The world lay in darkness after the expulsion of the
first two people from the bright and beautiful Garden of Eden. This darkness
covered the original people of earth and it has continued to plague the world
until today. Moses was a bright spot in history but the Jewish family soon left
God’s light and joined back into the world of darkness. When we say “darkness”
it refers to the lack of God’s righteousness or His light.
Suddenly, after many dark years, the light of God
appeared around a beautiful lake called Galilee. Israel’s greatest prophet had
proclaimed the coming glory in their Scriptures for several hundred years.
Isaiah said: The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be
humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles,
which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be
filled with glory. Isaiah 9:1
Land to the north of the Jezreel Valley was
considered to have the darkness of the Gentiles upon it. Arrogant Jews could
not believe that when the light came it would be identified with the darkest
part of the land. But this was the wonderful place where God’s great light
first appeared. The people who walk in darkness will
see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will
shine. Isaiah 9:2.
Matthew quoted the old prophet in the New Testament:
“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea,
beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the
people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in
the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”Matthew 4:15-16. The light came when Jesus began to
preach by saying “Repent and live your life for God”.
Jesus is the light of the world. His brightness to
the land around Galilee was so great that thousands of people were amazed by
His short life. The teaching of Jesus was given to the poor people whom he
loved. Whenever Jesus traveled to Jerusalem the high and mighty religious
people would try to kill Him. Eventually the leaders did find a way to kill
Jesus and they believed the light from Nazareth would go out. They were wrong.
David was another great prophet and very practical.
He said: Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are
generous, compassionate, and righteous. Psalms 112:4. The light will change people. Unsaved
people cannot see the light that we are discussing. David reminds us that the
light of God is for us. Godly people live in righteousness which will make us
different from everybody else on this dark earth.
The Bible
explains the darkness: Satan, who is the
god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are
unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. 2 Corinthians 4:4. When
we tell people about the glorious light that we live in, the Spirit must do a
work in their heart or they will never understand. It is discouraging sometimes
when people are not interested in the Good News that we love.
Jesus was
outspoken about His purpose on earth. John tells us: Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the
world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will
have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12. Christians are to be
ambassadors who represent Jesus. This is why it is important for us to live a
righteous life which is how we walk in the light.
There is
no mystery about living a godly life. Everything we need to find salvation is
written in the Bible. The Scriptures go into great detail about how to live a
righteous life. The darkness of Satan in this world is a heavy burden for any
human. Many people have taken their own life in despair. But when we serve
Jesus the light floods over us and it brings a great joy into our heart. The
words of God are a gift to everyone living.
Paul was a
great Christian who lived righteously. This is what he said about the light: May you be filled with joy, always
thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that
belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from
the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son…
Colossians 1:11-13. The first light was seen in Galilee and today the light
is seen in us.
