From Darkness to Dawn to Gold

I’ve spent decades being enchanted with sunlight.  Not that I like constant sun, but that I love what the properties of sunlight do to a landscape.  There is light, yes, at dawn, but the light that comes when the sun enters each morning is altogether different.  I’ve often thought about the correlation to our Christian walk.  Through common grace all people on earth enjoy many blessings, but only those who walk in Christ, under His covering, experience illuminated  life in the Son, gilded in the way that the sun gilds every blade of grass.  For common grace allows us to live and move, be and become, but life in the Son promises that all things work together for God’s glory and our good.  I feel certain that at the end of time we will find that light and sunlight unknowingly  reveal to us things about God’s character and His creation that will bring us immense delight.

With those thoughts in mind I was fascinated to read this about the hour our Jesus died:

“An enormous earthquake occurred at this hour in Nicaea.  In the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad, Phlegon wrote that “a great darkness” occurred all over Europe which was inexplicable ot the astronomers.  The records of Rome, according to Tertullian, made note of a complete and universal darkness, which frightened the Senate, then meeting, and threw the city into an anxious turmoil, for there was no storm and no clouds.  The records of Grecian and Egyptian astronomers show thst this darkness was so intense for a while that even they, skeptical men of science, were alarmed.   People streamed in panic through the streets of every city, and birds went to rest, and cattle returned to their paddocks.  But there is no note of an eclipse; no eclipse was expected.  It was as if the sun had retreated through space and had been lost.  Mayan and Inca records also show this phenomenon, allowing for the difference in time.”  --Taylor Caldwell, footnote from research, Dear and Glorious Physician

Guess I never thought about darkness covering all the world-- the extinguishing of light symbolic of the extinguishing of The Light on such a cosmic scale. Every civilization that kept records, records this.   And earthquakes in Nicea?  Southeast of modern Istanbul? Wow!  Mysteries, all.

Another thing I’m puzzling.  The disciples were concerned about Jesus’ safety going to Judea because the Jews sought His life.  His answer?  “If anyone walks in the day He does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11:9)

In my awesome Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, on the reality and symbolism of light in Scripture:

“Light is a symbol of goodness and blessing….represents goodness and holiness as opposed to evil…in the NT the sanctified life is repeatedly associated with light…in Romans believers are commanded to “cast off the darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12—(again, alluding to protection from danger as Jesus ‘response did)…Light is also a symbol of God’s favor and the joy this favor brings…light is linked with truth and understanding as opposed to error and ignorance, and to the illumination that comes from embracing the truth…” 

"if anyone walks in the day he does not stumble..."

And then, just when I’ve thought of how the sun (imperfectly) represents the glories of Christ, I come across verses like these, that indicate these properties of light dwell also in His people.  Yes, we are called to “shine as lights in the world” in Phil 2:15,  and )…”Once you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Eph 5:8).  

But then this:

”Light dawns for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart (ps 97:11)…”The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Prov 4:18).  Isn’t that describing what I am talking about—the turning of gray dawn light into golden harvest of a sun-day? Our path is like unto this? 

Then why shall we fear?  And why should we be afraid—discontent—disenfranchised from our purpose and our people?  Our path goes from darkness to dawn to gold.  This, our path, is ordained by God for His perfect purposes which will not be thwarted come what may.  Just as surely as the sun rises, the glories of sunlight will be our heritage in the Lord, shining unto life and growth and increase and good fruit regardless of the challenges in the path.  Therein is our safety, and our hope.