The midnight hour in the bible is much more than just a song or hymn that cause people to forget about what is going on around them. Most people relate the midnight hour to bad experiences in their lives.People often speak of Paul and Silas, relating to their persecutions, and I concur that Paul and Silas dealt with more than their fair share of maltreatment. However, this story is about more than just persecution. It is also about more than a prayer and a hymn. It is about God being glorified and people being set free!
In Acts 16:16-34, as we read about this midnight hour, it actually begin in broad daylight, when a woman with a spirit of divination was following Paul and Silas speaking things about them that were true, yet from a wrong spirit.
The woman had been salved by satan, and by human masters who used her for personal gain. When Paul was grieved over this woman's estate, he turned and commanded the Spirit of divination out of her, and it left her that same hour.
Once those who had been master over her, found that she was free of this diviners spirit, they were enraged, and called the magistrates together and brought railing accusations against Paul and Silas.
At this point the magistrates were troubled because of the multitude, and ordered Paul and Silas to be beaten and thrown into prison. There the jailer was ordered to keep them bound and secured in the cell. Upon this order, the jailer took Paul and Silas to the inner prison, binding their feet in fetters.
But instead of murmuring, complaining or whining, Paul and Silas being to pray and sing praise. They made their voice heard in the prison. They had just had lemons and now they were about to have their lemonade.
The Prisoners heard them lifting their voices to God, then the earth begin to shake, the doors begin to open, bands begin to come loose, and the prison guards begin to wake from their sleep.
The guard was so alarmed at what he saw now that he was awake, was ready to kill himself. But Paul and Silas stopped him.
The very man who was to keep Paul and Silas secure in the prison, turned to the aid of them and was gloriously saved and baptized, he and his entire house.
Later when the magistrates were going to send Paul and Silas away. They refused to go, until they were justified and cleared of their said wrongs.
Once this happened, they departed and went to the house of Lydia (to the young church). After this occurrence, the church grew and was honored.
So the midnight hour was much more than persecutions with a prayer and a song. The light afflictions of the apostles had turned to a much larger weight of glory.
- Prisoners experienced God and were loosed of their bands.
- A man known to hold Christians in bondage, was saved and baptized along with his entire family.
- The Christian name was cleared and the church grew and was honored.
The Midnight hour had came years prior in Moses Day too, and can be read about in Ex. 11 & 12. Moses had previously obeyed God and gone to Pharaoh about letting His people go, and the Pharaoh would not set the children free. Therefore, God told Moses, "At midnight, I will pass through the land."
The midnight hour had came, and it was going to work for the good of those who loved God and were called according to his purposes. Things all around the people of God was about to look really bleak and bad, but it was working to their good end. The bleak and bad could not touch the children, but it was doing a major work against their enemy. This midnight hour was working to free the people, so they could get moving toward the promised land.
- It is funny how people see every thing in the negative, instead of the light of God's love working on their behalf.
The children were never told to look at all that would be going on that night. No they were ordered to get in the house and keep the blood applied.
The blood would cause all the evil to pass from them, and soon be the way of their release into what God had said belonged to them.
The next time you seem to be in a midnight hour remember:
- God is working some things out for your good.
- Look beyond the pain, the shame, the light affliction and count it all joy.
- Knowing that souls are about to be saved.
- People are about to experience God, be loosed and freed.
- The church is about to grow and be given a place of honor!
God has made a distinction, between us and the World.
