Job 24:16    In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light.

   

Sometimes the Bible makes simple comment on the ways of sinful man. This is one such comment. There is knowledge of mankind behind this comment in Job. It is the same assessment that John made in his Gospel: “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (Jn 3:19 -21) and it is a challenge to each one of us.

 

Have you ever done something wrong, sneakily when no one was watching? That is our tendency, to do wrong if we can get away with it. Speeding on the roads is the classic example of this. We disregard speed limits until suddenly there are speed cameras on the side of the road recording our transgressions. But the point is, we speed if we can get away with it. This is Job's point. This sinfulness in us means that in the dark when they think they cannot be seen, men break into houses. When it's daytime such men shrink away from the daylight, for they are night-time people, those who thrive in the dark but feel exposed in the light. John pointed out that Jesus came bringing light but men shied away from him because their sinful hearts preferred darkness. Have we put to death that sneaky tendency or is it still there waiting to lead us astray?