Light: Evening but Morning Comes

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4).

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light” (Psalm 36:9).

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

“….that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk…” (Gen. 21:23-24a)

Morning—streaks. Shots. Glows. Glimmers. Linear red, beams of pink, rays of gold, mottled purple clouds. Splendor washes. Heaven shimmers onto earth, a peak of the rainbow around the throne slipping over the dark, sleeping earth.

In the beginning, God streamed his light into the darkness, creating light. He himself named it, owned it. He separated the light from the darkness, creating order from the chaos. Perhaps the light was a spark from the glory around his own throne. The earth is full of his glory, for the heavens proclaim him.

In his creating work, evening changed to morning.

Evening changed to morning.
Evening changed to morning.
Throughout the whole creation week we read this miracle. God brought light into the darkness.

Into the darkness of slavery, the darkness of the plagues on Egypt, God flamed his guidance in a pillar of fire. Evening changed to morning.

Into the chaos of previous slaves, God created a people, giving them the law, a light to their feet, in flaming splendor from Mt. Sinai. Evening changed to morning.

In the ever-present light of the tabernacle and temple’s lightstand, God manifested his care and glory. In daily worship, daily sacrifices, daily reminder that evening changed to morning.

Sparks from the throne. Glory tidbits cast down on the earth.

Then Christ, the light of the world descended into the darkness. Left the radiant glory. True light! Light! Light into the darkness. Evening changed to morning.

Once again, the Spirit “shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6) to create for himself a people, called from darkness, “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Evening changed to morning.

Finally, the light-children will be brought to the True Light, the radiance of the glory of God in the splendor of the new city. God himself is our light. Evening no more, all is transformed into morning.

God is always working toward light. Evening to morning. Darkness to light. And light will conquer. Thus, in his light we see light (Ps. 36:9). He illuminates, creates, shapes, gives light, creates order in our chaos, calls us to light and life. He is The Illuminator. The Light.

Genesis “was God’s pattern of workmanship. He is always facing the light, his back is on the evening, his face is towards the waxing light, and the rising sun….it is blessedly true in the spiritual creation…. Yet God comes [into the darkness of our souls] with waxing light, and as God’s work develops, the light progresses until, eventually, it reaches noonday splendor. Our face is towards the sunrising, and our souls are looking towards the meridian splendor of God’s fully developed work, and of God’s self-revelation to our souls. We are always going from the evening to the morning as the work of grace progresses in our souls” (1).

Perhaps that is why the entrance to the Temple was always to face east, toward the rising sun. We look into his light, his hope, his life when we worship.

With the time change, night comes quicker. The cold dark seeps and curls its shadows around the trees earlier and earlier. Sometimes, I shiver. The dark of depression, the dark of crises in people’s lives, the dark of cancer, disease, anxiety, uncertainty, pride, slander, addiction…. The twilight of ignorance, temptations, lingering sin....But morning comes. Linear red, beams of pink, rays of gold, mottled purple clouds. Splendor washes. Heaven washes over earth, a peak of the rainbow around the throne slipping over the dark, sleeping earth. Glory touches from the God who is always working toward light, in my life and our lives. Remember this, in whatever circumstances of world or soul: Light conquers. By his miracle, evening changes to morning.

NOTES

(1) R. A. Finlayson. The Cross in the Experience of Our Lord.