Casting Crowns – Waiting on the Night to Fall (Official Lyric Video)
Waiting on the Night to Fall was conceived from a real-life encounter that Mark Hall had with a former addict in his church. The lyrics address the concept that sin often occurs under the cover of darkness. Whether outside at night or in a secluded room, human begins think that no one is watching as they give into temptation. Unfortunately, the more you give into fleshly desires, the hardest it becomes to break this addiction.
Biblical Application:
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good, Romans 7:7-12.
Exegesis of Waiting on the Night to Fall:
There’s an old man livin’ in the back of your woods tonight
You forgot he was even there, but you’ve never slipped his mind
He’s livin’ off of scraps of you, you never knew you left behind
And as the sun goes down, he rises with a smile
This is either referring to a man recovering from addiction or a source of temptation that you haven’t purged from your life. Stumbling blocks that were never removed. Illustrating the power of addiction, going back time after time.
He’s waiting on the night to fall
The old man’s comin’ to call
But you don’t see the writing on the wall
He’ll never step out in the light
No, he’s just biding time
And while you slumber, he’s gonna come and take it all
He’s waiting on the night to fall
He’s waiting on the night to fall
Symbolic of the demonic influences that exist in an addict’s life. They do fine most of the day, but when they are alone at night, temptation is too strong to resist, falling prey to this spiritual slumber.
He knows you have the answers, but truth lies dusty on your shelf
And the sword that you could slay him with has become an ornament and nothin’ else
You could put him back down in his hole in the ground, but he knows you never will
He’s been around so long, you got used to the smell
A Christian who has stopped reading the Bible, forgetting how God wants him to live. The Sword of the Spirit isn’t activated as this Christian merely plays defense with the Devil. Addiction and bad habits have been around so long that he doesn’t realize how bad his faith stinks.
He’s waiting on the night to fall
The old man’s comin’ to call
But you don’t see the writing on the wall
A wake-up call for this addict.
He’ll never step out in the light
No, he’s just biding his time
And as you slumber, he’s gonna come and take it all
He’s waiting on the night to fall
He’s waiting on the night to fall
This trend must be halted, or you’ll continue to fall prey to addiction.
He knows he’ll never have your soul
But he will gladly rob you blind
While you’re feasting at his table, he’ll tie your hands and numb your mind
He’ll take you farther than you wanna go
He’ll keep you longer than you wanna stay
And it will cost you more than you ever thought you’d pay
Images of the spiritual battle for this man’s soul. Once you indulge sin, it always sticks around much longer than expected. These poor decisions get costlier as this sinful pattern continues.
He’s waiting on the night to fall
The old man’s comin’ to call
But you don’t see the writing on the wall
He’ll never step out in the light
He’s just biding his time
And as you slumber, he’s gonna come and take it all
He’s waiting on the night to fall
He’s waiting on the night to fall
Another warning to this man repeating the same bad habits day after day. You have to wake up from this spiritual slumber so that you are set free from addiction.
He’s waiting on the night
He’s waiting on the night to fall
The old man’s comin’ to call
But you don’t see, you don’t see the writing on the wall
Oh, he’s waiting on the night
He’s waiting on the night to fall
He’s waiting on the night to fall
A last call, warning this man to get ready for the temptations that you’ll likely encounter tonight. Be alert, awake and sober so that this time you’ll refrain from backsliding.
Final Thoughts:
One of my spiritual mentors in college shared a similar message as Waiting on the Night to Fall. Tommy shared that sin is like an unwelcomed friend who stays around much longer than expected. Sin then becomes an accepted part of your life where you feel like you can’t live without. Finally, the cost of sinful endeavors can have lasting consequences. This includes losing your family, friends, fortune and your dignity. This is what Jesus meant by John 10:10 where the thief, the Devil, seeks to steal your joy, kill all your dreams and destroy your life.
by Jay Mankus
