Joseph Prince - God Also Gives Victory In The Night
This is an excerpt from: Answers For Dark Nights And Difficult Seasons
God gives victory songs and victory in the night. So, if you're going through a night season, look out for the victory. I said, look out for the victory. You know that there was a time Israel was surrounded by the Assyrian army, and the king was King Senncharib. He just conquered Lachish, and King Hezekiah was behind the walls, and he knew he was outnumbered. Assyrian army was brutal, they were wicked. If ever you go to London, go visit the British Museum. I love to go in a particular area, the Bible area.
Ask the reception where the biblical areas are and the Assyrian, especially the relief of Lachish because what happened was that many years ago, they uncovered the palace of Senncharib, the king of Assyria. And wall to wall, ceiling to floor, there is this relief all around, and they took it and brought it to the British Museum, amen. It shows Lachish being conquered by King Senncharib. Literally, you can see the faces of the Jewish people during Hezekiah's time. But these people are not under Hezekiah, all right, they were far away. They are, in fact, at that time rebellious against God. King Hezekiah, but you can see the Jewish people, how their hairstyle was like, their beard. And in the British...
I'm gonna show you a picture real quick just to excite you. Can you see this? This is the British Museum. You go real close, you'll find them being tortured. Can you see the Assyrian army on the left, the pointed had tearing their, skinning their feet until the bones are exposed, skinning them. When the bones are exposed, they break the bones, and those that are doing that to are Jewish people. This is the relief of Lachish, and show them another picture. These are the hairstyle and the beard of the Jewish people as they march in captivity. Behind them are the Assyrian army. This is found in Senncharib's palace. Look up here, but you know something? In his palace, there's no Jerusalem being conquered. You know why? Because the Bible says that this happen, listen, before I show it to you, is found in your Bible. Read your Bible, okay? I got no time to tell you, okay?
Now, this is in 2 Kings somewhere where it tells you that King Senncharib, after conquering Lachish, he came to Jerusalem and he said Lachish fell. All the nations around have fallen, can their gods deliver them? Can your God deliver you? And the Bible says that King Hezekiah took the trap, the letter that he sent, the email that he sent, and they spread it before the Lord. And he says, "Lord, we have no might. Look at this, Lord, behold his threatening. But Lord". And he says this, "Lord who dwell between the wings of the cherubim, spare your people, show yourself strong". And the Bible says this happened that night. "It came to pass on a certain night, the angel the Lord went out and killed in the camp of Assyrians, hundred and eighty-five thousand". That was nighttime. On a certain night, the victory came, amen. When the people arose early in the morning, all dead.
You sleep, the threatening is strong, loud and clear. The roaring of the lion is loud. You wake up, silence, all your enemies, dead, one night. That's why, that's why when you go to the British Museum, wall to wall in his palace is all about Lachish. And that's all because he was so, the Bible says, with shamefacedness, or he was so shameful when he left, his men all died. He came back with a few men. He was so shameful that he built his wall based on one victory, Lachish, but there's no Jerusalem. You know what happened when he went back? Because of the shame that he brought, his own sons assassinated him. By the way, the British Museum you can see the face of Senncharib sitting on the... you can't see the face. His face has been defaced by somebody I don't know who is it, right? But you see a man sitting on the throne, that's Senncharib.
You see, you don't say that the Bible has been proven true. No, the Bible is always true. Archaeologists are catching up, amen. And I think of archaeologists, amen, they look for old things and, you know, clear the dust but it's not because of archaeology, I believe the Bible, amen. By the way, ladies, if you're gonna marry someone who appreciate you more and more as you grow older, marry an archaeologist. The older things are, the more they appreciate, you know? And not only that, God can also give a sleepless night. Sometimes God give a sleepless night.
I had times where I prepared a sermon, for example, amen. I need to sleep, but if God does this, he's always very kind, amen. He'll make sure that I have supernatural rest. There are times I prepare my sermon, I prepare really well and all that, but in the morning, or in the middle of night, God wakes me up, which is the morning already, right, like in between is morning, isn't it, 3 a.m., 4 a.m., it's still morning, isn't it? So, he wakes me up and I'm fresh. I'm like, "Whoa, what happened, Lord"? And I realized that it's not that kind of depressive kind of waking. I realize I feel fresh, and I know it's the Lord. What is it, Lord? "Change your sermon".
Now, I have learned never to tell him or to tell him things like, "Why didn't you tell me yesterday"? Never, you know? He's the boss. He must have had a reason. Maybe he wants me to be on my toes in my faith, amen? But he always has a reason. And when I changed that sermon, wow, it is amazing. By the way, the little rest I had that morning, he will always compensate. The strength will be there, the five loaves and two fish hours of sleep is multiplied. I said, it's multiplied. So, in your night season, he comes to visit you. He comes to visit you. And this tells us also, personally, a personal visitation, not only angels are active so that you don't have to be afraid for the terror by night. You don't have to be afraid for the terror by night, amen.
Notice the terror comes by night. The arrow flies by day, the fiery darts, but the terror, usually it's at night. You know, you don't have to be afraid, for he gives his angels charge over you. Not only that, he himself comes to you. I told you just now, there are visitations. There are moments like the lover comes to the bride, amen? And you need to flow with him when you know he's coming to you. He never leaves you, nor forsake you but the sense of his presence, you can feel a sense of his, like his absence. When you're in a relationship you can tell. He never leaves you, understand that, but there are times if you say, no, no, no, I want to watch this program. No, no, no, I'm busy. No, no, no, there comes a time that you go to the Word and you open up, and it's not talking to you. You missed that moment, doesn't mean he left you. He's not punishing you. This is called the dynamics of love, amen, right?
