which is not steeredfor a port, but is
satisfiedto sail hither and thither. We must direct our prayers to God, and
maintain soul-fellowshipwith Him, or our devotion will become a nullity, a
name for a thing which is not.
5. Once more, we may learn from Jesus our Lord the occasionforspecial
devotion. At the time when our Mastercontinued all night in prayer He had
been upbraided by the Pharisees. He fulfilled the resolve of the man after
God's own heart. "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with
me without a cause:but I will meditate in Thy precepts." So David did, and so

did David's Lord. The best answerto the slanders of the ungodly is to be more
constantin communion with God:
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ an example to us in the choice of seasons forpray
Charles Bradley, M. A.
er: —
I. OUR LORD WAS WONT TO PRAY WHEN ENGAGED, OR ABOUT TO
ENGAGE IN ANY RELIGIOUS ORDINANCE (Luke 3:21). The ordinances
of grace must be sanctifiedto us by prayer, or we shall derive no benefit from
them.
II. OUR LORD PRAYED WHEN ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN MORE THAN
USUALLY IMPORTANT AND SERIOUS BUSINESS. AS here before the
ordination of the apostles.
III. ANOTHER SEASON FOR PRAYER IS A SEASON OF EXCEEDING
ENJOYMENTOR HONOUR (Luke 9:28, 29). Strange as it may sound, yet, it
is true, that they who receive most of the Lord's grace and goodness standthe
most m need of the Lord's grace and goodness;they need grace to use
abundant grace and goodness well. Pride of heart is often called into exercise
by it; or, if not pride of heart, an undue love of that mercy — giving up the
sou! to the enjoyment of it.
IV. ANOTHER SEASON FOR SPECIALPRAYER IS WHEN WE SEE OUR
FRIENDS IN PECULIAR DANGER OR SORROW (Luke 22:32;John 17:1.).
How can there be Christian love if the sorrows and wants of those we love do
not excite prayer in us?
V. ONE SEASON MORE I MENTION AS PECULIARLY A SEASON OF
SUPPLICATION — WHEN TROUBLE IS ON US OR EXPECTED TO
COME (Luke 22:44). Severe affliction is the season, ofall others, for prayer.
(Charles Bradley, M. A.)

Private devotion
James Foote, M. A.
Some, from the nature of their employments, or from mental constitution, or
habit, do not find that they can often continue, or profitably continue, long at
devotion at once; such may supply this, in a goodmeasure, by frequency.
Mostclearly, however, sufficient time ought to be taken to getthe mind fully
engaged. WhenChrist, after labouring the whole day that was past, and
having also to labour as soonas day dawnedagain, spent the whole night in
prayer, it is a shame for any of His professing followers, howeverbusy a life
they may load, not to make a point of reserving from the cares ofthe day, or it
may be, from the slumbers of the night, as much time as is necessaryfor
morning and evening devotions. Mark, Christians, how the airy trifler gives
the night-watch to devour the foolish romance;and how the pale student toils
over the midnight lamp; and how, for the sake ofthis world's gain, some rise
early and sit up late, and even work whole nights; and how the votaries of
dissipating pleasure often spend the whole, or almost the whole, night in its
pursuits; and then, though you will by no means think yourselves calledon
literally to spend whole nights in prayer, yet you will be ashamedand
confounded when you think that a moderate tarrying before the throne of
grace should ever have been unnecessarilyneglectedby you, or felt as a
burden; and you will desire to give more of your time and of your heart to
seasonsofcommunion with your God.
(James Foote, M. A.)
Jesus praying all night
NationalBaptist
On more than one occasionin the life of our Lord, it is recordedthat He
continued all night in prayer to God. What need was there that He should
sacrifice restand sleepin this way? He knew that His Father always heard His

prayer. He gave us as the model for our prayer a form which caneasily be
repeatedin half a minute. Was His Father unwilling to hear Him? Or was it
because He could not bring His mind to the proper prayer-point, and so had
to pray for hours, in order to learn how to pray for one moment with real
faith? It could not be for either of these reasons. We may suppose then that
our Saviour spent that long time in prayer as a delightful employment to
Himself. He loved to commune with our God and His God. To Him it was
better than meat to do the will of Him that sent Him. So, doubtless, it was
more soothing and refreshing than sleepfor Him to talk to His Father. Jesus
praying and the Father listening; that was a harmony more entrancing than
the songs ofangels. But no; it was not for enjoyment alone that Jesus prayed
all night. His prayers were poured into the deep heart of God as easilyas the
waterpours over the rock into the chasm below. His heart unfolded to His
Father as gently as a floweris kissedopen by the breeze of a summer-dawn.
But Christ had a definite purpose in the night-long prayer.
(NationalBaptist)
A night of prayer
D. MacEwen, D. D.
I. THE TEXT SHOULD CONVINCE US OF THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER.
II. THE TEXT SHOULD IMPRESS US WITH THE NECESSITYFOR
PRAYER.
III. THE TEXT SHOULD INSTRUCT US AS TO THE MANNER OF
PRAYER.
1. Christians should have their seasonsofsecretprayer and of retirement
from the world.
2. Christians should have specialseasons setapartfor prayer in view of
specialwork.
(D. MacEwen, D. D.)

Prayer a preliminary to important steps in life
B. Wilkinson, F. G. S.
We should give ourselves to specialprayer when we are about to make any
important changes in life:
1. Leaving home.
2. Entering on a business or profession.(1)Thatthe temptations which cluster
about our secularcallings may not defile and degrade us.(2) That our secular
blessings may be made in the highestsense a blessing to us.
3. Marriage.
(B. Wilkinson, F. G. S.)
A night of solitaryprayer
W. H. Jellie., J. Parker, D. D., Hartley Coleridge.
I. THE NIGHT OF NEEDFULREST SHORTENED FOR PRAYER.
II. THE SOLITUDE SOUGHT FOR SPIRITUAL PREPARATION. The
crisis at which our Lord had arrived —
1. Originatedthe Christian ministry.
2. Beganthe Christian Church.
3. Involved the selectionof His own betrayer.
4. Was a preparation for the full exposition of His doctrines. Sermon on the
plain.
III. THE CONDUCT OF OUR GRACIOUS LORD COUNSELS US TO.
1. Lonely prayer.

2. Preparatoryprayer.
3. Self-denying prayer.
4. Leisurely prayer — "All the night."
5. Lingering prayer — "He continued."
6. Blissful prayer — All night with God.
(W. H. Jellie.)Here is the greatsecretof much that we see in the active life of
Jesus.
1. Secretprayer.
2. Long prayer. Prayer calms and strengthens the soul. After prayer a man
descends upon his work rather than rises strainingly towards it.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
JESUS PRAYING.
He sought the mountain and the loneliestheight,
For He would meet His Father all alone,
And there, with many a tsar and many a groan,
He strove in prayer throughout the long, long night.
Why need He pray, who held by filial right,
O'er all the world alike of thought and sense,
The fulness of His Sire's omnipotence?
Why crave in prayer what was His own by might?
Vain is the question — Christ was man in need,
And being man, His duty was to pray.
The Son of God confess'dthe human need,

And doubtless ask'd a blessing every day,
Nor ceases yetfor sinful man to plead,
Nor will, till heavenand earth shall pass away.
(Hartley Coleridge.)
All night in prayer
J. Vaughan, M. A.
There are three classesofminds which are in dangerof making too long
prayers.
1. One is the loose, unconcentrative, who cumber thoughts with many words,
and make vain, i.e., empty, repetitions of the same idea.
2. Another consists ofthose who, mistaking the nature of importunity, think
that the more they say, the more they shall get — not seeing that in so doing
they are virtually making their prayers a purchase-price, which they present
in payment of what they ask — and forgetting, or not considering, the true
characterof prayer — that it is only the opening channel in a man's mind,
through which God may pour out into that mind His preordained and ready
gifts.
3. And the third are they who, with a superstitious feeling, think that God will
be angry if their prayers do not go to a certain extent, and so, in their
intercourse with God, they stretch their prayers to a degree either inconsistent
with their other duties, or incompatible with their own health. They do not
know that oftentimes the very best prayer we ever pray, is not to pray, but to
castourselves simply on the love of God. The generalrule is, pray according
to the condition of your heart. Do not let the prayer strain the thoughts, but
let the thoughts determine and regulate the prayer. Pray as you feel drawn in
prayer — or, in other words, as the Spirit of God in you leads and dictates.
Nevertheless,the holler a man is, and the nearerheaven — the more, and the
more continuously that man will be able to commune with God.

(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
All night in prayer
The Rev. John Welch, of Ayr, was accustomedto retire many nights to his
church and spend the whole night in prayer — praying with an audible and
sometimes with a loud voice. His wife, fearing he would catchcold, went one
night to his closetwhere he had been long at prayer, and heard him say,
"Lord, wilt Thou not grant me Scotland? " and, after a pause, "Enough,
Lord, enough." Once he got such nearness to the Lord in prayer that he
exclaimed, "Hold Thy hand, Lord; remember Thy servant is a clay vessel, and
can hold no more."
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) He went out into a mountain to pray.—Better, into the mountain, or, the
hill-country. The stress laid on the prayers of Jesus is againcharacteristic of
St. Luke.
Continued all night in prayer to God.—The original, at least, admits of
another rendering. The word translated “prayer” (proseuchè)had come to be
applied to the place dedicatedto prayer—the chapelor oratory by the river-
side, or on the mountain-side, where there was a running streamavailable for
ablutions, to which devout Jews could retire for their devotions. Such a
proseuchè there seems to have been at Philippi (Acts 16:13). Another is named
at Halicarnassus. Such, the language ofRoman poets (in quâ te quœro
proseuchâ, Juvenal, Sat. iii. 296)shows us, there were at Rome. The fact
mentioned by Josephus that there was one near Tiberias (Life, c. 54) shows
that they were not unknown in Galilee. The precise combination of words—

