The Day Ends in Light:
(Genesis 1:19, Deuteronomy 17: 2-3, John 15-16, Joshua 10)
The God most High gave us the sun, moon, and stars as signs and wonders of his promises. God used the stars as a visual representation of Abraham’s descendants. God displays his almighty control of the universe when he was able to make the impossible possible with the sun and moon standing still for a whole day in Joshua 10. Unfortunately, throughout ancient (and modern) history the sun, moon, and stars are glorified as gods instead of instruments, signs, and wonders of God. God set up his majestic creation for a purpose (some known and many unknown). For mankind to misinterpret, worship, or change their purpose was forbidden, an idolatry, and vile to God (Deut 17:2-3).
Genesis 1:19 is a verse that gets skimmed by without much thought when reading the creation narrative: “There was evening and there was morning—the fourth day.” Evening à Morning = 1 Day. God knew in his infinite wisdom and understanding that his creation would mess up, that we would sin, fall into darkness, that chaos would reign even before He created us. God shows us that “the day” begins in darkness of the evening and ends with the full brightness of the light of the morning sun. Darkness then light. Chaos then order. Begins in dark, ends in light. Every single “day” is God’s promise that He will bring things to order, that His Light will return at the end, that light wins. It is not a coincidence that Jesus claims the title “I am the Light of the World” and “Light of Life” in John 8:12.
Today, our society labels the beginning of one “day” at midnight and the end the “day” at 11:59pm, both in the pit of darkness. Most of us are asleep when the day ends and the new day begins. In darkness we begin, and in darkness we end our day. What a seemingly insignificant change in our culture’s calendar that can indirectly influence our thinking!!! The “day” birthed in dark hopelessness and despair. The devil and the world have successfully wiped this out of our society, a daily visual promise of God communicating to his beloved children. That is not how God set up his calendar for his people, he wanted to remind them daily of his goodness and his love for us. God wants us to witness his glory and love, and planned for us to be awake to see it in its fullness.
Psalm 19:
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
Those who do not know or reject Jesus are in the darkness of the night of sin and the devil (Acts 26:18). As believers, we may be surrounded by the darkness of the night, but we can see the light of the coming sun, our faces are turned and we are awake to the early twilight, watching as the sun rises in the morning and moves across the sky in victory. The night is over, the devil’s reign is over, but the world and the devil will continue to try to turn our heads away from the hope that is assured.
Does it sometimes feel as though that the darkness is winning? Overwhelmingly the news headlines today read of rape, physical and emotional abuse, murder, racism, genocide, wars, greed, etc., as our media and society declare that ‘wholesome and moral’ is really being ‘judgmental and unloving.’ It absolutely can feel like the darkness is winning. Jesus said in John 12:25-26 that “If anyone serves me, he must follow me…” Follow him on his path, it was not easy, it was dark, no place to rest his head, men tested him, manipulated him, cheated him, used him, stole from him, beat him, mock him, and killed him. “Follow me” Jesus said. In John 15:18-19 “but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.”
To be a believer in Jesus as our Savior is not without its earthly risks. The darkness of the evening tries to overcome the promise of the morning. Remember the way God set up a “day”: the morning is the end, not the night. Do not be surprised, but be encouraged, that when the darkness tries to overwhelm and distracts our attention, it should be a warning to us that persecutions may be close at hand. A time when we get the opportunity to valiantly praise and glorify His name to an apathetic nation, people, and church through our trials. The darkness will not overcome us if we hold onto light (John 1:5).
When God abandoned Jesus on the cross (Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Mark 15:34), the sun and moon became black as night for 3 hours in the middle of the day (noon to 3pm). Satan’s victory- so he thought. Satan killed the Light of the world, he extinguished it. What victory he thought he had, was God’s victory planned from the very beginning of time. “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good (Gen 50:20)” Jesus conquered death, sin, and the devil and offers victory and salvation, life and light to all who believe in him. The Son of God rose again out of the overwhelming darkness! Our hope lives, and the night will not overtake it as we wait for His return. The great morning star will return again as promised in Revelation 22:12-13,16 “Look, I am coming soon and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End… I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.” Jesus is the Light of the World, our King at the start, at the end, and forever more. Jesus is the Word made flesh promised to us from the beginning of Genesis, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace in me. In this world you are going to have trouble. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.”
מגן השביל 