~ God As Light Is Woven From The
Start To Finish In Scripture ~
Have you
seen this symphonic theme in Scripture?
Do you understand the ramifications of a God who is light?
The following is an
excerpt from a book.
The concert hall was buzzing
with the hushed voices of thousands of people anxious to hear the evening’s performance
by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. My wife and I looked forward to another
extraordinary concert. We were not to be disappointed.
One piece in particular was
especially good. I remember hearing early in the introduction an interesting
and unique tune which was further developed throughout the piece as it was
played on various instruments. Then at the end the theme came into play again,
bringing a lovely conclusion to this masterful piece.
In a similar fashion woven
throughout the Bible, from the very beginning to the very end, we find the
concept of light in various manifestations.
It is the first thing we
read about in the creation story. “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).
Then at the end, in the very
last chapter of the Bible, we find that in heaven God Himself will be the only
source of light. “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of
the sun, for the Lord God gives them light” (Revelation 22:5).
Just as there are various
meanings for the word today, “light” is used many ways in Scripture. One
consistent use of the word is in reference to God. For instance, in the Old Testament
we are told, “The Lord is my light
and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1); “the light of Your countenance” (Psalm 44:3);
and the prophet Isaiah wrote, “a light has shined. You have multiplied the
nation and increased its joy” (Isaiah 9:2-3). “The Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8); “His brightness was
like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was
hidden” (Habakkuk 3:4). Also, the Shekinah glory of God in the Holy of Holies
was a supernatural light that appeared on the mercy seat, or atonement cover
(Exodus 40:35).
Consider how often light is
involved when God reveals Himself to man. God revealed Himself to Moses through
the light of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4). In this instance God used the
relatively dim light of fire in the form of a burning bush to reveal His
brilliance to Moses because the extreme brightness of God who is light is far
too intense for man to look upon. Later we read, “Now it was so, when Moses
came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’
hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the
skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children
of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid
to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30, see also 2 Corinthians 3:7-8). Even having
seen only the back of God (Exodus
33:23), Moses was so radiant that others could not look at him!
God used the light of fire
to proclaim His presence on many occasions. A pillar of fire was used to guide
the nation of Israel at night (Exodus 13:21-22). On Mount Sinai God descended
upon the children of Israel with fire (Exodus 19:18). God sent fire to consume
Elijah’s offering on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:38-39). Ezekiel was given a vision
of fire to warn of coming judgment (Ezekiel 1:27). And God used fire at the
coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-3). God often used the light of fire as a
visual manifestation of His presence.
Another example of God
revealing Himself in the form of light is seen in the New Testament account of
Saul’s conversion, where God’s appearance was in the form of a bright light,
resulting in the temporary blindness of Paul (Acts 9:3-9).
Additional examples of God
as light in Scripture include: “You are resplendent with light” (Psalm 76:4
NIV). “Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment” (Psalm 104:2). “They
looked to Him and were radiant” (Psalm 34:5). “He will endure as long as the
sun, as long as the moon, through all generations ... May His name endure
forever; may it continue as long as the sun” (Psalm 72:5, 17 NIV).
In the sixth chapter of
Isaiah we read of the seraphim, a special type of angel. They are in the
presence of God, extolling His holiness. The glory of God is so bright that
Isaiah says the seraphim cover their faces with two of their six wings. Like
man, the seraphim are created beings, and therefore the brightness of His glory
is too much for them to observe.
This is not an exhaustive list
of the Scriptures that show a relationship between God and light.
In heaven we will dwell with
God, who is light, and we will then fully understand all the intricacies of
both physical and spiritual light.
Sunlight / Sonlight
Sunlight is woven throughout
our physical existence. Without physical light there would be no life on earth.
Sonlight is woven throughout
the written Word of God. Without an understanding of the God who is light and acceptance
of His Word and His work on our behalf, there is no spiritual life.
~
from “GOD LIGHT: Sunlight - Sonlight,
pgs 49-51 (ISBN: 0-7414-7553-7)