If you're wooing someone and they don't pay attention, pullback, amen. Don't keep on, that's Chinese for like, you know, don't keep on, you know, pushing yourself. Guys, girls, the same thing. The guy is chasing you, you are attracted because you are chase-able. Don't turn around and start chasing him, amen? Even the Lord, the Lord says, the Bible says in Song of Songs he says, "My love, my undefiled". You know, he wants fellowship, she doesn't want. Then later on, she lie down there she say, "Okay, I think I'm ready now for fellowship", okay? She opens the door, he's not there. The Lord knows how to stir our passion, he know how to stir us back for him. Or sometimes he will show people that are in love with him, people that have experienced fresh relationship, and we start feeling envious. It's still the Lord pulling you, drawing you. Can I have a good amen?
The Bible says Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fish, and I can show you exactly where it happened. Today after I, you know, the Lord gave it to me actually many years ago and today, even the guides, the Jewish guides in Israel are saying that's the location. It's at Mount Arbel, the area of Mount Arbel. And I can tell you why, even how the Lord said to me that there was a place, not just the Lord spoke to me, but I can prove to you from the Bible that there's a place location. After Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish, they collected the 12 basketful, he went up the mountain. It was a mountain, and the only mountain in that area is Mount Arbel. And he sent his disciples down to Bethsaida. He went into a boat while he sent the multitudes away.
How he did it, I don't know, but he sent the multitudes away. And he went up to the mountain to pray, his disciples were already in the Lake of Galilee on their way to the destination, Bethsaida. And the Bible says nighttime came, and he looked for Mount Arbel. How many been in Mount Arbel? It's beautiful, isn't it? He looked down at Mount Arbel, and he saw the disciples, they were rowing, and rowing, and rowing, for the wind was contrary to them. And the more it's like three, you say three feet forward, two feet backwards, two steps backwards, right? You know what I'm saying? It's like every time you go forward, you go back even more. You go forward, you go back.
The wind was contrary to them. And sometimes you feel like your life is like that. You know, you do your best, but it seems like there are forces, every wind of doctrine. And even demons are wind-like spirit, you know, and the word there is wind. They come against you, and you feel like there's a resistance there. You can't explain it, but there's a resistance. You can't reach your destination. Jesus is watching. Jesus is watching. From Mount Arbel, he saw them in the middle of the sea, the Bible says. He saw them, and he saw them rowing, toiling, for the wind was contrary to them. And Jesus came down to where they were, and he walked on the water. He came down the mountain and then it's the lake, right? He started walking on the water, right to the deepest part. They were in the middle of the sea, that's where they were. He came to them, and when did he come to them? The Holy Spirit mentions this detail. When did he come to them?
Look at this, "Now in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them walking on the sea". In the fourth watch, now the fourth watch, look up here. The Jewish timings are based on watches, they call it, okay? There are four watches in the night, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the first watch facing you, okay, got it? Okay, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the first watch, 9 p.m. to midnight, second watch, midnight to 3 a.m. third watch, 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., it's darkest before dawn. In the darkest time of your life, Jesus will come to you. He'll come to you in a way that you never expected. They never saw him walk on the water before.
In fact, one gospel says they were afraid. In fact, down here also they say, "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled saying, 'It is a ghost,' and they cried out for fear". These are seasoned fishermen, amen? They never saw that before. They saw a figure in the dark in the night season. And understand this, in the night season, even when the Lord reaches out to you, victory is reaching out to you. Deliverance is reaching out to you. Your first reaction might be you're afraid because it's not the same kind of form that you're used to. But it is victory. It is Jesus. The very thing they were afraid of, he was walking on. They were afraid of being under, they saw him over. And Jesus immediately, when he heard their fear, immediately, he said, "Be of good cheer". In Hebrew, Ani Hu, "I Am". Your English Bible says, "It is I". Actually Ani Hu means, I Am.
Does that sound familiar? "I Am", the Lord over the waves that's the psalmist talk about. The Lord above your troubles, the Lord on high is high above all, amen? Ani Hu, I Am. The Bible says, he says, "Do not be afraid". Ani Hu, altera. He's always saying altera, fear not, in our darkest seasons. Don't be afraid. Do you notice the refrain? Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. He comes to you, amen. There are seasons where the Lord personally comes to you. Angels come to you, amen, and it's your night season. And even right now, some of you have received a bad diagnosis from the doctor, and the doctor say some things about your body, just found out about it.
And right now, you know, you're struggling with this diagnosis, and you're afraid of the future. All right, don't be afraid, he's coming to you, even at this time, more than any other time, amen. He's coming to you, amen? One of the things, if you're going through the night season, okay listen, there are two things instituted by God in the night season for Israel and for the church. Number one, in the night season, God instituted a night to be remembered by the turn of Israel. It was the Passover. And that night, they ate the roasted lamb. The blood was on the doorpost, they ate the roasted lamb. The Bible says that Jesus himself, in the night that he was betrayed, he took bread, amen? And he says, "Take, eat, this is my body". On the same night that he was betrayed, he was going through his own night season, amen.
When you're going through your night season, one the best things you can do as well, all right, is to partake of the Lord's Supper. Even if you're doing it two three times a day, doesn't matter, it's a night season for you. Partake, as you partake, think of the Lord loving you. Don't think of you bringing the elements to the Lord. Think of you receiving the elements from the Lord, and these are gifts of love.