literally, in the prayer of God—is not found elsewhere forprayer as offered to
God.
BensonCommentary
Luke 6:12-13. And it came to pass in those days — Namely, of his teaching
near the sea ofGalilee;that he went out into a mountain to pray — Jesus,
seeing the generalnotice which was takenof his appearance, and the desire
which multitudes manifested of being further informed concerning the design
of his coming, and the nature of his doctrine, determined to choose a number
of persons who should assistand succeedhim in his ministerial work. And as
the office which he intended to assignthem was of greatimportance, even to
the remotestages, previous to his choice of them, he retired to a mountain in
the neighbourhood, and, notwithstanding all the labours of the preceding day,
continued all night in prayer to God; so much was his heart enlarged on this
momentous occasion. The original phrase, εν τη προσευχη του θεου, is
singular and emphatical, being literally, in the prayer of God, implying an
extraordinary and sublime devotion. Or, if the word προσευχη be takenfor
the proper name of a place, the clause may be rendered, he continued all night
in the oratory, or prayer-place, of God; the Jews having many houses on
mountains, and by the sides of rivers, &c., set apart for prayer. These houses,
it is well known, were open at the top, and planted round with trees. This is
the sense in which Drusius, Prideaux, Whitby, Hammond, and many other
goodcritics, understand the expression. This interpretation does not alter the
meaning of the passage, foras Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, we
cannot avoid supposing that he spent the greatestpart of the night in acts of
devotion. And when it was day he calledto him his disciples — Mark says,
whom he would. And of them he chose twelve, whomalso he named apostles
— A name which well expressedthe office for which they were designed.
These he now fixed upon, that for some time they might be always with him,
in order that from his own mouth they might learn the doctrine which they
were, in due time, to preach through the world; “that they might see his glory,
John 1:14, the transcendent glory of the virtues which adorned his human life;
and that they might be witnesses ofall the wonderful works which he should

perform, and by which his mission from God was to be clearly demonstrated.
The twelve were thus to be qualified for supplying the people with that
spiritual food which their teachers neglectedto give them; and that both
before and after their Master’s death. Accordingly, when they had continued
with Jesus as long as was necessaryforthis end, he sent them out by two and
two into Judea, on the important work of preparing the people for his
reception, who was the true shepherd. Hence he named them apostles, thatis,
persons sent out. But the name was more peculiarly applicable to them, and
their office was raisedto its perfection, after Christ’s ascension, whenhe sent
them out into all the world with the doctrine of the gospel, which he enabled
them to preach by inspiration, giving them power at the same time to confirm
it by the most astonishing miracles. That this was the nature of the new
dignity which Jesus now conferred on the twelve, is evident from John 20:21,
where we find him confirming them in the apostolicaloffice:as my Father
hath sent me, so send I you; I send you upon the same errand, and with the
same authority: I send you to revealthe will of Godfor the salvationof men.
And I bestow on you both the gift of tongues and the power of working
miracles, that you may be able to preachthe doctrine of salvationin every
country, and to confirm it as divine, in opposition to all gainsayers.” —
Macknight. Of the probable reasonwhy the number of twelve was fixed upon
rather than any other, and for a further elucidation of the passage, seethe
notes on Mark 3:13-17;and Matthew 10:1-4. After their election, the twelve
accompaniedJesus constantly, lived with him on one common stock as his
family, and never departed from him, unless by his express appointment.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
6:12-19 We often think one half hour a greatdeal to spend in meditation and
secretprayer, but Christ was whole nights engagedin these duties. In serving
God, our greatcare should be not to lose time, but to make the end of one
goodduty the beginning of another. The twelve apostles are here named;
never were men so privileged, yet one of them had a devil, and proved a
traitor. Those who have not faithful preaching nearthem, had better travel
far than be without it. It is indeed worth while to go a greatway to hear the
word of Christ, and to go out of the way of other business for it. They came to
be cured by him, and he healedthem. There is a fulness of grace in Christ,

and healing virtue in him, ready to go out from him, that is enoughfor all,
enough for each. Men regard the diseasesofthe body as greaterevils than
those of their souls; but the Scripture teaches us differently.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And it came to pass in those days - The designationof the time here is very
general. It means "about" the time when the events occurredwhich had been
just narrated.
He went out into a mountain - Jesus was accustomedto resortto such places
to hold communion with God, Mark 6:46. He did it because it was retired, free
from interruption, and fitted by impressiveness and grandeur to raise the
thoughts to the God that had formed the high hills and the deep-shaded
groves.
And continued all night in prayer to God - There has been a difference of
opinion about this passage, whetherit means that he spent the night in the act
of "praying" to God, or in a "place" ofprayer. The Jews had places of
prayer, called "oratories," built out of their cities or towns, where they could
retire from the bustle of a city and hold communion with God. They were
built on the banks of rivers (compare Acts 16:13), in groves, oron hills. They
were rude inclosures, made by building a rough wall of stone around a level
piece of ground, and capable of accommodating a small number who might
resortthither to pray. But the more probable opinion is that he spent the
whole night in supplication; for:
1. This is the obvious meaning of the passage.
2. The object for which he went out was "to pray."
3. It was an occasionofgreatimportance. He was about to send out his
apostles - to lay the foundation of his religion - and he therefore setapart this
time especiallyto seek the divine blessing.
4. It was no unusual thing for Jesus to spend much time in prayer, and we are
not to wonder that he passedan entire night in supplication. If it be askedwhy
Jesus should pray "atall" if he was divine, it may be replied that he was also a

"man" - a man subjectto the same sufferings as others, and, "as a man,"
needing the divine blessing. There was no more inconsistencyin his "praying"
than there was in his "eating." Bothwere "means" employedfor an end, and
both were equally consistentwith his being divine. But Jesus was also
"Mediator," and as such it was proper to seek the divine direction and
blessing. In "this" case he has set us an example that we should follow. In
greatemergencies,whenwe have important duties, or are about to encounter
specialdifficulties, we should seek the divine blessing and direction by
"prayer." We should set apart an unusual portion of time for supplication.
Nay, if we pass the "whole night" in prayer, it should not be chargedas
enthusiasm. Our Saviour did it. Men of the world often pass whole nights in
plans of gain or in dissipation, and shall it be esteemedstrange that Christians
should spend an equal portion of time in the far more important business of
religion?
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
Lu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles Chosen—Gathering Multitudes—Glorious
Healing.
12, 13. went out—probably from Capernaum.
all night in prayer … and when … day, he called, &c.—The work with which
the next day began shows whathad been the burden of this night's devotions.
As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending
themselves forth (see on [1581]Mt9:37;[1582]Mt10:1), so here we find the
Lord Himself in prolonged communion with His Fatherin preparation for the
solemn appointment of those men who were to give birth to His Church, and
from whom the world in all time was to take a new mould. How instructive is
this!
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Those who straining this text would interpret the words, en th proseuch, for,
the place of prayer, will be concernedto find us out that house of prayer
which stood in this mountain, or to tell us where we shall find in holy writ any
place but the temple so called, and why it should be said that

he went out into a mountain to pray, if it were not to signify unto us, that he
sought a privacy and retiredness, which he could not have had in the temple,
nor in any other common place for prayer. Those interpreters certainly judge
righter that say, that our Saviour, being about to send put his twelve apostles,
thought so greata work should not be done without solemn prayers; he
therefore seeketha place of privacy, and goeththither to spend some more
time than ordinary in the duty of prayer, and the evangelistsaiththat he
continued all night; so setting us an example what to do in greataffairs,
especiallysuchas are the sending out of persons to so greatan employment as
that of the ministry, and by his own example commending to us what Paul
afterwards commanded, Ephesians 6:18 Colossians4:2, Continue in prayer,
and watchin the same with thanksgiving.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And it came to pass in those days,.... WhenChrist was teaching by the lake of
Gennesaret, orin one or other of the cities of Galilee near that place:
that he went out; of the synagogue andcity where he had been:
into a mountain to pray; for the sake ofsolitude, and which lay near the sea of
Tiberias;See Gill on Matthew 14:23.
and continued all night in prayer to God; or "with" God, as the Ethiopic
version renders it; or "in the prayer of God" as the phrase may be literally
rendered; not in a prayer of God's making; though the Jews (m) sometimes
speak of the prayer of God, and give us a form of it: but either this respects
the objectof his prayer; it was made to God, as our translation suggests;or
the nature, matter, and manner of it: it was a divine prayer, it regardeddivine
things, and was put up in a very fervent manner, and with greatvehemence;
so the coals oflove or jealousyare said to be "coals offire, which hath , the
flame of Jehovah";that is as we render it, "a most vehement flame", Sol 8:6
In like manner, "prayer of God" is a most vehement prayer; strong cries sent
up to God with greateagernessand importunity, fervency, and devotion; and
such was Christ's prayer, and in which he continued all night: unless by the

prayer of God should be meant, as is thought by many, an house of prayer to
God, in which Christ lodgedall night, and spent it in prayer to God in it.
Certain it is, the Jews had their "proseuchre", orprayer houses. Philo the Jew
(n) often speaks ofthem, and so does Josephus (o); and there seems to be
mention made of them in the Talmudic writings: when R. Jochananben
Zaccaicame to Vespasian, in his camp before Jerusalem, Vespasianasked
him, what he should give him? he replied (p),
"I desire nothing of thee but this "Jabneh", (a famous university,) that I may
teachin it the disciples, and fix in it "an oratory", or "prayer house", and do
in it, all the commandments said in the law.''
And in another place (q),
"R. Judah says, that Samuel said it is free for a man to make waterwithin
four cubits, , which I should choose to render, "of the proseucha", or"prayer
house":''
though the Gemarists afterwards, and so the gloss seemto explain it of the
time after prayer, in which a man should wait before he evacuates, evenas
long as he might go the length of four cubits. Juvenal (r) has reference to one
of these oratories, whenhe says, "in qua te qucero proseucha?"and in one of
these, it is very likely, Christ was in prayer all night long; for by the sea side,
and by the side of rivers, these oratories were usedto be; Acts 16:13.
(m) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 7. 1. BereshitRabba, sect. 56, fol. 50. 2.((n) De Vita
Mosis, l. 3. p. 685. in Flaccum, p. 971, 972, 982.leg. ad Caium. p. 1011, 1012,
1013, 1014, 1016,1040, 1043. (o)In Vita. (p) Abot R. Nathan, c. 4. fol. 2. 4. (q)
T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 27. 2.((r) Satyr. 3. l. 295.
Geneva Study Bible
{3} And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
(3) In using earnestand long prayer in choosing twelve of his own company to
the office of the apostleship, Christ shows how religiously we ought to behave
ourselves in the choice of ecclesiasticalpersons.

EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Luke 6:12-13. Comp. Mark 3:13-15.
τὸ ὄρος]as Matthew 5:1.
προσεύξασθαι κ.τ.λ.]comp. on Luke 5:16.
ἐν τῇ προσεὐχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ] in prayer to God. Genitive of the object (see Winer,
p. 167 [E. T. 231 f.]).
τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ]in the wider sense. Comp. Luke 6:17.
καὶ ἐκλεξάμ, κ.τ.λ.]The connectionis: “And after He had chosenfor Himself
from them twelve … and (Luke 6:17) had come down with them, He took up
His position on a plain, and (scil. ἔστη, there stoodthere) a crowdof His
disciples, and a greatmultitude of people … who had come to hear Him and
to be healed;and they that were tormented were healedof unclean spirits:
and all the people sought,” etc. The discoveryof Schleiermacher, that
ἐκλεξάμ. denotes not the actual choice, but only a bringing them together, was
a mistakenidea which the word itself ought to have guarded against. Comp.
Acts 1:2.
οὓς καὶ ἀπ. ὠνόμ.]An actionconcurring towards the choice, and therefore,
according to Luke, contemporaneous (in opposition to Schleiermacher).
Comp. Mark 3:14, which is the source of this certainly anticipatory statement.

Luke 6:12-49. Luke inserts at this point the choice of the Twelve, and then a
shorter and less original(see also Weiss in the Jahrb. f. d. Th. 1864, p. 52 ff.)
edition of the Sermon on the Mount.[101]According to Matthew, the choice of
the Twelve had not yet occurredbefore the Sermon on the Mount;
nevertheless it is implied in Matthew, not, indeed, soonerthan at Luke 10:1,
but after the call of Matthew himself. Luke in substance follows Mark in what
concerns the choice ofthe apostles. Buthe here assigns to the Sermon on the
Mount—which Mark has not gotat all—a position different from that in
Matthew, following a tradition which attacheditself to the locality of the
choice of the apostles (τὸ ὄρος)as readily as to the descriptionand the
contents of the sermon. See, moreover, Commentary on Matthew. According
to Baur, indeed, Luke purposely took from the discourse its place of
distinction, and sought in the Pauline interest to weakenit as much as
possible.
[101]That Matthew and Luke gave two distinct discourses, deliveredin
immediate succession(which Augustine supposed), that were relatedto one
another as esoteric (given to the disciples exclusively) and exoteric (in the ears
of the people), is neither to be establishedexegetically, nor is it reconcilable
with the creative powerof discourse manifestedby Jesus atother times, in
accordancewith which He was certainly capable, atleast, of extracting from
the originaldiscourse what would be suitable for the people (in oppositionto
Lange, L. J. II. 2, p. 566 ff.). And how much does the discourse in Matthew
contain which there was no reasonfor Jesus keeping back from the people in
Luke’s supposedexoteric discourse!Comp. also Matthew 7:28, from which
passageit is clearthat Matthew neither regardedthe discourse as esoteric,nor
knew anything of two discourses.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Luke 6:12-19. On the hill (Matthew 4:24-25;Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:7-19).
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
12-19. The Selectionofthe Twelve Apostles.

12. in those days] weariedwith their incessantespionage andopposition.
Probably these two last incidents belong to a later period in the ministry,
following the Sermon on the Mount (as in St Matthew) and the bright
acceptable Galilaeanyearof our Lord’s work. In any case we have here, from
Luke 6:12—viii. 56, a splendid cycle of Messianic work in Galilee in the
gladdestepochof Christ’s ministry.
into a mountain] Rather, “into the mountain,” with specialreference to the
Kurn Hattin, or Horns of Hattin, the traditional and almostcertainly the
actualscene of the Sermon on the Mount.
in prayer to God] The expressionused is peculiar. It is literally “in the prayer
of God.” Hence some have supposedthat it should be rendered “in the
Prayer-House of God.” The word proseuche meant in Greek not only
‘prayer,’ but also ‘prayer-house,’ as in the question to a poor person in
Juvenal, “In what proseucha am I to look for you?” ■*-The proseuchae were
merely walledspaces without roof, set apart for purposes of worship where
there was no synagogue, as atPhilippi (Acts 16:13). There is howeverhere an
insuperable difficulty in thus understanding the words; for proseuchae were
generally, if not in-variably, in close vicinity to running water(Jos. Antt. xiv.
10, § 23), for purposes of ritual ablution, nor do we ever hear of their being
built ^ on hills. On the other hand, if τὸ ὄρος mean only ‘the mountainous
district,’ this objection is not fatal. For another instance of a night spent on a
mountain in prayer, see Matthew 14:23.
12-19. The Selectionofthe Twelve Apostles.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray,
and continued all night in prayer to to do good, or to do evil] He was intending

to work a miracle for good;they were secretlyplotting to do harm,—their
objectbeing, if possible, to put Him to death. They receivedthis question in
stolid silence. Mark 3:4.
to save life] Rather, a life.
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 6:12. Προσευχῇ, prayer) It is even because ofthese His prayers that the
Twelve disciples are said to have been given to Jesus Christ: John 17:6 [comp.
Luke 6:13 here in Luke 6]. A great business was transactedon this night
betweenGod and the Mediator! [Even elsewhere also Luke frequently
mentions the prayers of Jesus:for instance, after His baptism, ch. Luke 3:21;
before the questioning of His disciples to test them, recordedch. Luke 9:18;
before the transfiguration, ch. Luke 9:29; and when He taught His disciples to
pray, ch. Luke 11:1. Comp. Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Matthew 14:23. No
evangelisthoweverbut John, excepting in the instance of the history of His
passion, has detailed the very words of Jesus when praying.—Harm., p.
239.]—τοῦΘεου, ofGod) Comp. Mark 11:22, note.
JESUS AND THE NIGHT
William A Quayle
" AND she brought forth her firstborn
son, and wrapped him in swaddling
. A. clothes, and laid him in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the

inn. And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watchover their flock by night."
"We have seenhis star in the east, and
have come to worship him."
156
"Lo, the star, which they saw in the east,
went before them, till it came and stood
over where the young child was. When they
saw the star, they rejoicedwith exceedingly
greatjoy."
"After supper."
"He found them sleeping."
"ComethMary Magdalene earlywhen it
was yet dark."
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named
Mcodemus, a ruler of the Jews:the same
came to Jesus by night, and saidunto him,
Eabbi, we know that thou art a teachercome
from God : for no man cando these miracles
that thou doest, exceptGod be with him.
Jesus answeredandsaid unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born

again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man
be born when he is old? can he enter the
157
secondtime into his mother's womb, and be
104
JESUS AND THE NIGHT 105
born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Excepta man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest
the sound thereof, but canstnot tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit."
Hear the voice in the nigfit :
158
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye be
lieve in God, believe also in me. In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it

were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also. And whither I go
ye know, and the wayye know. Thomas
saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither
thou goest;and how can we know the way?
Jesus saithunto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me. If ye had knownme, ye
should have knownmy Fatheralso:and
from henceforth ye know him, and have seen
him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us
the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you,
and yet hast thou not knownme, Philip? he
that hath seenme hath seenthe Father; and
how sayestthou then, Show us the Father?
Believestthou not that I am in the Father,
159
106 OUT-OF-DOORSWITHJESUS
and the Father in me? the words that I

speak unto you I speak not of myself: but
the Fatherthat dwelleth in me, he doeth the
works. Believe me that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me : or else believe me for
the very work's sake. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also ; and greaterworks
than these shall he do ; because I go unto my
Father. And whatsoeverye shall ask in
my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any
thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me,
keepmy commandments. And I will pray
the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because itseethhim
not, neither knowethhim : but ye know him ;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
160
you. I will not leave you comfortless :I
will come to you. These things have I
spokenunto you, being yet present with

you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teachyou all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, what
soeverI have said unto you. PeaceI leave
with you, my peace I give unto you : not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you,
I go away, and come againunto you. If ye
loved me, ye would rejoice, because Isaid,
I go unto the Father: for my Fatheris
greaterthan I. And now I have told you be
fore it come to pass, that, when it is come to
JESUS AttD THE NIGHT 107
pass, ye might believe. HereafterI will not
talk much with you: for the prince of this
161
world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But
that the world may know that I love the
Father; and as the Father gave me com
mandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go
hence."

"These words spake Jesus, andlifted up
his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the
hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son
also may glorify thee: As thou hast given
him powerover all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him. And this is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have
glorified thee on the earth: I have finished
the work which thou gavestme to do. And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was. I have mani
festedthy name unto the men which thou
gavestme out of the world : thine they were,
and thou gavestthem me: and they have
kept thy word. Now they have known that
162
all things whatsoeverthou hast given me
are of thee. For I have, given unto them
the words which thou gavestme; and they
have receivedthem, and have knownsurely

that I came out from thee, and they have be
lieved that thou didst send me. I pray for
them : I pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me; for they are
thine. And all mine are thine, and thine
are mine ; and I am glorified in them. And
now I am no more in the world, but these
are in the world, and I come to thee.
108 OTJT-OF-DOOKS WITH JESUS
Holy Father, keepthrough thine ownname
those whom thou hastgiven me, that they
may be one, as we are. While I was with
them in the world, I kept them in thy name :
those that thou gavestme I have kept, and
none of them is lost, but the son of perdi
tion; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
163
And now come I to thee; and these things
I speak in the world, that they might have
my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given
them thy word; and the world hath hated
them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. I pray not that

thou shouldesttake them out of the world,
but that thou shouldest keepthem from the
evil. They are not of the world, even as I
am not of the world. Sanctify them through
thy truth : thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also
sent them into the world. And for their
sakes Isanctify myself, that they also might
be sanctified through the truth. Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their
word; that they all may be one: as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they
also may be one in us : that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me. And the
glory which thou gavestme I have given
them; that they may be one, even as we are
one: I in them, and thou in me, that they
164
may be made perfect in one; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou

