19, 20. What occurrence in the days of Moses reminds us of the world we live in today, and how can we personally be blessed as a result of practicing the truth by observing Jehovah’s commandments?

¹⁹ Herein, then, we find some of the ways we can practice the truth and observe God’s commandments in these days of total darkness upon the people as a result of the blinding of the minds of the people by Satan, so that the glorious good news about the Christ might not shine through. While the darkness of the world grows more dense, the light of truth from the Word of God grows brighter. It reminds us of the days of Moses when the Israelites were down in Egypt in slavery. The ninth plague, or blow, against the hardhearted Pharaoh of Egypt was that of a thick darkness upon the land. We learn about it in these words: “Moses immediately stretched his hand out toward the heavens, and a gloomy darkness began to occur in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, and none of them got up from his own place three days; but for all the sons of Israel there proved to be light in their dwellings.”​—Ex. 10:22, 23.

²⁰ We are living in momentous times, and while the world gropes in darkness, not knowing the way out, the light of truth from the God of light and his light of the world, the Lord Jesus, shines brilliantly. How appropriate that we regularly consider what it means to all of us to practice the truth and to continue observing God’s commandments, walking in the light. What that means for the days ahead is stated in these words of the apostle John: “However, if we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light, we do have a sharing with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Let us be thankful for our union with the God of light, in whom there is no darkness at all.

1. What benefit does Jehovah’s spiritual light provide with respect to the bad practices of this world?

LIGHT makes a person cheerful. We are delighted, after a dark night, to see the dawn. In a spiritual sense, those who follow Jehovah’s ways are enjoying light and reflect it to others. (Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5) This kind of light, which reveals the unfruitful works of darkness, makes these bad things, hidden as stumbling blocks in the darkness of this world, appear as clearly as if they themselves lighted up, so that the person seeking to do what is right can avoid them.​—Eph. 5:13.