There are certain themes that run a course through the scriptures. From start to finish, Genesis to Revelation, we learn of God’s goodness contrasted by man’s wickedness and depravity. Of God’s redemptive work, but the first to be learned, even before man’s fall into sin and the start of God’s redemptive work, is God as the Creator. We also see the “light” and the absence of it in “darkness”. There is a reason for this.
Gen 1:1-2
(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Webster 1828 American dictionary:
Void – Empty; without inhabitants or furniture
Form – The shape or external appearance of a body as defined by lines and angles
Darkness – absence of light
Deep – Usually referring to the sea: Ps 104:6 “Thou coverest it with the deep”. Defined as – Extending or being far below the surface; not obvious; hidden; secret
Because man was not there during the creation week to witness God’s work, we believe God’s account by faith.
Job 38:4b “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?”
Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Darkness was upon the face of the deep
Not only was the earth without a form that is recognizable as we think of it today, but darkness was upon the face of the deep. Referring to the waters that covered the earth, the scripture tells us that the “face of the deep” was frozen.
Job 38:30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
A lifeless frozen shell without any form that we would recognize when gazed upon. That is until God!
The absence of God’s presence in a place or even person can only be described by Gen.1:2: “empty, dark, without recognizable shape; extending below the surface to the very hidden core”. The act of creation in Gen.1 is, in type, the spiritual rebirth that God performs in each individual’s heart.
Spiritual darkness.
Literal darkness is defined as the absence of light. So it is with spiritual darkness. It is the absence of divine light (revelation). It cannot be cured by physical means. If that was the case then, man’s technological advances would have solved the world’s problems long ago. It cannot be cured through a body of legislators or “group think”. If that was the case the embodiment of the UN would have solved world peace in the 20th century. Instead, since the United Nations came into being, there has been more wars than in any other modern century. Just as the earth could not cure itself of the condition it was in, but needed divine help from without, so it is with man’s spiritual condition. If there is any cure for his darkness, it must come from above and not within. It must be the Father of Lights responding first.The blind cannot lead the blind and expect any positive outcome. Luke 6:39.
Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Psa 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
God is light
1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
As it was with the earth, so it is with man. We need God to provide the light and deliver us from darkness. Fore He alone understands the extent of our darkness.
Job 12:22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
Dan 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
God makes provision for the light. It is found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 1:1-5;
Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Luk 1:78-79
(78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
(79) To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
A witness to guide us to that light.
John 1:6-8
(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
(8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John the Baptist was a witness that lead people to the light. It was John that pointed to the Lamb of God. John 1:36
But As Christ increased in His ministry, John’s decreased.
In this NT dispensation, It is now the job of the Holy Spirit with believers working alongside to be the witness of the Light. John 16:7; Matt.5:14; 2Cor.6:1
The warning of rejecting the Light
Ecc 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
God uses nature to teach the sons of man spiritual matters. In nature, the eye of beasts and man require the light of the sun to function. Any prolonged absence of light will cause the eye to stop functioning properly and even become permanently impaired. See examples:
..and the darkness comprehended it not
Of all the evil that mankind has committed during his tenure on earth, nothing, I believe, shows his total depravity then this sober reminder that a person can reject the gift of God’s Son. Yes the wars fought, the lives destroyed, the innocent violated are an indication of the heart problem man has, but total depravity is on full display in the rejection of God’s Light. All the evil that history is littered with can be forgiven. It is the sin of rejecting the Light that cannot be forgiven.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Reason for rejecting the Light
Sin
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Willingness to learn (lack of)
Mat 13:13-15
(13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
(14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
(15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
GROSS, adjective [Latin crassus.]
Impure; unrefined; as gross sensuality.
Unseemly; enormous; shameful; great; as gross corruptions; gross vices.
Stupid; dull.
Satan
2Co 4:(2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
It is Satan that deals in craftiness and deceit. It should not be named among God’s people that we have acted accordingly. This is spiritual warfare that we face and we must be good soldiers while not engaged in war-crimes. Eph.6:12; Phil.1:27; 2Tim.2:4; Luke 12:45
Warning about rejecting the Light.
God’s removing of the light in a person’s life
The lost
Joh 12:(35) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.(36) While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.(37) But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:(38) That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
(39) Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
(40) He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
(41) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
Though God had done so many miracles and infallible proofs among them, they had willing rejected God’s testimony of themselves and of His Christ. In the Gospel of John chapter five Jesus gave three witnesses pointing to him being the Saviour of the world and yet the Jews still rejected. John 5:30-47
John the Baptist v33.
The miracles v36
Moses (the law) 45-47
The rejection of God by man can lead to the rejection of man by God. Rom.1:
The rejection of light by God’s people can be a dangerous place to be.
Mat 6:22-23
(22) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
The eye, other than what it is literally used for, is symbolic of spiritual understanding for the believer.
Eph_1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Jesus speaks about the eye being the light of the body. This is true in the literal sense but also in in a spiritual sense as well. Our actions can hinder our spiritual insight in our understanding of the mysteries of God. We are told to take heed.
Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
That our eye is to be single. Or as Webster defines it.
Pure; simple; incorrupt; unbiased; having clear vision of divine truth.
From http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/single
It is our responsibility when it comes to examining ourselves for any devices or weights that can easily beset us. Let’s look at a few weights that can hinder our knowledge and therefore our walk.
Hatred and bitterness toward our brothers and sisters can impede our judgments and understanding of God’s word. [1Jn 2:11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
Riches and goods of this life darkened the eyes of the Laodicean Church.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Sin can blind the eye of understanding. Jesus spoke of the hypocrisy of a believer trying to judge another of sin when he can’t even see.
Luk 6:41-42
(41) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(42) Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
We can become accustomed to the surrounding darkness.
“Human eyes take several hours to fully adapt to darkness and reach their optimal sensitivity to low light conditions. The quickest gains in vision sensitivity are made in the first few minutes after exposure to darkness. For this reason, many people think that after only a few minutes, their eyes have reached their peak sensitivity. But several hours into darkness exposure, the human eyes continue to adapt and make small gains in sensitivity.”
From <http://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/08/09/how-long-does-it-take-our-eyes-to-fully-adapt-to-darkness/>
There is a danger in continuing in our spiritual darkness. The man who says, while hating his brother, that he was waking in the light is deceived. 1 John 2:9. Thus, he has become accustomed to the darkness. The longer he walks on in darkness, the more difficult it will be to recognize it and could even result in permanent loss. Groping in darkness will become natural to him; Isaiah 59:9,10. Only God can reveal our darkness. As God’s people our prayer against such enemies of the spirit should be constant.
Psa_119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psa_13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
1Th 5:5-6
(5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
(6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
The darkness is the absence of light. It was during the crucifixion that the rejection of God’s light came to its climax. The seeds of malice, envy, wickedness had culminated against God’s sinless Son. They had sowed evil and were reaping the darkness. As wicked men worked to put out the Light, God showed in nature the darkness they deserved. Mat 27:45; Luke 23:44,45
So exceeding was the darkness that it caused grown men to fear. Matt.27:54