hast given me, be with me where I am ; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast
JESUS AJS T D THE NIGHT 109
given me: for tliou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world. O righteous Fa
ther, the world hath not known thee: but I
have known thee, and these have known that
thou hast sent me. And I have declared
unto them thy name, and will declare it:
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me
may be in them, and I in them."
"Then Jesus sixdays before the passover
came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which
had been dead, whom he raised from the
dead. There they made him a supper; and
165
Martha served: but Lazarus was one of
them that satat the table with him. Then
took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard,
very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus,
and wiped his feetwith her hair: and the
house was filled with the odor of the oint
ment. Then saith one of his disciples, Ju

das Iscariot, Simon's son, which should be
tray him, Why was not this ointment sold
for three hundred pence, and given to the
poor? This he said, not that he caredfor
the poor; but because he was a thief, and
had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Then said Jesus, Let her alone : againstthe
day of my burying hath she kept this. For
the poor always ye have with you ; but me ye
have not always."
"Then shall the kingdom of heavenbe
likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bride
groom. And five of them were wise and five
were foolish. They that were foolish took
their lamps and took no oil with them : but
166
the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they
110 OTJT-OF-DOORSWITH JESUS
all slumbered and slept. And at midnight
there was a cry made, Behold, the bride
groom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then

all those virgins arose, and trimmed their
lamps. And the foolishsaid unto the wise,
Give us of your oil ; for our lamps are gone
out. But the wise answered, saying, Notso ;
lest there be not enough for us and you : but
go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. And while they went to buy,
the bridegroom came;and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage:
and the door was shut. Afterward came also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open
to us. But he answeredand said, Verily I
say unto you, I know you not. Watch there
fore, for ye know neither the day nor the
167
hour wherein the Sonof man cometh."
Hear Tennyson's interpretation of the unlit
lamps :
"Late, late, so late! and dark the night, and
chill!
Late, late, so late! But we can enter still.
'Too late, too late ! ye cannotenter now.'
"No light had we;for that we do repent,

And learning this, the Bridegroomwill re
lent,
'Too late, too late ! ye cannotenter now.'
"No light! so late! and dark and chill the
night
O let us in, that we may find the light.
'Too late, too late ! ye cannotenter now !'
168
JESUS AND THE NIGHT ill
"Have we not heard the Bridegroomis so
sweet?
O let us in, though late, to kiss his feet ;
O let us in, O let us in, though late, to kiss
his feet.
! No ! too late ! ye cannotenter now.' "
"Forwe have not followedcunningly de
vised fables when we made known unto you
the powerand coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eyewitnessesofhis ma
jesty. Forhe receivedfrom God the Father
honor and glory, when there came such a
voice to him from the excellentglory, This
169

is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard, when we were with him in
the holy mount. ..."
"Until the day dawn and the day star
arise in your hearts."
Jesus was born at night. Born in the dark
with no candle light. The story reads as if writ
ten by angels and should change the night into
the morning. Born on a journey and born at
night, and the star came out to meet him just as
the angels did. And the star traveled across
what spaces we know not to find those who cared
to find where the young child lay. In the night
he agonized in Gethsemane. In the night was
he brought by the Sanhedrin for trial because
he was God. When he died, the day turned into
night so the sun might not see him die. In the
night toward morning he arose from the dead.
170
Jesus lovedthe night. He frequented its hal
loweddark. Often it is saidin his memorabilia,

"When the even was come," as if he lookedfor
ward to the dark. Many a time he invaded the
night while others slept. He invaded the night
to pray in the dark. At night he walkedupon
the sea. The night, the sea, and the starlight
wrought on him like a dream. He wantedthem.
And what a mystery and what a mercy night
is! But for the night we should have never
known there were any stars. But for the night we
should never know the moon could suffuse the
world with magic light and make near and far
a Midsummer Night's Dream. But for night
we should never have had the falling of the dew.
But for night we should have been shut out
from one of the fairestrooms in God's house.
Had we a nightless world, the glare of light
had been insufferable. The night is not an im
peachment of the day. It is a resting from the
171
day. We could have slept by day, but sleep
would only have been resting. Now, sleepis
poetry. Had day stayedall the time, the voices
had been tumid, unbearable. Night gives rest,

night quiets tumult, hushes care, quiets the heart
and keeps it from breaking.
No one can paint the night. It will not sit
for its portrait. I recall a picture of Josephand
Mary and the baby Jesus. It is on the exodus to
Egypt. The pyramid stands dark againstthe
sky. The sphinx is near beside. And on Ms
mother's bosom and in his mother's arms the
baby lies asleep, and Joseph(whom we greatly
wish to meet in heaven) keeping watch above
mother and babe. The night seems to fold them
in its arms againstits heart.
The night calls all things home. The day calls
172
things away from home. Had mankind only
daytime it lay not in the ability of him and his
genius to have imagined the night. Gloommen
might have pictured from seeing shadowscast
in the gorges ofthe mountains. Blacknessthey
might have guessedfrom being lostin greatcan
yons. But these give no guess whatnight is.
We have to have the night to guess the night:

the high and solemn glory of the night sky, the
sense ofinfinitude it gives, the starry splendor,
the dank earth smells that come only with the
darkness, the exuding of the perfume of the
leaves of plants and trees which in the night
become penetrative like fear. In the night where
was no visible odor by day, there perfumes mul
tiply. The sense of the finger on the lips of day,
the hush of garrulosity save of the sweetloquac
ity of the waterbrooks, the hushed voices of the
birds, the night voices ofthe cricket's chir, and
the spring song of the frogs, and the fall
song of the tree toads, and the moonlight voices
of the whipporwill, and the mournful voices of
the owl, and the ecstatic music of the mocking
bird, and the tearful tenderness ofthe nightin
173
gale, and the sense ofillimatibility, and the
sure invasion of the soul by the universe and its
God these are of the night.
To miss moonlight would be tragical. Notto
have been surprised by the new moon in an un

expectedsky hanging like a sickle readyfor an
angel's reaping hand, not to have seenits
nightly advent higher in the sky, not to have
been enmantled as by an angel's garment flying
in the wind with the full moon's splendor, not
to have wandered all the night in dreamy moon
lit ways when all things seemedtranced, as if
God had hushed them is to have been dispos
sessedof a poem perfumed by the sweetviolets
of heaven. Moonlightis very specialpoetry of
God. No poet can describe it. It haunts the
spirit like a snatchof music heard from the sea
which was fallen nigh asleep.-Moonlightneeds
174
no description. It calls for ascriptions of praise
to Him "By whom and to whom and for whom
are all things." It commands right souls to their
knees. Adoration to the sole rationality of man
when the moonlight folds its garment about him.
"And the moon was full,"
is the thrilling lastword in Tennyson's "The
Passing ofArthur." No description, just to say
the thing. And the mere and the barge and the

dying, wounded Arthur, and the weeping queens
all stoled in black and Sir Bedivere forlorn on
the shore and the barge answering to no earthly
wind moves out silent as a sailing shadow.
"And the moon was full."
And the night with its stars. "He made the
stars also" with the fingers which had formed
the sun. Skies must not be too solitary. Some
175
torch must be lit at the far casements of
the universe. Some gleammust shine athwart
the far-spreaddark. So God lights the stars.
They candle our dark, too. They make us very
wistful and expectant. We are caughtin some
such hid wonderas catches the swallows and
makes them circle south like a flock of fall leaves
caught in the hands of a greatwind. In the
presence ofthe stars we feel star-born. Beekon
ings infinite invite to journeys which seem not
native to earthly feet.
"He calleththe stars by their name." They
be the children of God. They are not remote

from him. They are a part of his family and
cluster about his knees. Aldeberan and Pleiades
and Orion and Attarre are under the touch of his
hands ; and he runs his fingers through the com
et's hair, caressing it as if it were a little child.
Can we wonder Jesus loved the stars? A star
bears his name forever the Star of Bethlehem.
A star led the Wise Men to his cradle. The night
of Epiphany the cloudless night was packedwith
176
stars and angels. Whenwalking on the waves of
the sea atnight stars shine beneath his feet.
When he woke from death and unwrapped the
graveclothes fromhis face and stepped from the
new sepulcherin which never man lay, the first
sight to accosthis vision was the morning star.
Nor shall we think strange when in the Reve
lation he says, "I am the bright and morning
star," and when in the blessings given to such as
overcome he promised a morning star.
Night is the time for solitude. Day glows too
fiercely for reticence and silence. Night is the

cathedraledsilence where the hushed voices of
the spirit may find themselves articulate. All
superior spirits need solitude. There must
be a room apart, an upper room, for the larger
life's dialogue with the heart.
177
And that is the note struck often in the me
morials of Jesus'life. "He was there alone," on
a mountain in the gloaming with the sea dark
ening below him ; and it is said and "when it
came to even he was there alone." He wanted
solitude. He wanted to fold the wings of the
long day. "As the day began to wearaway," we
feel the wishing for the night in those yearning
words. And we read, "As he was there praying
alone."
The night has solitude like a wider desert
than the earth possesses. And a greatspirit
must have greatsolitude. Silence is an entranc
ing musician. Its lute is always in its hand.
No wind on mountain height where pine trees
cluster in greatmultitude can compare with
the haunting night of solitude. There is solitude

in the sea;and Christ haunted the sea. And
the fields and the evening invited him. He loved
the day, invaded it, sanctifiedit by his labors of
178
mercy and of love ; but he wanted the night. The
dark beckonedto him and he kept the tryst. I
hear his footsteps softenas he comes nearthe
dark. I cansee his eyes grow tender as he sees
the birds fare nestwardas the sun is low. The
children growing sleepy at sunsetputs a smile
upon his lips. He wantedto be alone to pray.
He wanted to have a hush fall upon his spirit.
He loved to meet his Father in heaven alone.
And as the shadows lengtheneastwardthe
laborers afield with brawny arms and happy
hearts have left the plows, unyoked the oxen,
and are footing it home; and when the children
and their sweetmothers stand smiling at the
door, then when the even was come, "He sent
the multitudes away" and himself found shelter
in the dark. Ah, hallowednight, thy Lord finds
comfort in thee and shelterand prayer and

