GOD IS LIGHT

February 23, 2022

by Rick Combs

In our previous post, we began looking at God as Holy and Righteous. He is perfect and flawless in His character and person. Everything God does and says is perfect and fully right.

God is light – 1 John 1:5 tells us; “…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”.
No darkness AT ALL. In all of our interaction with God, we are dealing with light.

Peter, James, and John were privileged to view Jesus on a high mountain as He was transfigured.
Matthew 17:2 “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light”.

The Son of God, Jesus’ face and his garment shined brighter than the sun in white light. What a scene that must have been. We also witness the encounter of Saul of Tarsus with Jesus after His resurrection. While on the road to Damascus he was struck to the ground. “Suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about him”. The light that was brighter than the mid-day sun in its’ strength overwhelmed Paul and caused him to fear. It was so bright that it blinded him. The Lord Jesus Christ in His Glory saved and called Saul (Paul in Greek) to be the apostle to the gentiles (Acts 9:3-4; 22:6-7; 26:12-14).

Psalms 104:1-2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain”.

The Lord covers Himself with light. We see that this is connected with His Honor and Majesty. Because of who He is we see POWER and GREATNESS. The Lord is the creator of heaven and earth.

In writing to Timothy, Paul exclaims this same reality; “… the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen”.
1 Timothy 6:15b-16.

Moses was indirectly in the Presence of the Lord on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34. When he came down from the Presence of the Lord, his face shined. So much so that he had to put a vail on his face so the people could look upon him (Ex. 34:27-35). This was the glory of the Lord!

Exodus 33 tells us in verses 18-23 that “the glory of God” passed before Moses. He was not able to look upon it directly. Only the hinder parts was he able to see and live.

Exodus 33:22-23 “…while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen”.

I encourage you to do a study of Exodus 33-34. It is such good edification for a clear understanding of God’s call for Israel to be the guardian of the covenants and the priests of the earth.

Putting these passages together, we learn that to be directly in God’s Presence while encased in fallen human flesh would be like encountering a nuclear reactor and exposed to its’ full radiation. We would be obliterated and disintegrated in a flash. We simply cannot be exposed to it and live.

That’s what God is like. His person is so holy, pure, and righteous that no one can see God and live. God and mankind are opposites like oil and water, positive and negative energy, up and down, in and out. Even though we are made in His own image, as fallen sin-ridden mankind we who abide in darkness cannot relate with the One who IS LIGHT!

One more verse from Revelation 21:23; “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”.

We see the connection between the Light of God and the Glory of God.

Do you know what is most exciting? We believers in Christ saved by the cross have this reality. Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory”.

WOW!!! We will talk more about this in future posts. It’s so exciting!

We will continue our discussion next time and see that God is a Consuming Fire.

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen!