Darkness on SermonAudio

This week we will be covering the story of Jephthah and his infamous "vow" in Judges 11. There are a few places in Judges that the irony is quite on-the-nose, and Jephthah's vow is one example. Jephthah makes a rash vow, one that harms his daughter (his only child), one that ends his family line, and one that offends God. But consider the gloriously-different example of Christ: the One offered up for sins based on God's eternal wisdom, the only-begotten Son of God given for sinners, the One who gives life and freedom to many sons and daughters, the One who honored and glorified God in His sacrifice. And even more glorious, that grace of our Lord was extended even to Jephthah, even as God extends that grace to sinners today. Sin is dark, but Christ is glorious.

This sermon was preached on November 8, 2026 at Antioch Presbyterian Church, a congregation of Calvary Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Woodruff, South Carolina. Pastor Zachary Groff preached this sermon entitled "The Ark of the Covenant" on Exodus 25:10-22. For more information about Antioch Presbyterian Church, please visit ⁠antiochpca.com⁠ or contact us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected].

This sermon explores the tension between human suffering and divine sovereignty through the lens of Job 23, highlighting three key confessions: that God hides, knows, and designs. The speaker emphasizes that while God may withdraw His sensible presence during trials, He remains fully aware of the believer's path and heart, refining them like gold through the fire of affliction. By contrasting Job's struggle with the certainty of Christ's resurrection, the message affirms that God's sovereign purposes are not frustrated by darkness or pain. The central assurance is that although believers may not understand God's hidden hand, they can trust in His perfect character and the ultimate victory of the risen Savior over death and despair.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in....

Job 23:1-17

You cannot focus on both Christ and the world; double vision blinds the heart. If you would see clearly, you must set your mind on Christ, the light of the world.