peace. Nightwhich the Son of God invaded to
find solitude for his heart.
179
And how the love of Jesus for the night com
forts our hearts ! The gloommay well be dear to
us, since it was dear to him. He hallows the night.
To a seeing spirit when the cathedralof the
night, all lighted up with stars, lifts up its un
utterable majesty and beauty and solemnity and
glory, all is hushed so we may fairly hear the
coming angelcompany which long ago on Christ
mas night setlaughter to music along the lower
levels of the dusk.
To such as invade the night with chaste
118 OUT-OF-DOOESWITHJESUS
spirit and expectant, Jesus may readily appear
with his salutation, "It is I, be not afraid." And
we know him and have no fear.
The Eapture whose othername is the Lord of
everlasting life, when he talkedto John the be
loved a little while with the lamps of eternity
180
all lit, says he will give to the Prevailers

the morning star, may we not hazard that he
had the morning star which met his eyes on the
resurrectionmorning, "while it was yet dark,"
in his remembrance? It saluted him first after
his Passionand resurrectionfrom the dead,
when he became the "first fruits of them that
slept."
"I will give him that overcomeththe morning
star." O Christ, wilt thou have me my star?
Why was Jesus Bornat Midnight?
December19, 2017
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Midnight Mass is a specialChristmas Mass. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
is a beautiful Christmas hymn. Midnight is the hour traditionally regardedas
the time that Jesus was born.
Midnight receives no mention in the gospelaccount, but rather, “the night
watch” (Lk 2:8). It was the time after sunsetand before sunrise, the late-night
hours, a time of total darkness.
The darkness ofthe midnight hour is not only the lack of daylight, it also
holds greatsymbolic significance. Darkness represents sin and the absence of
God. “Peoplepreferred darkness … because their works were evil” (Jn 3:19).
“Everyone who does wickedthings hates the light … so that his works might
not be exposed” (Jn 3:20). Evil thoughts are dark thinking (Mt 6:23; Lk
11:34). Evil deeds are done under the coverof darkness. WhenJudas
departed from the Last Supper to betray Jesus, “it was night” (Jn 13:30).
Jesus explained that “whoeverwalks in the dark does not know where he is
going” (Jn 12:35). Darkness is to walk in the wrong direction, and to stumble
and fall.
Police have a saying: “Nothing goodhappens after midnight.” Late night is
the time that most crimes are committed: drunkenness, bar fights, shootings,
domestic assaults, robberies, driving while intoxicated, speeding and reckless
driving, and car crashes due to impaired judgment.
Immoral behavior is frequently committed under the coverof darkness.
Nighttime is the most common time for nightclubs, premarital sex,
extramarital sex, one night stands, prostitution, and computer viewing of
explicit images.
The world is filled with darkness. There are wars and terrorism,
displacementand refugees, famine and disease, poverty and natural disasters.
Nationally there is political polarization and racialstrife, abortion and
violence, corruption and greed. Individually there is family conflict, rejection,
gossip, illness, pain, abuse, addiction, disappointment, failure, sadness, and
depression. The darkness oftenfeels all-encompassing and overwhelming.

The infant Jesus was born during the night watch, at the time when the
darkness is most intense. The timing was no accident. Jesus is the Light of
World (Jn 8:12). When Jesus was born, he was the true light coming into the
world (Jn 1:9; see also Jn3:19a). He is “the light [that] shines in the
darkness” (Jn1:5a). Jesus explained, “I came into the world as light, so that
everyone who believes in me might not remain in the darkness” (Jn 12:46).
Christmas is a time of tremendous hope. The light has come. Jesus is the
greatilluminator. He is a beaconof light. Despite whateverdarkness there
may be in the world, it will not prevail. “The darkness has not overcome it”
(Jn 1:5b), not in the past, not now, not in the future, not ever.
Jesus was born at midnight to bring light into our troubled world. His light is
so powerful that it outshines all else.
BY MichaelVan Sloun
Jesus’“All-Nighter”
Daily Reflection/ Producedby The High Calling
Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the
night in prayer to God. And when day came, he calledhis disciples and chose
twelve of them, whom he also named apostles.
Luke 6:12
When I was in college, I became the master of the "all-nighter." Fortified by a
strong brew from my Mr. Coffee machine, and allowing for an occasional

Pac-Manbreak to getmy blood pumping, I would stayup all night to study
for an exam or write a term paper. I canstill remember watching the sunrise
as I put the finishing touches on one of my all-night productions.
Jesus pulled an all-nighter just before one of the most important things he
ever did. In Luke 6:12-13, we read that he "wentout to the mountain to pray"
one evening, and remained in prayer throughout the whole night. Then, in the
morning, he called togetherthe large group of his followers and selected
twelve to have a specialrole as apostles, those who would preachthe Gospel
and plant churches after Jesus was no longeron earth. (The Greek word
translated as "apostle" means, literally, "one who is sent," usually with a
messageorto fulfill some important responsibility.)
The fact that Jesus prayed all night before choosing the twelve impresses me
for severalreasons. Forone thing, I don't think I have ever prayed for that
long about anything. Had I been in Jesus'place, I expect I would have fallen
asleep.
But, apart from the extraordinary length of Jesus'prayer session, I'm struck
by the fact that he seemedto need to pray for so long. I wonder what Jesus
was praying about for that night. Luke's narrative suggests thatat leastpart
of his prayer was devoted to discerning who among his followers should
become apostles. DidJesus talk with his Heavenly Father about eachof his
disciples, weighing their strengths and weaknesses? Ordid he simply wait
until the Fatherrevealedwho should be apostles? We can'tanswerthese
questions from the text. But what we do know is that the Son of God spent a
whole night in prayer before he chose his inner circle, his "team," if you will.
The example of Jesus challengesme to considerhow devoted I am to prayer
when I have to make a major decision. When I'm hiring someone to work for

me, do I spent the night in prayer? Or even one focusedhour? Do I get away
from the busyness of ordinary life, going out to "the mountain" in order to be
quiet enough to hear what God has to say to me? Or do I shootup a few quick
prayers and go with my ownhunches? If Jesus sensedthe need to pull an "all-
nighter" in prayer, what does that suggestfor me . . . and you?
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:Have you ever pulled an "all-
nighter" for some reason? Whenand why? Have you ever spent a whole
night, or a substantial part thereof, in prayer? If so, when? When you face a
major decision, do you get awayin order to spend an extended time alone with
God in prayer? Is that something you need to do soon?
PRAYER: DearLord Jesus, todayI am struck once againby your
commitment to prayer. And not just the regularity of your times of prayer,
but the length of this one in Luke 6. How I wish I could getthe transcript of
this conversationbetweenyou and the Father!
It does seemclear, though, that this long sessionof prayer was a prerequisite
to your selectionof the twelve. What a powerful lessonfor me! You know,
Lord, that sometimes I make decisions without consulting you, or without
giving you much of a chance to geta word in edgewise, atany rate. Forgive
me for my arroganceand self-reliance.
Stir up in my heart a greaterdesire to spend time with you. Help me to
strengthen my commitment to prayer, whether I feel like it or not. Especially,
help me to spend more time in conversationwith you when I am facing major
decisions and opportunities. Give me ears to hear the still, small voice of your
Spirit. Amen.

NYC Cabbie: Jesus Gets You Through the Night Shift
By Jamey Brown
30 May AD 2014
7 Comments
Do you dread your work day or some task in your life? Maybe the sole
purpose of your eight or twelve hour “cross” is simply a moment or two when
you canlift someone’s spirits and steerthem towards Jesus, who will then
steerthem towards heaven. This opportunity happened to me twice in one
night.
A Little Kindness in Haste
A grey-haired man and his teenage daughter frantically hailed me in front of
Grand CentralStation on 42nd Streetand askedme to take them to the
Hospital for SpecialSurgeryon East70th Street. He was trying to make a
6:15 appointment and askedif I could do it. I told him that we probably could
and that the only problem was that you can’t make a turn on this streetuntil
6th Avenue which was five blocks away. He proceededto politely ask me at
eachintersectionif I couldn’t turn here. I courteouslyreplied eachtime that
you couldn’t and pointed to the “No Turns Until 7:00pm” sign. I joked to
myself that it must be a hospital for hearing problems.
We inched along through heavy traffic and finally gotoff 42nd Street. I drove
as fast as I safely could, gunning the 4.6 liter engine severaltimes to make it
through changing stop lights. He continued to complain at every tie up and
was on the phone twice telling the hospital that he was delayedin traffic. He
was getting on my nerves. H was not helping the situation and I felt like
barking at him, but I thought I’m trying to be more Christian and besides this
is Lent, a time for change and this is a man on the wayto a hospital. What he
needs is not a whip but kindness and charity and prayer. So out of the depths

somewhere I decided to befriend him, get him off the subject of whining and
maybe elevate his thoughts, maybe even get him thinking about the Lord.
“Are you visiting someone in the hospital?” I asked.
“No, I’m taking my daughter to the doctor.” I could tell from his tone of voice
that he didn’t want to talk about her condition. He said he was from
Connecticutbut he workedhere at 34th and 3rd Avenue. I told him my
church was nearthere. He askedme more about it and I told him about the
world renowned PastorGeorgeRutler at the Church of Saint Michael. “He’s
Oxford educatedand gives these amazing homilies. He might talk about
Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II in a sermon. He has a
vast knowledge ofhistory, philosophy and theologybut what I like best is he
has these insights into Scripture and theologythat change my life.”
The man still seemedinterested so I continued, “Like two weeks ago he was
talking about the famous passage ”Turnthe other cheek’(Matthew 5:39) and
what Jesus meant was that a master would strike a slave with the back of his
hand on the left cheek to humiliate him. But we are to say strike me on the
right cheek like an equal, because we have dignity and we are equal. Jesus was
not a pacifistbut spoke of a militancy basedin humility.”
“That’s very interesting,” he said emphatically.
I continued, “And the passage, ‘If anyone wants to go to law with you over
your tunic hand him your cloak as well’ (40)means that if you owe someone
something and they are entitled to your tunic, take off all your clothes and
give it to them. It will humiliate them. I think of Saint Francis when his father
told him to give him back his fabric that Francis had been giving to the poor
people, he took off all his clothes and gave it to his father. Maybe Francis did
this to humiliate him? And the passage,’Ifsomeone asks youto go a mile for
them, go two for him’ (41) means that the Roman soldiers could order anyone
to carry their burdens for them for up to one mile. If you carried it for two
miles the soldierwould getinto trouble.”
“Oh, I see,”he said, as we approachedthe hospital only four minutes late. I
saw doors at both sides of the streetbut wasn’t sure if that was the hospital.

