The document discusses three aspects of existence: the dark night, the smoking furnace, and the burning lamp. The dark night represents spiritual darkness and is a time when shepherds and fishermen work. The smoking furnace attracts people like a flame and represents hell, Egypt, and purification through affliction. However, it can also lead to failure. The burning lamp is God's word, which provides guidance and exposes wickedness. It requires maintenance from believers but its light is quenched in the wicked.

1. Three Aspects Of Existence
Text: Gen 15:17
There are three elements to our text:
 A dark night
 A smoking furnace
 A burning lamp
God visits his people at night.
1Kgs 3:5
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by
night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Ps 17:3
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the
night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am
purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

2. I. The Dark Night
A.Spiritual darkness
Rom 1:21-22
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Eph 5:8
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in
the Lord: walk as children of light:
Col 1:13
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Isa 60:2
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee,
and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
B.Shepherds
Gen 31:40
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the
frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

3. Luke 2:8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in
the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
C.Fishermen
Luke 5:5
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless
at thy word I will let down the net.
John 21:3
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto
him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered
into a ship immediately; and that night they caught
nothing.
D. Stumbling
John 11:9-10
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If
any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he
seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the
night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

4. II. The Smoking Furnace
There are only two lights in this world of darkness: a
Furnace and a lamp.
The most obvious attraction is the furnace.
A.Lot
Like a moth to a flame, Lot was enticed to the furnace of
Sodom and Gomorah.
Gen 19:28
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward
all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of
the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
B.Hell
Matt 13:42
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matt 13:50
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Rev 9:2
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a
smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and

5. the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke
of the pit.
C.Egypt
Deut 4:20
But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out
of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a
people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
1Kgs 8:51
For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou
broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the
furnace of iron:
Jer 11:4
Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought
them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace,
saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all
which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will
be your God:
D. Purification
Isa 48:10
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have
chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

6. Failure in the fire
Ezek 22:18
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all
they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of
the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
E.Fellowship
Rev 1:15
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a
furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Dan 3:25
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in
the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form
of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Men that are deceived by the furnace hate the lamp.
Job 12:4-5
4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon
God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is
laughed to scorn. 5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is
as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

7. III. The Burning Lamp
A.God’s Word the Guide
Ps 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
2Pet 1:19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto
ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in
a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in
your hearts:
Prov6:23
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and
reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
2Sam 22:29
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten
my darkness.
Ps 18:28
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will
enlighten my darkness.

8. A.Is judgment on the darkness of this world
Rev 8:10
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star
from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon
the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of
waters;
B.Requires constant maintenance
Matt 25:7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
C.Is a tattletale
Prov20:27
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all
the inward parts of the belly.
D. Wise Rulers
2Sam 21:17
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote
the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware
unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to
battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

9. E.Ministers
John 5:35
He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing
for a season to rejoice in his light.
F.Wicked Men
Job 18:5-6
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the
spark of his fire shall not shine. 6 The light shall be dark in
his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
Job 21:17
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft
cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth
sorrows in his anger.
Prov13:9
The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the
wicked shall be put out.
G. Wicked Children
Prov20:20
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be
put out in obscure darkness.

10. Three Aspects Of Existence
Text: Gen 15:17
I. The Dark Night
A. Spiritual darkness
Rom 1:21-22
Eph 5:8
Col 1:13
Isa 60:2
B. Shepherds
Gen 31:40
Luke 2:8
C. Fishermen
Luke 5:5
John 21:3
D. Stumbling
John 11:9-10
II. The Smoking Furnace
A. Lot
Gen 19:28
B. Hell
Matt 13:42

11. Matt 13:50
Rev 9:2
C. Egypt
Deut 4:20
1Kgs 8:51
Jer 11:4
D. Purification
Isa 48:10
Failure in the fire
Ezek 22:18
E. Fellowship
Rev 1:15
Dan 3:25
Job 12:4-5
III. The Burning Lamp
A. God’s Word the Guide
Ps 119:105
2Pet 1:19
Prov 6:23
2Sam 22:29
Ps 18:28
A. Is judgment on the darkness of this world
Rev 8:10

12. B. Requires constant maintenance
Matt 25:7
C. Is a tattletale
Prov 20:27
D. Wise Rulers
2Sam 21:17
E. Ministers
John 5:35
F. Wicked Men
Job 18:5-6
Job 21:17
Prov 13:9
G. Wicked Children
Prov 20:20