When Solomon finished building the Temple in Jerusalem, we read that
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”
1 Kings 8:10–13 ESV
Question: When and where did God say this?
Thick darkness is mentioned as being included in the signs of God’s presence on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:22; Deuteronomy 5:22). Solomon may have passages like Psalm 97:2 in mind.
But I think we can go further back:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2 ESV
This is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. It surprises me I have never seen an English translation that versifies the second half of verse 2:
The earth was without form and void,
and darkness was over the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
At face value, the darkness is God’s Spirit fluttering over the deep. God dwells in thick darkness.
Thus, when the Cloud saves Israel at the Red Sea, it is both darkness and light:
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
Exodus 14:19–20 ESV
This is somewhat obscure. I think the NIV’s paraphrase is accurate in this case:
Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
The cloud moving the water to make dry ground appear is obviously saving Israel through a “second creation.” Being darkness as well as light fits with that pattern.
It confirms what Genesis 1:2 says: God was darkness over the original creation before He lit up the cosmos.