Light

Narrator: Chris Genthree

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

Besides the references to physical light as existing distinct from the sun, and then emanating from the sun as the great light-bearer, the term is mainly used in scripture in a moral sense. Light from God is His word revealing Himself, and not only making manifest the dangers here, but acting as a lamp in showing the true path (Psa. 119:105¹⁰⁵NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)). The Psalmist asked Jehovah to lift upon him the light of His countenance (Psa. 4:6⁶There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. (Psalm 4:6)), and declared that Jehovah Himself was his light (Psa. 27:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)). As natural light brings vigor and health to the body, so the light of God gives cheerfulness and strength to the soul.

“God is light,” and the Lord Jesus came to the earth as the true light which lighteth every man. He not only exposed all the evil in the world and all the false pretensions of the leaders of Israel; but “the life was the light of men” (John 1:4⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4); John 8:12¹²Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)). Christians are “light in the Lord,” and are exhorted to walk as “children of light” (Eph. 5:8⁸For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8); 1 Thess. 5:5⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)). In the midst of darkness they are set to shine as lights in the world (Phil. 2:15¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Philippians 2:15)). A grave responsibility rests upon them lest they should not have the heavenly luster that would characterize them as having in their hearts the light of the glory of the Lord. If the light in the Christian become darkness by his not walking in the reality of it, how great is that darkness! (Matt. 6:23²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23)).

It has been very properly said that light is appropriately descriptive of God; for light, invisible in itself, manifests everything. Christians, as we have seen, are “light in the Lord,” and thus convict the unfruitful works of darkness; but here we may notice that it is not said of them, as of God, that they are “love,” for love is the sovereign, spring of activity in God.

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