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“Things To Do At Midnight”
Things To Do At Midnight
Wade Webster
Many cities in our country are described as places that never sleep because individuals come and go all hours of the night. Although Bible times were different, many events still took place in the middle of the night. For example, consider the following:
- God smote the firstborn of Egypt at midnight (Ex. 12:29).
- Boaz awoke at midnight to find his future wife Ruth resting at his feet (Ruth 3:8).
- Samson carried off the gates of a city (Judg. 16:3).
- An unnamed woman who had accidentally smothered her own son in her sleep awoke at midnight and stole another woman's son (1 Kings 3:20).
- Sailors that were with Paul on a doomed voyage to Rome thought that they spotted land (Acts 27:27).
Although these inspired stories are worthy of study, I want us to focus on a few other midnight events. The things that we are going to study were so pressing that individuals didn't wait unto the next day to get them done.
David Gave Thanks To God
In the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm, we find these words, "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments" (Psa. 119:62). If you are familiar with the Psalms, then you know that David wrote many psalms of thanksgiving (Psa. 103:2; 116:12). In spite of the many times that He had given God thanks, David felt the need to arise at midnight and do so again. If you have ever tried to get up during the night to do something, you know how hard it is to do so. Clearly, you can see David's devotion. Perhaps, he wanted a time when his mind was fresh and when the hustle and bustle of the palace wouldn't interrupt him.
An Unnamed Man Helped A Friend
Jesus, the master teacher, in explaining the kinds of gifts that God gives His children, told of a friend who was awakened during the night by a friend in need. We read, "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth" (Lk. 11:5-8). Although no one likes to be awakened by a knock on the door in the middle of the night, if it were truly an emergency, a friend would arise to help his friend. After all, a friend "loveth at all times’ (Prov. 17:17; cf. 18:24).
The Five Wise Virgins Met The Bridegroom
No doubt, you recall the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt. 25:1-13). In the parable, five of the virgins were wise and five were foolish. The wise had extra oil with them and the foolish did not. All ten of the virgins slumbered and slept while the bridegroom tarried until the call went out "at midnight" that the bridegroom was coming. The wise virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps but the foolish virgins did not have any oil to do so. As you recall, while the foolish virgins were gone to buy more oil, the bridegroom came and the door was shut. Only those who were ready, the wise virgins, were able to enter in (Mt. 25:10-12).
Paul & Silas Prayed & Sang Praises
In the sixteenth chapter of Acts, Luke, the inspired historian of the early years of the church, recorded the imprisonment of Paul and Silas at Philippi. He records that "at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God" (Acts 16:25). These two great missionaries weren't having a pity party, they were having a prayer meeting. Furthermore, they weren't singing the blues, they were singing praises. What a great attitude they possessed. Even though they had been wrongfully beaten and imprisoned, they hadn't turned against God. They continued to trust Him and to praise Him. Even at midnight, when others were in bed, they were still up praying and singing.
The Saints At Troas Studied God's Word
As Paul made his way toward Jerusalem, he tarried in Troas so that he could be with the early Christians in Troas on the Lord's day. Luke records, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:7). We don't know exactly when Paul started, but we do know how long he continued - until midnight. At midnight Paul drew his sermon to a close. It is safe to say that if Paul was concluding at midnight, that the brethren, maybe with the exception of Eutychus who went to sleep and fell from a window, were still studying God's word.
The Philippian Jailor Was Baptized
As we have already noticed, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God at midnight as they sat in stocks in a Philippian jail. As they were praying and singing, Luke records that "there was a great earthquake" that shook the foundations of the prison, opened the doors, and loosed everyone's bands. As you recall, the jailor believing that the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself when Paul and Silas cried out for him to do himself no harm. The jailor then fell at their feet requesting that they tell him what to do in order to be saved. After they told him to believe, he washed their stripes showing his repentance, and was baptized the same hour of the night (Acts 16:33). Clearly, the jailor had been convicted of his sins and felt the need to immediately have his sins washed away.
As you can see, there are a number of worthy things that you can do at midnight. I believe that you will agree that the things that we have noticed in this lesson are so pressing that they should not be put off until tomorrow.
