God is Light

The sun is the only source of light in the world – the only source of all energy.

Without the sun our planet would have been pitch dark with total absence of any heat – a dark, inhabitable place with a temperature of minus 273 degrees Celsius. (–273.15 °C - absolute zero [-459 °F]).

Light energy from the sun provides all energy that makes growth and movement possible on this earth.

Sunlight energy is 'processed' by plants and smaller organisms, stored (through a process called photosynthesis), and provides food and therefore energy to all living creatures. It is also the only source for fossil fuel (that originated from plants through the same original process)  and is now used to provide electricity that runs our cities, our computers, airplanes and all that depends so much on an external source of power. I can only move my finger because of the light energy from the sun. I can think because there is a sun providing energy. There is, and never has been, any other source of energy that makes life and movement possible on this earth.

So, we should not be surprised that the Bible tells us that God is the Light of the world to help us to understand more of Who He is. These words were written in the Bible long before we as humans came to an understanding of the sun’s light and energy characteristics and how essential it is for all life on earth. The Bible authors, who wrote about God being the Light of the world over thousands of years, had no idea of the true and deep implications and meaning of their words.  God, however, Who inspired the written words, the Creator of light Himself, knew. As knowledge of nature grew, man would also understand more of Who God is.

God explains Himself to humankind in terms that we can understand.

And if we ponder about this we realize that:

·     White light (the light from the sun) consists of three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. God reveals Himself in the Bible as triune: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit being three separate entities, yet one.

·      White light can be broken up into a spectrum of visible colors, seven colors in total – the godly number in the Bible expressing the completeness of God. Psalm 76:4 You are resplendent (attractive and impressive through being richly colourful and sumptuous) with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game.

·     We cannot look directly at the sun without permanent damage to our eyes as the sun is too bright, even so God Who is too holy for us to see Him Face to face. Exodus 33:20 But," He said, "you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.”‘.

·     Darkness is a ‘passive’ entity, in fact, a non-existing entity, and cannot drive light away nor neutralize it. In contrast, light is a true entity and where it is, darkness cannot be and is ‘driven out’ It is dark because there is no light If you switch a light on in a dark room it is light because the presence of light, not the absence of darkness, and when you switch it off it is dark because there is no light – darkness itself plays no role. You cannot switch darkness on and off.  John 8: 12 ‘When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."’

·     Without light, we are effectively blind. We might have perfect eyes but without light, we cannot see Without the Spiritual Light of God, we may have a normal spirit but will in effect be spiritually blind and are unable to see the reality of God. We need the Light to see Him.

With the above understanding, see what the Bible tells us about God being the Light of the World:

• Isaiah announced the coming of the Christ hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

Isaiah 9:2 ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’.

• I John 1:5 ‘This is the message we have heard from Him and declares to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.  8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us’.

• John 12:36 ‘”Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." '

• John 12:46 ‘I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness’

• Acts 26 18 ‘to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

• I Peter 2:9 ‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light’.

• Psalm 4:6 ‘Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O LORD’.

• John 3: 19 ‘This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.’ Man turning his back on God.

• Job 24:13 ‘There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths’

• Psalm 36:9 ‘For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.’

• Psalm 21:1 ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid’

• Psalm 118: 27 ‘The LORD is God, and He has made His light shine upon us’.

• Isaiah 53:11’ After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities’

• Amos 5: 20 ‘Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?’  The Bible describing the day of justice as a day without light.

• 2 Peter 2:4-5  ' For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment' Hell, a place without light, without God.

• Matthew 4: 16 ‘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.’  (Isaiah 9:1, 2)

• John 1:4 ‘In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 9 The true light that gives light to every man, was coming into the world’.

• Proverbs 20:27  'The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,     exposing every hidden motive.'

God is light, the creator of light (the sun) and the only source of light and energy to the world, to us, as Paul explained to the polytheists of his time in Greece;  ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ Acts 17:28

MCMLV