468
Prophets and Kings
He causes “the light to shine out of darkness.”
2 Corinthians 4:6
.
When “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon
the face of the deep,” “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis
1:2, 3
. So in the night of spiritual darkness, God’s word goes forth,
“Let there be light.” To His people He says, “Arise, shine; for thy light
is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
Isaiah 60:1
.
[718]
“Behold,” says the Scripture, “the darkness shall cover the earth,
and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and
His glory shall be seen upon thee.”
Verse 2
. Christ, the outshining of
the Father’s glory, came to the world as its light. He came to represent
God to men, and of Him it is written that He was anointed “with the
Holy Ghost and with power,” and “went about doing good.”
Acts 10:38
.
In the synagogue at Nazareth He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon
Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Luke 4:18,
19
. This was the work He commissioned His disciples to do. “Ye are
the light of the world,” He said. “Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14, 16
.
This is the work which the prophet Isaiah describes when he says:
“Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor
that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou
cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then
shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring
forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of
the Lord shall be thy rearward.”
Isaiah 58:7, 8
.
Thus in the night of spiritual darkness God’s glory is to shine forth
through His church in lifting up the bowed down and comforting those
that mourn.
[719]
All around us are heard the wails of a world’s sorrow. On every
hand are the needy and distressed. It is ours to aid in relieving and
softening life’s hardships and misery. The wants of the soul only the
love of Christ can satisfy. If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be
full of divine sympathy. The sealed fountains of earnest, Christlike
love will be unsealed.