Death Valley ∙

Death Valley ∙∙

It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight. – Job 10:22

Psalms 23:4 Even when I walk through the valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, within the northern Mojave Desert. At 282 feet below sea level, it boasts the lowest elevation in North America.

Known as one of the hottest places on Earth, Death Valley recorded an astonishing high temperature of 134°F at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. This is the highest ambient air temperature ever measured at the Earth’s surface.

The highest ground surface temperature ever recorded on Earth was 201.0°F in Death Valley on July 15, 1972.

In 2001, Death Valley experienced 154 consecutive days with maximum temperatures of 100°F or above. In 1996, there were 105 days exceeding 110°F and 40 days surpassing 120°F.

When we receive His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord, the Father invites us into a walk of faith. This lifelong journey leads us through various spiritual and emotional landscapes. We encounter mountaintops with breathtaking views and times of joy, enrichment, and encouragement. Yet, we also experience deep, dark valleys. Every child of the King traverses valleys of dark shadows. Our time in the mountains seems all too brief. But our times in the valleys seem entirely too long. Why does the Father lead His children into and through valleys?

A valley is a place of purging, purification, and renewal. The Father “draws us through valleys in order to remove every habit, thought pattern, or external crutch that we use instead of trusting Him – those suddenly seem inadequate in the low places” (Stanley).

When you stand on a mountaintop, it’s effortless to feel the Father’s embrace and revel in the assurance of His love. The heights offer serene vistas and a delightful closeness to the Father. However, it is in the valleys where true self-discovery unfolds. It is there that we get to know ourselves as we truly are. We unearth the surprising joy of His presence and the certainty of His promises. Without the valleys, we would never delve into the deep recesses of our own souls. More importantly, we begin to dig into the uppermost layers of the infinite depth of our Heavenly Father. This journey will continue throughout eternity, forever revealing new facets of His boundless being without ever reaching an end.

“You don’t really know who you are until you have gone through suffering. We can measure our spiritual growth by the way we behave under pressure” (Welch).

“Believers can shout, ‘I trust God’ from the mountain because they have learned to live by faith in the valley. Walking in the shadow of evil is difficult and frightening work. But when we surrender to whatever the Lord has to teach us in this dark place, our spirit is quieted, and our faith is strengthened” (Stanley).

REFLECT & PRAY

“Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness” (Welch).

Father, thank You for the mountains and thank You for the valleys.

INSIGHT

King David encountered numerous skirmishes and death throughout his life, and each time, he emerged victorious. Which peril does Psalm 23 refer to? Could it have been when Saul relentlessly pursued him, seeking his life? Perhaps it was during Absalom’s defiant rebellion that David was forced to flee as his son seized the throne. Maybe it refers to his days as a shepherd defending his flock from lions and bears or the momentous clash with Goliath.

The exact event remains uncertain. What we do know is that it was a period fraught with dire danger and the looming threat of death. The Hebrew term translated as “shadow of death” is tsalmavet, appearing only 18 times in the Old Testament. Historically, it’s understood as a compound noun derived from “tsal” (shadow) and “mavet” (death), invoking images of darkness, fear, dread, and extreme peril. Implicit in this term are notions of sorrow, deep distress, suspense, and gloom.

A previously unknown Semitic language was discovered in the 1920s at modern-day Ras Shamra in Syria. The ancient city was called Ugarit, and the language was Ugaritic. It is closely related to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician. It provides Semitic scholars valuable insights into the ancient Near East’s language, culture, religion, and mythology.

A similar Ugaritic expression is translated simply as dark shadows. The word “death” is omitted. Thus, many modern translations avoid using the word “death.” For example, GECL uses “dark valley,” Weiser refers to “the valley of deep darkness,” FRCL says “the dark valley,” and SPCL opts for “the darkest of all valleys. The term itself doesn’t strictly signify death; however, a dark valley is inherently perilous and fraught with danger. Regardless of the most appropriate translation, the expression symbolizes deep darkness, severe danger, and mortal peril.

This usage is echoed in the Hebrew of Job 10:22.

 Job 10:22  The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness.”

David faced the darkest of all valleys. Was he overwhelmed by the shadows and gloom? Did anguish, despair, or perhaps depression consume him? Absolutely not! He knew he was under the Father’s protection. This knowledge gave him the courage, confidence, and strength to prevail. His courage in the face of mortal danger has undoubtedly inspired countless individuals through the millennia.

Every child of the King encounters dark and depressive times. David is our brother in faith; his Father is our Father. His serene confidence can be our serene confidence. Each of us can declare with absolute assurance: “He restores my soul; He renews my strength.”

“How does He do this? He restores our souls through fellowship with Himself. Even though, at times we stray far from Him, He remains the Good Shepherd. Though we wander, He receives us back gladly and willingly pardons His wayward sheep” (Stanley).

No matter how dark the valley is, there is always light on the other side.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn journeyed through numerous valleys of dark shadows throughout his life. In February 1945, after valiantly serving in the Red Army during World War II, Solzhenitsyn’s path took a perilous turn when he was arrested for penning disparaging remarks about Joseph Stalin. This act of dissent led to an eight-year sentence in a brutal labor camp. Upon his release, he faced the additional hardship of being condemned to internal exile for life.

A Russian Jew by heritage, Solzhenitsyn’s harrowing experiences in the gulags ignited a profound spiritual awakening. Drawn inexorably towards the light of Christianity, he embraced the faith with a contemplative heart, evolving into a philosophically-minded Eastern Orthodox Christian.

His profound and transformative journey is meticulously chronicled in the fourth part of his monumental work, The Gulag Archipelago. Through this narrative, Solzhenitsyn’s conversion and philosophical insights are laid bare, offering readers a window into the soul of a man who found unwavering strength and purpose amidst the bleakest circumstances. “The Soul and Barbed Wire.” The book was written between 1958 and 1968 and was first published in 1973.

He wrote of his time in the dark valleys, where I nourished my soul, and I say without hesitation: “Bless you, prison, for having been in my life!” (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn).

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© Dr. H 2024