PART TWO: A Lamp .... continued

One of Israel’s greatest prophets of old, Isaiah, implored God’s people to turn from their pagan ways and live in the illumination provided by the Word of God that was available to them at that time -- about 700-690 B.C. Although Messiah had not yet come, and the New Testament and most of the old had not yet been written, God’s chosen ones did have the benefit of Deuteronomy. God did speak directly to Isaiah, but His written Word gave clear direction for their time, and credence for Isaiah as he declared God’s displeasure with and judgment upon the sins in Judah, Israel and surrounding nations. Early on in Isaiah’s time of prophesying, he entreated, “O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Isaiah 2:5.

Had God’s people made the choice to heed this simple plea, the course of their history would be much different. They would have averted the disastrous consequences of their decision to walk in darkness rather than light. God had guided them every step of the way to this point and would continue to do so. They would not have been overtaken, and many brutally killed, by their enemies. Their children would not have been carried away into Babylon, repeopled, and made into eunuchs and slaves. Note that the terrible future, that awaited the Jews, was not to come on them by the hand of their Heavenly Father. By their own choice to walk away from His protective hand, they walked into the brutal hands of powerful enemies. They choose not to walk in the light of the Words of their Lord. For 400 years God’s nation of chosen people were scattered, living under the thumb and rule of others --- the enemies of their God. Nonetheless, the world, and all of mankind, can be grateful that throughout this terrible time of Israel’s history, there was a remnant, though scattered, that remained in God’s light, faithful to God and the Words He had spoken. Isaiah was one of those, as well as Jeremiah, Daniel, the three Hebrew sons who survived the fiery furnace and others.

We can learn a lesson from those who went before us. God had showed them they way. He had provided the light for their path of life. In our own age, He has illuminated our way with His instructions for living, the Bible, God’s Word of Truth.

Look at the opening words of the Apostle John’s gospel. John 1: 1-5 declares: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John is telling us that Jesus is the expressed Word of God -- the eternal and ultimate expression of God and is the light that no darkness can overtake. This is reason enough to dance and shout with unspeakable joy!

I love the way Matthew Henry expounds on these verses: “Reasonable creatures have their light from him; that life which is the light of men comes from him. Life in man is something greater and nobler than it is in other creatures; it is rational, and not merely animal. When man became a living soul, his life was light, his capacities such as distinguished him from. and dignified him above, the beasts that perish. The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, and it was the eternal Word that lighted this candle. The light of reason, as well as the life of sense, is derived from him, and depends upon him. This proves him fit to undertake our salvation; for life and light, spiritual and eternal life and light, are the two great things that fallen man, who lies so much under the power of death and darkness, has need of. From whom may we better expect the light of divine revelation than from him who gave us the light of human reason?

(1.) The discovery of the eternal Word to the lapsed world, even before he was manifested in the flesh: The light shineth in darkness. Light is self-evidencing, and will make itself known; this light, whence the light of men comes, hath shone, and doth shine. [1.] The eternal Word, as God, shines in the darkness of natural conscience. Though men by the fall are become darkness, yet that which may be known of God is manifested in them; see Rom_1:19, Rom_1:20. The light of nature is this light shining in darkness. Something of the power of the divine Word, both as creating and as commanding, all mankind have an innate sense of; were it not for this, earth would be a hell, a place of utter darkness; blessed be God, it is not so yet. [2.] The eternal Word, as Mediator, shone in the darkness of the Old Testament types and figures, and the prophecies and promises which were of the Messiah from the beginning. He that had commanded the light of this world to shine out of darkness was himself long a light shining in darkness; there was a veil upon this light, 2Co_3:13.
(2.) The disability of the degenerate world to receive this discovery: The darkness comprehended it not; the most of men received the grace of God in these discoveries in vain. [1.] The world of mankind comprehended not the natural light that was in their understandings, but became vain in their imaginations concerning the eternal God and the eternal Word, Rom_1:21, Rom_1:28. The darkness of error and sin overpowered and quite eclipsed this light. God spoke once, yea twice, but man perceived it not, Job_33:14. [2.] The Jews, who had the light of the Old Testament, yet comprehended not Christ in it. As there was a veil upon Moses's face, so there was upon the people's hearts. In the darkness of the types and shadows the light shone; but such as the darkness of their understandings that they could not see it. It was therefore requisite that Christ should come, both to rectify the errors of the Gentile world and to improve the truths of the Jewish church.” E-Sword, Matthew Henry commentary.