Walking in darkness, where there is little to no light, can be dangerous. There are minor mishaps that can happen, like stubbing one’s toe on a piece of furniture, or stepping on that lone Lego your child forgot to pick up. Then there are much more serious accidents that can happen, like trying to make your way down a pitch-black hallway and accidently falling down a staircase. Being outside in the dark can be dangerous, too, with all sorts of criminals, and the dangers of not being seen and then hit by a vehicle. Having a light on would avoid all of these accidents. There is something much more dangerous than physical darkness, and that is spiritual darkness. How desperately those in spiritual darkness need light! Our Scripture today from the Prophet Isaiah speaks on this issue. Let’s seek what the Lord has to say through His prophet.
Most of us would agree that this world is increasingly becoming more and more of a dark place. When viewing statistics, the number of people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus is way down over the years all across the world. And even among those who do profess faith, a goodly number do not live out their faith. So what can bring some light into the darkness of this world? It is not as easy as just switching on a lamp.
Isaiah called upon believers in this dark world that it is time to arise and shine (vs. 1). The Lord will intervene with His light, where His presence and glory would be manifest in a powerful way. When men and women try with their own power to bring light into the darkness, they more often than not will not have much success. However, the Lord is sovereign, and He alone has the ability to truly bring light into darkness.
We see darkness on one side, and light on the other. Sin and Satan’s kingdom of darkness has spread throughout the earth and mankind (vs. 2). Then on the other side we have the light of God’s glory rising into the world. This light comes through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are surrounded by such spiritual darkness and sin, it is easy to lose hope that anything will ever improve, but through the Lord Jesus we have hope and salvation that comes through Him, the One who is the Light of the World (John 8:12).
Isaiah then prophesied to the opening of the way of salvation and God’s light to the Gentiles, and he spoke of kings coming to the brightness that the Lord had brought (vs. 3, 5). The fulfillment of this prophecy could be seen with the magi, who some have called “kings”, who came to pay homage to the Lord Jesus at His birth. They brought valuable gifts to the baby Jesus. With the passage of centuries, kings and rulers have given their lives to the Lord, along with His message spreading to Gentile people. God never intended His salvation to just be for one group of people, but instead to be for all people everywhere. God desires for men and women everywhere across the globe to become His sons and daughters, and to enter His kingdom of light (vs. 4).
The prophet proceeded to predict that the wealth of nations would be brought to the Lord (vs. 5-6, 9). He specifically mentioned gold and incense as among the items brought to the Lord. When we read of the Magi coming to the Baby Jesus, we see that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, a fragrant, aromatic resin used in embalming (Matthew 2:11). This signifies that not only material blessings, but the worship and praise of the Lord will be brought to Him by people from all nations. To those who turn from darkness to the light of His glory, He will bless with divine favor and honor.
In closing we see where the Lord has brought light into this sin-darkened world, and those who turn to Him, they become His sons and daughters. We also see prophecies of the gifts that the Magi (or as some have called them, wise men or kings), gifts of gold and frankincense. We see here that God is faithful, and brings to pass His plan for redemption. We can trust all of His promises, including bringing salvation to the Gentiles, to all nations.
Is your life in darkness right now, or do you want to have more of God’s light to overcome the darkness that surrounds us every day? Turn to the Lord Jesus, the Light of the World. With the feast of the Epiphany this week, the day that honors the coming of the Magi, we can trust the Lord that He fulfills His promises and Word, as Gentiles are welcome into His Kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment