Go! And Grieve the Darkness—Until You See the Light - Amos 8:9
Amos 8:9 (NLT) – “In that day,” says the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day.”
Introduction:
Today we step into a moment of divine warning and impending judgement found in the sobering words of the prophet Amos. A prophet sent to a prosperous yet spiritually bankrupt people. Chapter 8 verse 9 captures a terrifying promise: a day when the sun will set at noon, and the earth will be cloaked in darkness in the middle of the day. A supernatural disruption, a divine intervention—not to inspire awe, but to awaken a slumbering people.
This verse is not just an ancient prophecy. It is a spiritual alarm clock. God’s patience has a limit. He does not overlook sin forever. And He loves His people enough to bring correction—even through darkness.
This is a message for us today: Go! And mourn the darkness. Recognise the signs. Turn back to the light of Christ before the night becomes eternal.
Let us examine Amos 8:9 in its context, its fulfilment, and its warning, and may the Holy Spirit bring conviction, clarity, and courage to respond.
Point 1: A Nation Darkened by SinAmos 8:9 (NLT) – “In that day,” says the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day.”
Let us begin with the context. The northern kingdom of Israel was thriving economically but was spiritually bankrupt. In Amos chapter 8, God shows the prophet a vision of a basket of ripe fruit. A metaphor—the nation is ripe for judgement. The people had turned from righteousness, neglected the poor, exploited the weak, and gone through the motions of worship without sincerity.
This verse speaks of a day when even nature will testify against Israel. The sun, a symbol of blessing and guidance, will set at noon—midday, when the sun should be at its highest. The “darkening” is symbolic of grief, judgement, and divine displeasure.
The word translated “darken” is chashak (???????), which means to grow dark, obscure, or hide. It represents more than physical darkness—it speaks of spiritual blindness, despair, or the absence of God’s presence. (See Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10.)
Isaiah 59:2 (NLT) – “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”
When we choose sin over obedience, we walk into spiritual darkness. When we silence the voice of God in our lives, we begin to stumble. Just as Israel did.
Imagine a lighthouse switched off in a storm because the keepers wanted a nap. That is what Israel did—disengaging from their responsibility, turning from God, and pretending that the darkness wouldn’t come.
Where is the light dimming in your life? What compromises have become habits? Is there an area you’ve stopped listening to God’s voice?
Tim Keller once said, “You don’t realise Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” Don’t wait for the light to go out before you look for the Saviour.
Point 2: A Darkness that Foreshadows the CrossAmos 8:9 is more than an isolated prophecy. It is a foreshadowing. A shadow that stretches all the way to Calvary.
The Fulfilment at Calvary:Matthew 27:45 (NLT) – “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.”
This is no coincidence. Amos spoke of a day when the sun would go down at noon. And at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that is precisely what happened. A cosmic darkness descended.
Mark 15:33–35 (NLT) – “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’”
This was not a solar eclipse. The Greek word skotos (s??t??) implies not only physical darkness, but moral and spiritual obscurity. This was the darkness of divine grief and holy judgement.
Imagine standing outside on a clear summer day, and suddenly the skies blacken. Birds fall silent. The air chills. Your instincts tell you—something is not right. That is what happened at Calvary. But it wasn’t nature in revolt—it was the Creator absorbing wrath.
“Jesus was plunged into darkness so that we could be brought into the light.” —Tim Keller
He was forsaken so we could be forgiven.He cried out so we could draw near.He died so we could live.
Isaiah 53:5–6 (NLT) – “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away... Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”
Imagine walking into a courtroom, guilty beyond doubt. But instead of punishment, the judge takes off his robe, stands in your place, and accepts the sentence. That’s what Jesus did. And the sky went dark.
Have you let the gravity of the cross move your heart recently?
John Stott wrote: “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”
Point 3: A Call to Mourn and ReturnAmos 8:10 (NLT) – “I will turn your celebrations into times of mourning and your singing into weeping.”
When the light goes out, the proper response is mourning. Not worldly sorrow, but godly sorrow—the kind that leads to repentance.
The word for mourning here is ’ebel (???) — a deep, heartfelt grief, often linked to death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) – “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.”
Religion without repentance is rebellion disguised.
You can’t clean a wound by putting a plaster over it. You must open it up, clean out the infection, and let healing begin. That is what godly mourning does.
C.S. Lewis once said: “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers in our pleasures... but shouts in our pains.”
Let God’s Word shine a light on the darkness in your heart today. Let mourning lead you to mercy.
Point 4: A Gospel of Light in a World of Shadows
The darkness of Amos 8:9, the darkness of the cross—these aren’t the end of the story. They are the turning point.
John 8:12 (NLT) – “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’”
Jesus doesn’t just point the way to light—He is the Light.
The word phos (f??) signifies purity, truth, and divine revelation.
Ephesians 5:8 (NLT) – “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”
Lighthouses shine to warn and guide, not to condemn. Jesus doesn’t expose our darkness to shame us, but to save us.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The nearer a man lives to God, the more intensely he has to mourn over his own evil heart.”
The Darkness That Brought Light to the WorldIsaiah 9:2 (NLT) “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light...”
The Hebrew word for light here is ‘or (????)—a light that pierces, reveals, and saves.
In the darkness of Good Friday, ‘or broke through.The tomb could not contain the Light.Sin could not extinguish the Light.Death could not overcome the Light.
Are you walking in darkness today? The same Jesus who endured the darkness at Calvary now invites you to step into His light.
Gospel Presentation:
Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, took your place on the cross. He rose again. He offers forgiveness, freedom, and a future full of light.
Romans 10:9 (NLT) – “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Come to the Light. Come to the Saviour. Come to Jesus.
Call to Action: Go! And Mourn the DarknessLet me ask you plainly:
Are you walking in darkness pretending everything is fine?
Are there habits, thoughts, or attitudes in your life that grieve the Spirit of God?
Have you become comfortable with a shallow faith while the light flickers?
Go! And mourn the darkness. But don’t stop there. Turn to the light. Come back to Christ.
What do we do with this?
Examine your heart.
Grieve the darkness.
Go with urgency and carry the Light of Christ.
Live as people of light. Shine the light in your families, your workplaces, your neighbourhoods. Let the world know there is a Saviour who took the darkness for them.
Conclusion:
The cross was no accident. It was prophesied.The darkness was no coincidence. It was God’s righteous judgement.But the Light—the Light is our eternal hope.
Go, and walk in that Light.Go, and tell the world.Go, and live for Jesus!
Invitation to Faith:
If today you’ve realised you’ve been walking in spiritual darkness, come to Jesus.
Pray in your heart:“Lord Jesus, I recognise I’ve walked in darkness. I need Your light. I believe You died for me and rose again. Forgive my sin. Be my Lord, my Saviour, my Light. I choose to follow You from this day forward. Amen.”
