198
The Desire of Ages
“The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali,
Toward the sea, beyond Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
The people which sat in darkness
Saw a great light,
And to them which sat in the region and shadow
of death,
To them did light spring up.” R. V.
Beside the throng on the shores of Gennesaret, Jesus in His sermon
by the sea had other audiences before His mind. Looking down the
ages, He saw His faithful ones in prison and judgment hall, in temp-
tation and loneliness and affliction. Every scene of joy and conflict
and perplexity was open before Him. In the words spoken to those
gathered about Him, He was speaking also to these other souls the
very words that would come to them as a message of hope in trial, of
comfort in sorrow, and heavenly light in darkness. Through the Holy
Spirit, that voice which was speaking from the fisherman’s boat on the
Sea of Galilee, would be heard speaking peace to human hearts to the
close of time.
The discourse ended, Jesus turned to Peter, and bade him launch
out into the sea, and let down his net for a draught. But Peter was
disheartened. All night he had taken nothing. During the lonely hours
he had thought of the fate of John the Baptist, who was languishing
alone in his dungeon. He had thought of the prospect before Jesus and
His followers, of the ill success of the mission to Judea, and the malice
of the priests and rabbis. Even his own occupation had failed him;
and as he watched by the empty nets, the future had seemed dark with
discouragement. “Master,” he said, “we have toiled all the night, and
have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.”
[246]
Night was the only favorable time for fishing with nets in the clear
waters of the lake. After toiling all night without success, it seemed
hopeless to cast the net by day; but Jesus had given the command,
and love for their Master moved the disciples to obey. Simon and his
brother together let down the net. As they attempted to draw it in, so
great was the quantity of fish enclosed that it began to break. They
were obliged to summon James and John to their aid. When the catch