The English Standard Version of the Bible renders Psalms 118:27 this way: The LORD is God and He has made His light to shine upon us.
When We talk about God's Light, we are primarily talking about His Word, the Bible. It is the Light of God that we have as a gift from God. Whenever we want to know what God thinks we can read the Bible. Also, whenever we want to know what God commands us to do, all we have to do, is read the Bible. It is a light for us, it directs our paths, and it directs our life.
Psalms 118:27 reminds me of Elijah, at least the first part of the verse: The LORD is God. 1 Kings 18 tells us the story of Elijah going to the people of Israel and asking them "How long would they continue in two different opinions, would they serve Baal or the LORD." He challenges the 450 Baal priests to a contest to show who the real God is. Elijah tells the priests to build an altar and place an offering on it and call to Baal. The priests call upon Baal from morning to noon and they get no response. Elijah mocks them and says "Cry louder, maybe he is using the bathroom, or maybe he is asleep. They continue to call until 3 pm. 1 Kings 18:29 says they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation (3 pm - The Reformation Study Bible) but, there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention.
When it was Elijah's time, he also built an altar using twelve stones, he also dug a trench around the altar, he had water poured over the altar and sacrifice until the trench was filled with water, then he called "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God of Israel..." Then fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the stones, the dirt, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it they fell on their face and said, "The LORD, he is God, "The LORD, he is God." Yes, indeed, the LORD is God. He is the true God. All other so-called gods are idols. You can call out to them all day long and you will not be heard. There is only one God, and He is the God described in the Bible.
The second part of the verse: "He has made His light to shine upon us" is a strong statement of the sovereign grace of God. When we describe the God of the Bible, we do well to list the description that we find in the Bible, because there is where God describes Himself, and one of the biggest character traits of God is His graciousness. He is a God of Grace, it was His grace that led Him to create, His grace led Him to save some from the ruin of their fallen, sinful condition.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Isaiah 9:2
The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death on them a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16
The light of the grace of God is best displayed in His Son, Jesus Christ, He gave Jesus up for us. He offered Christ up as a sacrifice for us.
Again Jesus spoke to them saying I am the light of the world. John 8:12
The Bible even calls those who His light has shined on, light also. Matthew 5:14
We are born into spiritual darkness cut off from the things of God - there is no desire on our part to even consider God. Yet when God makes His light shine upon us, we can not resist it. It's important also, that we see, that God made His light to shine on us. We are indifferent to God in our natural state, as I said we have no desire for the things of God, or God Himself, if God does not intervene, we remain lost.
The Shorter Catechism question 26 asks: How doth Christ execute the office of king? The answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.
Bible references used:
Psalm 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.
Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king, he will save us.
1 Corinthians 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
God has to come and subdue us in order for us to be saved. He has to shine that powerfully strong light of Holy Grace into our dead, dark, evil, indifferent souls in order that we might live!
He comes to us to save us, to remove the scales off of our eyes, so that we see the truth once and for all. His light comes and when His light comes, His Son comes, His Spirit comes, and His Light will not dwell with darkness, darkness must flee! Our souls are given new life in Christ and we want more and we like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3
If we have tasted that the Lord is good - we bow in submission and offer to God the glory and honor He deserves: we proclaim as Israel did in Elijah's time: "The Lord, He is God" "The Lord, He is God."
The question for us is Has the light of God's Grace shone into our soul? Either way we find out about the light of God in the Word of God.
Blessings in Jesus Christ, the Beloved, True God and Savior of men's souls!!
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