“We’ll getoff here and walk,” he said, but then I squinted and read the
hospital name further up the street. There were two orange cones in the street
and it lookedlike it was blockedoff. Then a yellow Ford Focus cabwent
around the cones and up a driveway. “Hold on a minute,” I said and followed
that cab right to the door.
“Thank you,” he said and added, “Thank you for the words from your
Pastor.”
“Godbless you,” I said as I shook my head in wonder at the goodworks the
Lord can do in our lives. I sometimes think I am calledto go to work each
night solelyfor moments like these. Maybe one day, he will stopby that
church, or maybe resort to praying for his daughter instead of complaining.
Opportunities like this can happen in all of our daily routines.
Unexpected Gratitude
Eight hours later, I picked up three young women outside a midtown bar who
were going to a bar on GreatJones Streetin the EastVillage. They were the
worsttype of passengers:loud, cursing, using vulgar language, and one kept
singing a song in a man’s voice. I turned up the volume on my Catholic Radio
station and tried to concentrate onthe Kresta in the Afternoon show. As we
reachedtheir cherisheddestination I politely said, “Ladies, here we are.”
They didn’t know how to work the credit card machine, and I had a perfect
chance to yell at them. But it was Lent and I was trying to be a good
Christian. So I smiled, and kindly and patiently explained the procedure.
One lady said, “We apologize for the language.”I was knockedcold.
Apparently, she had heard my radio and realized that they were offending
me.
I said, “Thank you, that’s very kind of you.” I staredat how young and
innocent looking she was. “Youknow, in my twenty years of cab driving no
one has ever said that to me?”
“We’re schoolteachers,” she replied, “and we never get out.”

I searchedfor the right thing to sayand then just said, “You know, when I
was your age I was exactly the same way, but later on I got religious and
started going to church and all that.”
Her companion said, “We go to church.”
I was surprised but just said, “Thank you againand God bless you.”
One of the ladies said, “Drive safely!”
I was going to joke, “How do you expect me to make money if I drive safely?”
However, they were hurrying to get in line behind a hundred other people to
wait an hour in the twenty-eight degree temperature to get into the bar.
That apologyreally lifted my heart. Yet, I also thought Schoolteachers?What
chance do our children have? These womenare adolescents themselves. Ihope
they don’t teachin Catholic schools.
But maybe somedaywhen they have a really bad hangover, and everything is
falling apart, and their pleasures in bad things only bring them sadness, they
will remember what I said and know that there is a Way out.
We are just planting seeds. We may never see the fruit of our efforts. As Saint
Paul says, “I planted. Apollos watered, but Godcausedthe growth” (I
Corinthians 3:6).
There’s usually some instance in our toil and suffering where we can reach
out beyond our pain and discomfort to help someone else.
© 2014. JameyBrown. All rights reserved.
50 Good Night Quotes From the Bible
Updated on October15, 2019

Dora Weithers more
Ms. Dora, a former teacherand Christian counselor, is an avid Bible student
and loves to compile user-friendly Bible quotes by topic.
While most people sleepat night, others remain awake counting sheep. Still
others are confronted with life-changing experiences during the night, as
referencedin some of the following Bible quotes from the New Living
Translation. Adopt a verse or two for personalreflectionand a goodnight
experience.
GeneralNighttime Facts
Night sky over Yellowstone NationalPark, Wyoming. Photo by Astroval1 |
Source
He made all the stars—the Bearand Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations
of the southern sky (Job 9:9)
He [God] speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleepfalls on
people as they lie in their beds (Job 33:15).
The heavens proclaim the glory of God...nightafter night they make him
known (Psalm19:1,2).
The Lord merely spoke, andthe heavens were created. He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born (Psalm 33:6).
You [God] send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest
animals prowl about (Psalm104:20).
Indeed, he who watches overIsraelnever slumbers or sleeps (Psalm121:4).
It is useless foryou to work so hard from early morning until late at
night...for God gives rest to his loved ones (Psalm127:2).
By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew
settles beneaththe night sky (Proverbs 3:20).

You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleepsoundly...for the
Lord is your security (Proverbs 3:24, 26).
People who work hard sleepwell, whether they eat little or much. But the rich
seldom geta goodnight’s sleep(Ecclesiastes 5:12).
Nighttime Reflection
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keepme safe
(Psalm 4:8).
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and
the stars you set in place—whatare ...human beings that you should care for
them? (Psalm 8: 3, 4)
I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me
(Psalm 16:7).
You have testedmy thoughts and examined my heart in the night...I am
determined not to sin in what I say(Psalm 17:3).
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night (Psalm 63:6).
I stay awake throughthe night, thinking about your promise (Psalm 119:148).
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—and the moon and stars to
rule the night (Psalm136:7, 9).
Who createdall the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after
another, calling eachby its name (Isaiah 40:26).
I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become
night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you (Psalm139:11,12).
The remnant of Israelwill do no wrong ... will eatand sleepin safety, and no
one will make them afraid (Zephaniah 3;13).

Singing Songs In The Night
RelatedMedia
The theme of night (or night time) occurs very frequently in the Scriptures
and with a variety of emphases whetherliteral or symbolic. “Night” often is
associatedwith negative actions, emotions, orthoughts, much as darkness is
contrastedwith light.1 At times, however, the night can convey a positive
image as:
the time for spiritual devotions by people. Jesus sometimes spentnights in
prayer (Mt 14:23; Lk 6:12). In the Psalms we read about people who receive
instruction by night (Ps 16:7), sing in the night (Ps 42:8), meditate by night (Ps
63:6; 119:148), commune with their heart in the night Ps 77:6), and remember
God’s name in the night (Ps 119:55).2
In keeping with the more positive aspectofthe night theme, in the following
short study we shall focus our attention on four Old Testamentpassagesthat
tell of a believer’s singing of songs in the night. After considering certain key
elements revealedin the night time as an occasionforspiritual experience, we
shall close with a few important applications.
Old TestamentExamples
Job
The accountof Job’s testing and difficulties at the hands of Satanand his
subsequent discussionwith his three friends is well known. We take up the
story where Elihu, Job’s younger acquaintance, enters the discussion. Elihu
had listened with growing impatience to the conversationas to why Job had
suffered such greatphysical affliction. Although none of them were aware of
the true nature of the reasonfor Job’s suffering, the dialogue betweenJob
and the three friends centeredmainly on the subject of righteousness
(especiallyJob’s)and God’s justice. When the discussionappearedto be
declining, Elihu stepped into the conversationby accusing Jobof trumpeting

his ownrighteousness, while failing to recognize properly God’s ownessential
unchangeable righteousness.Elihu, therefore, champions both God’s
righteousness andhis justice.
In the fourth of his five recordedspeeches (orlectures)to Job and his friends,
Elihu begins by implying that Job’s claim to be righteous appears to be simply
self-serving. ForJob has expressedhis lament and his disappointment that
acting righteously does not appear to have any effecton God and his relation
to human conduct. Having assured Job that God’s own holy characteris not
impugned by man’s conduct, even though this may be true on a human level,
Elihu comes to Job’s situation. He says that Job has complained that God does
not care to answera suffering person’s cry for help and relief, even when
victimized by others. Elihu, however, declares that too often such people fail
to fully trust or even callupon the Lord who is ever available to provide relief
for those who truly callupon him in genuine faith. As Konkelexpresses it,
Elihu’s remarks suggestthatsuch,
sufferers …only want relief from their pain. Since they have no interest in
living out the ways of God in this world, their cries are met with silence…. But
Job was wrong to think that God is indifferent to the cries of the persecuted
and that God does not notice when justice is being violated. Job may not see
the judgment of God (35:14), but he should not come to the conclusionthat
God is indifferent to the order of justice.3
Moreover, it is the Lord who “gives songs in the night” (Job 35:10). Indeed it
is during night when difficulties seemto weigh most heavily on the sufferer.
As Hartley points out, “Troubles, of course, were closelyassociatedwith the
night. So during a long night of anxiety the faithful would sustain themselves
by singing psalms (cf. Ps. 30:6 [Eng. Ps. 30:5]; 143:7-10).”4Although Elihu’s
remark concerning “songs in the night” is directed towardGod’s positive
response to the faithful sufferer’s cry, we would be remiss in limiting the full
scope ofthis theme. As we shall note later, nighttime songs canoriginate from
a positive viewpoint as well.
Psalm77

Psalm77 was composedby a Levite. Asaph was a musician who ministered in
the days of David (1 Chron. 15:17-19;cf. 1 Chron. 16:4-5). As I have written
previously, Psalm 77 is structured in three major sections.5In the first section
the psalmist speaks ofa crisis time in his life, a time so troubling that he
fearedthat God turned aside from his normal faithful love for his covenant
people so greatlythat he was no longergracious or compassionate toward
them (vv.1-9). In the secondsection, however, the psalmist turns his mind to
rehearsing all the wondrous -- even amazing -- things that God did in the past,
including the miraculous deliverance of his people (vv10-15). This thought
brings him to a third unit (vv. 16-20). He recalls all the spectacularevents,
which have been recorded concerning the Lord’s bringing of his people out of
Egypt (the Exodus.)
In telling of his troubling experience (the first section)he recalls:
I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.
I said, “During the night
I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully. (v.6)”6
Those were suchgooddays, such a precious time! Then he could sing God’s
praises even during the night hours. As Delitzsch remarks,
He remembers the happier past of his people and his own, inasmuch as he
now in the night purposely calls back to himself in his mind the time when
joyful thankfulness impelled him to the song of praise accompaniedby the
music of the harp…in place of which, crying and sighing, and gloomy silence
have now entered.” 7
To be sure, whether day or night, hymns and spiritual songs canbring relief
from life’s difficulties and exchange sorrow forjoy (Isa. 1: 2-5). Nevertheless,
it is in the night that troubles seemto be felt most keenly and deeply.
Troubled times canbring sleeplessnights. Yet all of this canand should cause
one to remember that God is still in control and available to help. Such

