The Bible has a lot to say about darkness.
The Oxford Dictionary defines darkness as the partial or total absence of light or wickedness/evil. In Hebrew, however, the word for darkness is khoshek. The Strongs Reference Bible says this word is used 78 times in the Bible and means one of three things: darkness/obscurity, darkness, or secret place. Interestingly, the Strongs Reference Bible also tells us about the Greek word Skotos above, which means: “the principle of sin with its certain results.”
The first time we see darkness mentioned in Scripture is in Genesis 1:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness (Khoshek) was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness (Khoshek).
Instantly, we see a couple of interesting facts. First, the word darkness is the 12th Hebrew word used in the opening lines of the Torah, written by Moses. These opening lines depict the creation of the earth, well, better put, the creation of the universe.
As we see here, the world was void and dark. Darkness existed before light. Nothing here says the darkness was bad, just that it existed, but then God created light. Light and darkness were necessary in God's creation for the earth or the universe to do what God needed. Light balanced the darkness, and God never got rid of or expelled darkness. Darkness is needed as much as light is for the planets to function in God's design. I am led to believe that darkness, in and of itself, is not evil. But of course, in our society and vocabulary, we all have heard metaphorical phrases like ‘under the cover of darkness,’ meaning that a bad thing can happen out of sight, covered by darkness.
If we read the King James version of the Bible, we will see the word darkness appears 162 times. Darkness in the Bible signifies many things, usually negative in connotation. Darkness signifies the spiritual condition of a person’s soul, usually about the Israelites, and implies they are separated from God because of their sin. Other biblical meanings include ignorance of sin, evil, and the works of the devil, or immorality, death. Deceitfulness is usually covered in a cloak of darkness, sins that keep us from walking with Christ, like lies, murder, pride, and idolism. But as well as these negative symbolisms, it also defines a physical presentation. In Genesis 1, it was simply dark. There was no light as God had not yet created it.
But Hallelujah, the Bible does not highlight sin in the world or sin in our hearts with the intent to leave us hopeless because God highlights the anecdote for darkness, which is light.
As we said above, darkness in Genesis 1 is the opposite of light and exists outside of it. For darkness to succeed, there must be no light. Darkness or words of similar nature are mentioned so many times in Scripture it is often a stark reminder that we cannot exist outside of God and his light. We cannot exist in a world filled with darkness, where sin prevails, and darkness takes hold.
Just as darkness has an incredible and scientifically proven impact on us physically and mentally, so does it also have a spiritual impact. Just as we need light for Vitamin D to keep our bodies' rhythms functioning and doing so well, we also need the light to help awaken and free our souls. The light comes, and it exposes those areas that are void. It reveals the truth to our souls and highlights the shadows that alter our perception and vision.
The gospels reveal a battle between light and darkness, specifically in John’s gospel. John tells us all about Jesus, the world's light. John 8:12 tells us Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.” Oh, friend, what would it be like to live a life that never walks in darkness? How incredible would that life be!
Jesus does not just call himself the light of the world; in Matthew 5, he also calls us to a life where we become a lamplighter in the spiritual. Matthew 5 reads: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Isn’t it wonderful to know that we are a light for Jesus? Our neighbors, colleagues, school friends, and loved ones need not live their lives in darkness because we carry with us the light of the world, and where we go, the light goes. So, when you are with your friends and family, show them the world's light, be more like Jesus, offer them more grace, be ready and quick to show forgiveness, and be a servant to all in an upside-down world.
I wonder what your life, and mine, would look like if we took this idea and ran with it. If we remind ourselves that it is not in spiritual darkness that we reside, but now that we follow Jesus, we reside in the light. Not only should we reside or abide there, but that shining light should be known to everyone we come in contact with. That is the call and the purpose of our lives. God did not leave us here to be blunt, darkened instruments worshipping Him in the quiet place only, but to worship Him, serve Him, and lead others to Christ. What a wonderful truth. God wants to use you as a Holy lighthouse to show Jesus to the generations around you, be they 80 or 8!
After reading this article, I hope your light will shine a little brighter to those around you.
Maybe you are reading this and don’t have a light yet; you still reside in darkness because you don’t know Jesus yet. Coming across this article was not an accident. There is still time to find out more about Jesus. Let’s be honest: loving Jesus doesn’t magically make life easier, and sometimes it can be harder. Not all your questions will be answered; sometimes, you will find more questions than answers. But there is something incredible about living your life in the light, knowing you are loved sacrificially, being chosen and purposed, and knowing you get to tell others about this love. So why not find out more about Jesus? Why live in the dark if you don’t have to? I hope someday you will be shining a light for Jesus, too.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Cherry Laithang
