The word light is used 272 times in the Bible. At the time of creation light was created, not by inventions and scientific extravaganza but simply but word of mouth by the Great Creator. The Lord proclaimed ‘let there be light and there was light.’ Genesis 1:3. The miracle does not stop here. In verse 4 the Lord did a wonderful thing. He separated/divided the light from the darkness. In verse 2 we learn that darkness pre-existed prior to creation. It is interesting to learn that God did not pronounce darkness ‘Good.’ Verse 4 says “And God saw the light, that it was good.” “light" was the ultimate ideal, and a symbol of wisdom, goodness, and knowledge. There is a powerful symbolism in God's choice to create light among the darkness of the universe. God separated darkness and light. The two would exist in the world separately, with light being the dominant force. To the extent that light appears, darkness will always disappear. Darkness has no defence against light, since "darkness" does not really exist, on its own. It is simply the absence of light.
In I John 1: 5 we learn “that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Light is the symbol of salvation, spiritual growth, and discernment. light in the Bible stands for spiritual illumination and truth. It encompasses all that is pure, good, and holy, as opposed to the darkness of evil. God’s Word is “a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” Psalms 119:105. It guides us in following his commands throughout our lives. Matthew 6:22-23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Conversely, darkness, in the scriptures, therefore, refers to all that which is evil, sin and despair. Acts 26:18 refers to darkness as Satan. All that is negative stems from the darkness. Spiritual darkness is a state of existence where a person is living without and away from Jesus Christ. Unbelievers live in spiritual darkness because Satan, the god of this world, has blinded their minds. They cannot see the glorious light of the gospel. In II Corinthians 4:4, we find the answer “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
We see this in many places in the scriptures, light is used with a different connotation. Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path.” Here light refers to intellectual truth as seen in God’s Word. In Romans 13:12-14, it refers to moral deeds, and darkness refers to immoral deeds.
We all carry a small light with us. Mathew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” It is our duty to share this light with others. Everyone needs this light and becomes free from the bondage of satan. Believers are light because they have been changed intellectually and morally. These changes have a far-reaching and profound impact making believers like a town on a hill, which illumines the sky for miles and miles. The light from believers cannot be hidden.
John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark.
Dr Ashwin Drummond