thoughts may even stimulate one to find relief by rehearsing songs ofpraise to
God. Psalm77 is a vivid reminder that the almighty Lord is aware ofour
challenges andis available for help.
Psalms 42-43
That Psalms 42 and 43 originally comprised one psalm appears certain even
as attestedin severalHebrew manuscripts. Not only does Psalm43 not have
an introductory heading as in the surrounding psalms, but it repeats the same
twice occurring refrain present in Psalm 42 (cf. Ps. 43:5 with Ps. 42:5, 11).
Moreoverit supplies the closing confidence so often found in the praise psalms
(cf. Pss. 27, 63, 84). Thus as Futato points out, the original full psalm in what
we know as Psalms 42 and 43 emphasizes most clearly the believer’s longing
for God.8 Although the structure of the resultant psalm has been viewed
differently by various expositors, the thrice occurring refrain argues strongly
for the psalms to be viewed as falling into three main sections (Ps. 42:1-5;
42:6-11;Ps. 43:1-5). Our discussionwill proceedalong these lines.
In the first section, the psalmist expresseshis strong longing to be in the
formal presence ofthe God. He remembers fondly those times when he was
among those who walkedwith a crowd of people to worship the Lord,
especiallyon the occasionof “the holy festival” (Ps. 42:4). As a Korahite he
may also have been one of the gate keepers atthe Lord’s temple in Jerusalem
(cf. 1 Chron. 26:1-19)and perhaps one who joined in the joyful singing of
praise to God. The most sacredof such festival times were the “three annual
pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Firstfruits, and Tabernacles.”9 Whatfond
memories he had! What a strong longing and desire to “appearin God’s
presence (v. 2).
One might ask, “Did he not now experience a sense of God’s presence with
him?” Perhaps he did, but his words doubtless refer to those very special
times (especiallyat one of the three festivaloccasions)performing his duty in
the Lord’s service where God made his earthly home—the temple in
Jerusalem. His fond memory of such joyous occasionsbrought tears to his
eyes (vv. 2-3). Ratherthan being there as in former days, he now lived in exile
and facedridicule from those around him (cf. vv. 9-10 in the secondsection).

They as much as said, “If your God is so great, what happened? Where is he
now? Why has he not protectedyou and is not now supplying your needs?”
Such taunts and ridicule cut sharply and deeply into the psalmist’s heart.
Although he apparently could not give a fitting reply to such people, he could
remind himself that God was indeed in control and doubtless would yet rescue
him. He would then be able and be sure to give heartfelt thanks to the Lord.
Rather than being totally upset and depressed, he should waitpatiently for the
Lord (v. 5; cf. HCSB, “Put your hope in God”). At the proper time God will
intervene on his behalf. His fortunes may have takena depressing turn, but in
spite of it all deep down in his heart his faith remained. Howeverunfortunate
his presentsituation was, he believed that God would yet hear his lament and
rescue him.
In the secondsectionofthis combined Psalm42-43, the psalmist reveals his
deeply distressedstate ofmind. Rather than being able to be part of the
festival procession, people keeptormenting him as to the presence of his God
(vv.9-10). Now he has only fond remembrances of his native land. Particularly
haunting is the remembrance of Israel’s majestic and picturesque northern
border—its mountains and the sources ofthe JordanRiver:
I am depressed
so I will pray unto you while I am trapped
here in the regionof the upper Jordan
from Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
One deep stream calls out to another
at the sound of your waterfalls;
all your billows and waves overwhelmme. (Ps 42:6-7)
The question arises as to when all of this taking place and where the psalmist
was located? Was the psalmist living in the area eastofthe Jordan River? Or
is this merely the starting point of his fond reverie concerning his homeland?
Why was the psalmist unable to return? Two major views seemmost likely:

(1) the psalmist was part of the group that fled with David at the time of
Absalom’s rebellion or (2) he was part of those who were carried awayin exile
after the fall of Jerusalemin the sixth century B.C. Although certainty is
lacking, it is most intriguing to follow the former view. The psalmist had fled
with David (cf. 2 Sam. 15:24) at the time of Absalom’s takeoverof the
government and revolt againsthis father David (2 Sam15:1-18:6). As
Delitzschpoints out:
All of the complaints and hopes that he expresses soundvery much like those
of David during the time of Absalom. David’s yearning after the house of God
in Ps. xxiii; xxvi; lv; lxiii, finds its echo here: the conduct and outlines of the
enemies are also just the same; even the sojournin the country eastof Jordan
agrees withDavid’s settlement at that time at Mahanaim in the mountains of
Gilead. 10
To return to the accountof the psalmist’s fond remembrances of his own
country, we note the application of the waters of the north Jordan River:
One deep stream calls out to another
at the sound of your waterfalls;
all of your billows and waves overwhelmme. (v. 7)
As Ross observes:“Trouble had come over him like one wave after another,
personified as if they were calling to eachother to come down in the
waterfalls. He had been overwhelmed as if by a flood.” 11 Futato suggeststhat
the imagery here may have reinforced his specialremembrance of being in the
presence ofGod:
These abundant waters are an image of the experience ofthe abundant
presence ofGod. But the memory of these waters is not, at the present, a
source of consolation. Ironically, they are an overwhelming deluge that
threatens to sweepthe psalmist away.12
Yet, despite his feeling of depression, born of despair, he must admit:
By day the LORD decrees his loyal love,

and by night he gives me a song,
a prayer to the living God. (v. 8)
Thus as the NET note correctlypoints out, despite his despair and
discouragement, the Psalmist realizes that he has not been left alone. God will
be with him not only through the troubles of the day, but the Lord’s
sustenance will be felt so strongly that he can sing and pray to God
throughout the night. When referring to the divine presence, he has thus far
simply used the generic term “God.” Now he uses the warm name LORD
(Heb. Yahweh, the one exists eternally and has causedthe earth to exist).
Yahweh is also, of course, the covenantname by which God revealedhimself
to Moses:
God said to Moses,“IAM that I AM.” And he said, “You must saythis to the
Israelites, “IAM has sentme to you –the God of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, andthe God of Jacobhas sent me to you. This is
my name forever, and this is my memorial from generationto generation. (Ex
3:14-15).13
As Stuart observes, in a specialway, “The name should thus be understood as
referring to Yahweh’s being the creatorand sustainer of all that exists and
thus the Lord of both creationand history, all that is and all that is
happening—a God active and present in historicalaffairs.”14 The Psalmist
remembers that God is not just an impersonalcontroller of all things but is
warm, loving and faithful (v. 8; NET, “loyallove”; Heb. ħesed).15 As I have
pointed out elsewhere, althoughthis word “is rendered by such English
equivalents as mercy, loving-”kindness, and faithfulness,” Hosea employs it in
speaking of“God’s greatlove for Israelin terms of His establishedcovenant
with them.”16
Nevertheless,his fit of depressionthen once againovertakes him (vv. 9-10). He
wonders, if God is his loving Lord, why is all of this happening to him? Why
does he go about in sorrow, being constantlytormented by his enemies as to
who the psalmist’s God is supposedto be? Has God really abandoned him?
Although he declares that he has a place of refuge in God “his rock” (NET,
“high ridge”), he feels as though his very bones have been crushed by it all.

And so he must once againremind himself to “waitfor God” (v. 11;HCSB,
“put your hope in God”).
As the final sectionof the combined Pss. 42-43 begins, the psalmist is pleading
with God to intervene for him and defend him againsthis enemies. He desires
his cause to be so vindicated that he may be rescuedand, hopefully, be able to
return to his ministry at home (Ps. 43:3). He reminds God that he alone is his
stronghold, his refuge (HCSB). The psalmist’s declarationthat that God is his
“refuge” builds upon the thought that he had expressedearlier, that God was
his “rock”(Ps. 42:9).
The progressionofthought in the psalmist’s experience is noteworthy. In
sectionone (Ps. 42:1-5), he acknowledgesGodas “My Savior and God.” It is a
declarationthat is affirmed subsequently in concluding eachsection(Pss. In
42:5, 11;43:5). In sectionone he also speaks ofGodas “The Living God” for
whom he had such a strong longing that it is like an unquenchable thirst (v. 2).
As we noted above, in sectiontwo God is “My rock.” Now in sectionthree God
is “My refuge” as well as his ultimate joy (Ps. 43:4).
It is also significant to notice his questioning of God in all three sections:(1)
When could he come and appear before God rather than being tormented by
his oppressors?(2)Why must he experience continued sorrow, surrounded by
those who ridicule him? Has God forgottenhim? (3) If God is the one who
gives him shelter, why does he feel abandoned as he has to deal with his
oppressors taunts? Yet despite his daily suffering, he has an underlying
confidence in God. He also remembers vividly those happy days in the service
of God (Ps. 42:8). Moreover, he believes it certainthat God will demonstrate
his faithfulness to him so that he will againsing praises to the Lord even in the
night time (Ps. 42:8). Now, as his faith arises still more, he canpray
expectantly to God. Surely the Lord will return him to his place of ministry
(Ps. 43:3-4). Employing personification, he views God’s light and truth (NET,
“faithfulness”)as escorting him back to the holy land and to his former
service for God. As Leupold remarks, both light and truth “may have been
envisioned by the writer as guardian angels ofa sort who are walking along at
his side. This is, then, another way of saying: Let me againbecome assuredof
Thy gracious favor, O Lord.”17 His thinking brings such “ecstatic joy” that

he resolves that when this happens, he will express his thankfulness to God
with a harp (v. 4).
It is of further interest to note another feature of the psalmist’s greatsense of
joy –the joy of experiencing the Lord’s presence and his personalfulfillment
through the ministry of music. He remembers so wellhis exhilaration in those
times of festive celebrationwith those who walkedto the place of worship (cf.
Ps 42: 4). He recalls with greatpleasure the delightful experience of the
Lord’s giving songs in the night (Ps. 42:8). He now rehearseshis expectation
of once againcoming to the sacredplace of worship, for there he will
demonstrate his greatjoy in praising God through the playing of the harp (Ps.
43:4). His remarks demonstrate that for the psalmist music is an important
element in his worship and spiritual experience, including times of “songs in
the night.”
The psalmist concludes his remarks by repeating the refrain of not allowing
his presentirritating conditions to depress him. Rather, he should continue to
put his hope in the One who is his Savior and his God (Ps. 43:5). As Futato
remarks, “His hope is sure because the one to whom he prays is his Saviorand
God. He believes that God will save him from the worstof all possible fates:
the absence ofGod. He believes that Godwill deliver him into God’s very own
presence.”18There, in his renewedministry, he will “againgive thanks.” The
psalmist’s confidence in the Lord is well takenand remains true for today’s
believer, for as I have pointed out elsewhere,“The faithful believer will find
that God longs to relieve the believer’s burden and to rescue him in time of
trouble (Ps. 81:6-8).”19 As the hymn writer declares:
Trust in the Lord. O troubled soul.
Restin the arms of his care;
Whateveryour lot, it mattereth not,
For nothing cantrouble you there.20
Isaiah30:29

