Old Testament: 2 Kings 21-22
Poetry: Ps. 137
New Testament: Philippians 2
My son, Jonah, is afraid of the dark. For a while, after we would read him a bedtime story and sing “Silent Night” as a lullaby, we would close the door to a dark, quiet room. And, a few moments later, we would hear the pitter-patter of feet as he would get out of his toddler bed, go over to the lamp in his room, and click it on. One day while he was playing, he told me that he had to turn his light on because he doesn’t like the dark because there are monsters in the dark.
Even though I am grown, I can empathize with his fears. I remember – and I bet you do too – those moments of fear when the lights go out. I remember begging my parents to leave the closet light on because I was unsure what was lurking out there in the dark past my bed. It seems only natural to be a little afraid of the dark, those places you can’t see. It’s a built-in defense mechanism that humans have to navigate nighttime in our world.
The Bible is full of themes that occur from beginning to end. You could trace the way water is used as a symbol of chaos and cleansing or the way trees represent a strong, godly life. One theme that occurs from beginning to end is the contrast between dark and light. Darkness is always connected with sin and evil, whereas light is connected with righteousness and God himself.
This is a quick overview of the way this theme is used in scripture. In the beginning, God created the light and called it good (Gen. 1:4). After the fall, the world is described as being in darkness. God is constantly beckoning his people to be a light to the surrounding nations (Gen. 15:5), but Israel repeatedly chose darkness. Jesus is the true light that shines out into the dark world – and his light “gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). We are now the torchbearers that continue to shine a light in the world. We are called to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). We “cast off our works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, see also Eph. 5:7-14).
We see an example of being a light to the world in Judah’s king Josiah. After two dark, wicked kings of Judah, Josiah repairs the temple. He becomes a light to the nation calling them back to worship God and obey him after over half a century of disobedience. He repairs the temple and shares the law with Judah. The people were in darkness because of the evil kings, but Josiah was being a light pointing them back toward God. Just like the nation of Judah, we also have a tendency to pull toward darkness. In fact, sometimes we seem to like darkness; we prefer it over having our deeds exposed in the light. However, since we are in Christ, we need to put aside those worldly desires and choose to follow God completely. God is light and there is no darkness in him (1 John 1:5). We cannot do the deeds of darkness and follow God at the same time. Let’s be like King Josiah, and be a leader of light to those around us.
~ Cayce Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
- Why do you think that the Bible uses the imagery of light and darkness to represent good and evil?
- How was King Josiah a light to his country?
- How can you be a light that represents Jesus to others today? What are some actions you could take?
Seek Grow Love 