This year, through December, I pondered the word ‘light’. God prompted me to study it and made me curious about Jesus being called the Light of the World. Some people, trying to minimize the secular nature of Christmas, say that the lights on the tree represent Jesus being the light of the world. So what does the Bible actually say? And what does it actually mean?
As usual, I found myself in Genesis to begin a word study, and that didn’t disappoint. There are not many Hebrew/Greek words that are translated as light, but, wow, does the definition have depth to it!
In Genesis 1:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:1-4
Before the light of the world, there was darkness.
Before we can understand the significance of light, we need to understand what darkness means. There are three words the writer of Genesis uses to describe the world before creation- ‘without form’, ‘void’, and ‘darkness.’ All three of those words paint a very bleak picture.
‘Without form’ is translated from the Hebrew word tôû- formless, and according to Blue Letter Bible, means formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness, wasteland, wilderness, place of chaos, vanity.
‘Void’ is translated from the Hebrew word bôû and means emptiness, void, waste. Strong’s concordance depicts it as: “from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, i.e., (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin:—emptiness, void.”
‘Darkness’ is translated from the Hebrew word hōšeḵand according to Blue Letter Bible, means literally dark and night, but also figuratively obscurity, secret place, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness.
Right from the start, we have not just a case of physical darkness like night, but it describes a moral and emotional darkness, as well. Yet we read that even from those miserable beginnings, God was there. And He chased it all away with the words “Let there be light,” which immediately produced light in the darkness.
The word light is translated from the Hebrew word ‘Ôr,which is a noun,and means light of day, light of sun, moon and stars, morning light, light of lamp, life, prosperity, instruction, face, Jehovah as Israel’s light.
Before God created light, the world was dark, formless, and void. Those three words tell us that before light, there was chaos, destruction, misery, confusion, and emptiness. Then God spoke light into existence and we have the contrast of light and darkness. While light does mean brightness, the Hebrew word can also mean light of life, prosperity, instruction, and happiness. The words for light and darkness each have a physical and an emotional meaning.
God started with darkness and breathed life into it. When God created light in the void and darkness, He brought instruction, life, prosperity, and Himself into the darkness, and the darkness now had a boundary. It could no longer be the only way, and, actually, it no longer completely consumes our world because even in the night, as Genesis 1:16-19 tells us, God provided the moon, the lesser light, to rule the night. For us humans on earth, there is no complete darkness to consume our world.
The Light of the World Came After a Period of Darkness
Before Jesus was born, there was a period of 400 years when the Israelites didn’t hear from God. There were no prophets or angel appearances. All they had were their scriptures and the traditions that had been passed down through the Levite priests. And the law had been twisted and added to so that the Israelite people were living in darkness yet again. This time, it was oppression from within stemming from Pharisees who were living right within their own eyes and interpreting the law through their own human understanding.
We sure know what happens when we try to do life from our own understanding! That never goes well. Without the Holy Spirit to guide us, our human nature makes a mess of everything. So after 400 years of darkness, God sends light to the world. Not through his breath this time, but through His son. And Jesus turns the Jewish faith upside down during his ministry by challenging the laws and rules that the Pharisees have added to their faith. Those who follow Jesus embrace the light and become Christians.
Darkness to light is every Christian’s story.
The world before creation was, by default, dark, sad, empty, and miserable. The people before Jesus were oppressed and living in the dark as well. That’s what humanity defaults to without God. I couldn’t help but think about how similar human nature is to the darkness that existed before the world was created, and how we need God to fight our human nature. When we become saved, we are saved from our dark human nature, and Jesus becomes the one who lights our way. Every Christian lives out this creation story by God’s grace.
What an amazing concept to think about.
So when we celebrate Jesus’ coming to earth, we are celebrating the fact that we can live in the light. Without Jesus coming to die and redeem us, providing a way for us to have a relationship with the Father, we would not have the Holy Spirit to guide us. The darkness would continue to consume us.
Praise God that He sent Jesus to be a light in the darkness and to provide a way, just as He created light all those years ago when He chased the darkness away with His breath.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us Your son, as we remember and celebrate each Christmas. Thank you for graciously allowing us to personally experience the creation story. What an amazing gift you provided in the birth of Your son. May we always be reminded and aware that its not about the decorations or the food, the presents or even our family, but that it is about the reason you came- to bring light to our world, to provide a way for us to be with you, to once again, give the darkness a boundary in the lives of those who are new creations in Christ. Amen.
