Light and Darkness (Part 1 of 5) by Kenneth E. Thomas
(http://www.gospelanchor.com/)
I awoke in the middle of the night recently, after having dreamed
at length about this subject. I was doing a radio broadcast (that
is, in my dream) dealing with the importance of "light"
as it involves truth and right. When I awoke, I jotted down the
word "light" on a piece of paper to remind me to develop
this idea further when I reached the office. So "away we
go" as Jackie Gleason used to say.
Everyone knows the importance of light in the physical realm of
life. Most remember reading of the time when God said, "Let
there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). The divine
record says, "And God saw that light, that it was good: And
God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light
day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening and the
morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:4-5).
Mankind is just beginning to learn just how important light really
is. We are now transmitting messages via light waves. We are doing
wonderful things with the laser using concentrated light beams
to do surgery on such delicate organs as the human eye among other
things. Distances in outer space are measured in "light years"
dealing with the understanding that light travels about 186,000
miles per second if I remember correctly. NASA uses light in many
wonderful ways as they explore the heavens. I know very little
about what is being done scientifically using that wonderful thing
called "light," but that isn't what I am most concerned
with, as interesting as that may be. What concerns me is how the
word "light" is used in the holy scriptures to depict
right, good, truth, understanding, revelation, salvation, etc.
The Contrast Between Light and Darkness
Of course the opposite of light is dark. Darkness is used in Scriptures
to depict evil, bad, calamity, sin, wrong, error, lies, etc. Man
was created upright and consequently walked in fellowship with
God until Satan brought sin into the world by appealing to mother
Eve. Satan convinced Eve by his deceptive abilities that God had
unduly restricted she and her husband by not allowing them to
partake of the tree in the midst of the garden, "the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil." She partook and gave
to her husband with her and he also ate. Now they realized they
were naked and attempted to hide from their creator. Sin caused
them to feel ashamed of themselves. Sin never brings any lasting
peace of mind pleasure or happiness, just the opposite (Genesis
3:1-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-14). Eve saw that the fruit was
1. Good for food.
2. Pleasing to the eyes.
3. To be desired to make one wise. You might say that Satan told
a "half truth," they did become "wise" in
that they realized their sinful condition before God. However,
rather than being benefited by their sin, they suffered many unfavorable
consequences. Read again (Genesis 3:13-19).
All men are destined to die physically due to Adam and Eve's sin
in Eden (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 5:12). Contrary to the teaching
of many, we do not bear the guilt of the sin of Adam and Eve.
We do indeed bear some unfortunate consequences. Adam and Eve
died the day they ate just as God had said they would spiritually
speak (Genesis 3:17; Ezekiel 18:20). The rest of the Bible is
a story of God's plan to save man from the guilt of his own sins
brought about by the exercise of his free will. When folks learn
how Adam and Eve became sinners before God they will likewise
understand how we become sinners in need of redemption today.
Look at the word "redemption," it suggests bringing
us back to where we once were before the age of accountability
(James 1:13-15; Matthew 18:3; 19:14; 1 John 3:4; Romans 7:9-10).
In Genesis 3:15 we read the first promise of the virgin born "seed
of woman" who would one day bruise the serpent's head, which
probably speaks of Christ's resurrection from the dead, taking
away the power of death from Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15; Romans 1:3-4).
The Messiah was promised who would be the light of the world to
light the pathway back to God that had been darkened by sin (John
1:1-17). Eve thought she would actually benefit by disobeying
God! Men are still appealed to by Satan to commit similar sins
(1 John 2:15-17). Don't be deceived by Satan! Heartache and darkness
always result when we sin and cease to "walk in the light"
of the divine will of God (1 John 1:6-7).
Just as in the physical realm of life, light dispels darkness,
likewise in the spiritual realm, truth dispels error; good dispels
bad, right dispels wrong. Prior to conversion one is said to have
been in darkness. Paul wrote to Christians, "You once were
darkness, now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light"
(Ephesians 5:8).
Those who have been Christians for very long, can probably remember
the old sermons you've heard about the three ages of God's dealings
with mankind, sometimes spoken of as the "Starlight,"
the "Moonlight," and the "Sunlight" ages.
Today, we usually call those three ages the "Patriarchal,"
"Mosaic," and "Gospel" ages. This we do in
an attempt to express the fact that with the coming of each new
age of God's dealings with man, more information or "light"
was revealed as to His ultimate mission, that of preparing mankind
for the coming Messiah and His kingdom. Then finally revealing
"all spiritual truth," with the New Testament's completion,
being confirmed with signs and wonders following (Mark 16:15-10;
Hebrews 2:1-3; John 16:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians
13:8-13; James 1:25). But we are getting a little bit ahead of
our story. More on these matters later.
The word, "light" in the New King James Version of the
New Testament, appears in seventy-seven passages. I take it that
this is an extremely important subject. Actually, if there were
only one passage of holy writ using the word, it would still be
sufficiently important to consider. Let me call to your attention
Matthew's account of the gospel, a quotation from (Isaiah 9:1,2).
Speaking of Jesus' activities after the death of John, Matthew
records, "Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum,
which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali - to
fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun
and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee
of the Gentiles - the people living in darkness have seen a great
light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light
has dawned" (Matthew 4:13-16). I take this to be a prophecy
indicating that Jesus would, "taste of death for every man"
as we learn in other passages such as (Hebrews 2:9; John 3:16),
ultimately making the gospel available not only to the Jews to
whom He first came (John 1:11-12), but a universal covenant to
embrace the whole world, hence, the "worldwide commission"
as given to His apostles after His Death, burial, resurrection,
(Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49). They were told
to preach this gospel to "every creature" (Mark. 16:15;
Acts 10:34-35). Later Paul said they did just that in (Colossians
1:23b).
PSALM 119
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
MEM. (Ps 119:97-104)
[97. This characteristic love for God's law (compare Ps 1:2) ensures
increase.]
97 O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day.
[98-100. Of knowledge, both of the matter of all useful, moral
truth, and an experience of its application.]
98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine
enemies [with all their carnal cunning (De 4:6, 8).]: for they
are ever with me. [The Hebrew is, rather singular, "it is
ever with me"; the commandments forming ONE complete whole,
Thy law.]
99 I have more understanding [is practical skill (Ps 2:10; 32:8).]
than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients [Antiquity is no help
against stupidity, where it does not accord with God's word [LUTHER]
(Job 32:7-9). The Bible is the key of all knowledge, the history
of the world, past, present, and to come (Ps 111:10). He who does
the will of God shall know of the doctrine (Joh 7:17).], because
I keep thy precepts.
[101-104. Avoidance of sinful courses is both the effect and means
of increasing in divine knowledge (compare Ps 19:10).]
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might
keep thy word.
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught
me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey
to my mouth!
104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate
every false way.
Short Exhort - Written and/or Compiled by David J. Riggs
(http://www.public.usit.net/driggs/)
"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." (Acts 7:51).
In ancient cultures, the ox was commonly used to plow fields and pull carts. These animals were hard to handle under the best of circumstances. When an angry ox stiffened the muscles of his powerful neck, it was difficult or impossible to guide him. Those ancient people began to use the term "stiff-necked" to refer to people who were stubborn and self-willed like the oxen. It is so used in the word of God.
Let us not be stubborn or self-willed, but humbly yield to the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
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