In sharp contrastto Asaph’s remembrance of God’ past deeds, especiallyat
the time of the exodus (Ps. 77: 5-6, 11-20)and the Korahite psalmist’s
expectationof God’s soonintervention on his behalf (Pss. 42-43), Isaiahlooks
forward to a future time of singing in the night. As the Lord had delivered his
people Israel, so he will do once again. As Moses, Miriam and the Israelites
had sung God’s praises at that time (Exod. 15), so God’s people will do again.
In a sectionin which Isaiahinstructs his people to put their trust in God
rather than foreign nations, he declares that the Lord is about to make an
example of this in the greatworld power of the day – Assyria (Isa. :27-33).
God’s burning anger againstAssyria is depicted in graphic portrayal. As
Oswaltobserves,
God is depicted as coming from a greatdistance on the wings of a storm. With
whirlwind, cloudburst, and pelting hail he destroys his enemies. Those who
crouch in the dry wadis for protection are swept awayin an instant by the
walls of water that come rushing down on them.21
In the midst of his description Isaiahassures the people of Judah:
You will sing
as you do in the evening
when you are celebrating a festival.
You will be happy like one who plays a flute
as he goes to the mountain of the LORD,
the Rock who shelters Israel. (v. 29)
With the smashing defeat of Assyria, God’s people in Judah will rejoice with
singing and praise to the LORD. That time is compared to one of the holy
occasions ofjoyous worship (e.g., PassoverorTabernacles)when“pilgrims
come marching into Jerusalemsinging and dancing to the sound of musical
instruments because they are entering the presence of God, the Rock and sure
foundation of Israel.”22

Whateverthe festive occasionalludedto, the people’s joy at celebrating
Assyria’s defeat and God’s deliverance of his people are clearlyin view.
Although no particular historical occasionis pointed to, a strong possibility
might be the Lord’s deliverance of Judah during the reign of the Assyrian
King Sennacherib(705-681 B. C.)in the days of Judah’s King Hezekiah(701
B. C.). Although the Assyrians successfullyinvaded large portions on Israel
and Judah, their attack againstJerusalemwas a complete failure. As the Lord
had promised David and for the sake of God’s own reputation God would
shield this city and rescue it. That very night the Lord’s messengerwentout
and killed 185,000 menof the Assyrian camp. When they gotup early the next
morning, there were all the corpses. So King Sennacheribof Assyria broke
camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh” (2 Kings
19:34-36;cf. Isa. 37:35-37).
According to Josephus (Ant 10: 21-22, [1:5]) when Sennacheribsaw the
decimation of his troops at Jerusalem, he fearedfor the safetyof the restof his
army and fled to Nineveh.”23 As Smith observes, “At this point the prophet
attempts to create in his audience a belief in God’s almighty powerso that
they will trust him.”24 Although certainty as to the actualevent is lacking,
however, one thing is certain: God’s people are safe in his hands. Indeed, they
are so safe that they may rejoice and sing his praises even in times of extreme
difficulty.
Such it has always been and remains the case eventoday. God is the One in
whom the believer finds refuge:
O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soulin its conflicts and sorrow would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be;
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.
…….
How oft in the conflict, when pressedby the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;

How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul. 25
God is truly the believer’s deliverer and source of rejoicing in song. In this
regard it is of additional interestto note that Isaiah’s “singing in the night”
prophecy with its promise of deliverance is in harmony with his wider
prophetic teaching. Indeed, music is an essentialingredient throughout his
messages andcan be found coupled with the theme of deliverance. For
example,
At that time this song will be sung in the land of Judah;
we have a strong city!
The LORD’s deliverance, like walls and a rampart
makes it secure. (Isa. 26:1;cf. 35:10; 51:11)26
In Isaiah 38:20 Isaiahrecords Hezekiah’s song of thankfulness to God:
The LORD is about to deliver me.
and we will celebrate with music
for the rest of our lives in the LORD’s temple.
In an earlierprophetic messageIsaiahgives the Lord’s assurance ofthe
deliverance of his people and predicts that at that time the people will say,
I will praise You, LORD,
although you were angry with me,
Your angerhas turned away,
and You had compassionon me.
Indeed, God is my salvation;
I will trust in him and not be afraid,
For Yah, the LORD,

is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.
Sing to Yahweh, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be knownthroughout the earth! (Isa. 12:1-2, 5; HCSB).
Key Elements In Night Time Worship
The passageswe have considereddealing with songs in the night are
instructive as to certain important thematic features. Thus in Job35:10, God
is seento be available for the believer in difficult times—evenin the night. In
Psalm77, God is shown as a true deliverer, as is evident in the well--
documented historic record of Israel’s exodus out of Egypt. In the combined
Psalm42-43, Godis revealedas the giver of songs in the night as well as being
the believer’s rock of defense and savior. Moreover, whenone has a strong
desire for the presence of the Lord, it can perhaps result in the accompanying
joy of music, perhaps even in the ministry of singing or playing to the praise
of God. In Isaiah 30, we noted the combined force of music and God as
Israel’s deliverer. It is a reality that will extend into his people’s future.
Indeed, Israel will then enjoy such happiness that it will be like those festival
times when singing and playing in praise of “the Rock who shelters Israel”
(Isa. 30:29). In all of this the importance of night as an opportunity for special
worship should not be overlooked.
Nighttime continued to be an occasionfor worship into New Testamenttimes.
On some occasionsthe Lord Jesus is recordedas having spent the night in
prayer (cf. Matt. 14:23; 26:26-36). Onone occasionPaulspoke to the gathered
throng at Troas throughout the night (Acts 20:7-11). At yet another occasion
Paul and Silas, who had been put in jail for their witness concerning Jesus
Christ, “About midnight … were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
rest of the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). It was to bring
spectacularresults (Acts 16:26-34). We have noted the central importance of
divine deliverance in the Old Testamentexamples of singing in the night.
Underlying all of the New Testamenttimes of worship, of course, is one

crucial truth: Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiahand our Lord, is the Savior of
mankind.
Although the term savior, referring to Jesus Christ, fills the pages of our
hymnbooks, interestingly enough it was not applied to Him often in the earlier
portions of the New Testament. To be sure, the term was used at the
announcements concerning His Birth, first to Joseph(“Thoushall call his
name Jesus,” Matt. 1:21—Jesus meaning Joshua, “Godis salvation”), and
then to the shepherds (Luke 2:11), but after that it is found only rarely until
later. It was the confessionofthe people at Samaria who believed in Jesus
(John 4:42). It was the testimony of Peter(Acts 5:31) and Paul (Acts 13:23) on
scatteredoccasions in the early days of the church’s expansion. However, not
until the seventhdecade (A.D. 60-69)did the term come into greatuse.
Significantly, God’s timing was just right. Rome groanedunder Nero (A.D.
54-68), whose ever-increasing madness causedthe whole Roman Empire to
look for a deliverer from his oppressiveness. The Jews, too, severely
persecutedby the Romans and in imminent danger of losing Jerusalem,
increasinglycried out for a savior. Ironically, the Savior had come!By His
death and ResurrectionHe had effectedman’s salvationonce and for all (1
Cor. 15:3-5). To a world crying for a deliverer, the apostles introduced Jesus
Christ, God’s Son, the Savior.
The main thrust of the early Christian messagehadbeen to Jews and
accordinglythe chief emphasis had been on the messiahshipof Jesus (e.g.,
Acts 2:36). Now, as the mission to the Gentiles moved on in full force even to
Rome itself, the New Testamentwriters of that seventh decade employed the
term that God had prepared the world to receive—Savior. In his Prison
Epistles, Paul points out that Jesus is the Savior of the church, His body, for
whom He gave His all (Eph. 5:22-27). He reminds the Philippian Christians
that this Savioris coming againto secure the believers’full and final
deliverance (Phil. 3:20-21). In his PastoralEpistles, Paulspeaks frequently of
Jesus the Savior. Togetherwith the Father, Christ is the source of grace,
mercy, and peace (Titus 1:4). He is the source of a holy and productive life
both now and forever(2 Tim. 1:8-10). Because Jesus is the believer’s Savior,
those who have acceptedHim have entered into the family of God and have a
present hope of eternal life and heirship with Christ (Titus 3:4-6). Yes, Jesus

Christ is the greatSavior who offers the Christian an abundant and fruitful
life in this presentage and who is coming againsoonto receive him unto
Himself (Titus 2:11-14).
Peteralso reminds his readers that Christ is the Savior. That Saviorhas
provided equality of redemption for all who receive Him by faith (2 Peter1:1-
4). Peterreminds the believer that he has been delivered from the pollution of
this world by Christ the Savior(2 Peter2:20) and given an “entrance...
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ” (2 Peter1:11). He challengesChristians to get into the Scriptures, Old
and New, and to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge ofour Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ” (2 Peter3:1-2, 18).
Today’s world still longs for deliverance. Yet, God’s messageis plain: the
Deliverer, Christ the Savior, has come. He offers to all men everywhere the
promise of full salvationfrom the bondage of sin and a rich and rewarding life
that stretches out to all eternity, lived in union with the Savior.
Application
The realization that Christ is our personalSaviorshould make us long for
God with all of our heart. The knowledge thatmusic is an important element
in our worship experience should encourage us to make use of it even in our
nighttime worship. Indeed, as we have seen, music whether in singing or
playing or both, canbring real joy. This is not strange when we understand
that God himself is the author of music.
In Psalm 40:3 David claims that it is God who “put a new song in my mouth”
(RSV). Alongside the image of God as lawgiver, therefore, we should place the
image of God as musical composer(Deut31:9). He is also a performer: his
heart “moans for Moablike a flute” (Jer 48:36 RSV), and he exults over Zion
“with loud singing” (Zeph 3:17 RSV).27
Accordingly, as Paul admonished the Colossianbelievers,
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another
with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in
your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the

Jesus was often in the night

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