A friend and I were chatting on the phone last Monday. He said he was trying to repair the bathroom light. I joked, “So you’re showering in the dark now!” We laughed. The next morning whilst I was showering, the shower head, which is connected to the bath tap, blew a gasket and sprayed water all over the show! That will serve me right for making fun at my friend and his bathroom light!
As I needed a few items at the hardware store, I decided today would be the day. The first shop I went to was an electrical shop. I needed an oven light and replacements for some small LED lamps in our lounge that had come to the end of their life span. The store does not stock either. Then, I was off to a hardware store for the shower head. A friendly gentleman assisted me, and I was able to replace the shower head with an identical one. I browsed their electrical section and could not find any LED lamps nor the oven light. The people at the hardware store recommended I go to an electrical wholesale company. One car trip later, I found that the electrical wholesale company did not stock the oven light nor the LED lamps either. The people there suggested I go to another store that sold all spares for all kitchen equipment. At this store, I struck gold as they had the oven light.
Now, the oven has a light for the first time since we bought the house. Whoever cooks can see what they have in the oven. At this store a friendly young man suggested I try a nearby place called Lighting Warehouse. Hey presto … that store had what I wanted. The lounge lights are special lights and originally came out with halogen lamps. When we purchased them, the salesman said they had LED replacement lamps that were brighter. We purchased these, but even they were rather dim. Now, a few years down the line, some of the LED lamps are not working, so I replaced them with the original halogen lamps, but the lounge is far darker than it was. Today, a rather friendly and helpful lady showed me the LED lamps. Like mine, they were 3 watts. I asked whether they had something brighter and she responded saying she had an 8-watt one. She demonstrated the difference to me and I walked away with the brighter lamps. Now, the lounge is wonderfully bright and when Jenny sits there knitting or sewing she is able to see what she is doing. So today, I accomplished three small tasks. The shower works, the oven light works and the lounge is rather bright.
Light makes a huge difference. Take the oven for example. The recipe might say cook for 55 minutes at 180 degrees … but without seeing what’s happening it is easy to burn the food. Be it roast potatoes, roast carrots, roast chicken or roast meat, if it’s burnt it tastes disgustingly terrible! Or what about the lounge lights? Because of the lack of lighting, Jenny knitted and knitted and pulled out what she knitted because she made mistakes due to the dim light. Light is important, especially if you are used to it. (One often feels for the thousands and thousands in our country who live without electricity … no lights.) I moved my desk into another room this week that we now call the study. I have a window in front of the desk. I have proper lighting in the room and I have a desk lamp. I can see what I’m doing. Light makes the world of difference … it even makes the work being done easier and more pleasurable. That’s physical light. What does the Bible say about spiritual light?
David the Lamp of Israel
David was referred to as a ‘lamp of Israel’:
2Sa 21:15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.
He was their king and leader, God’s man being the light as he leads the people for God!
God the Lamp of David
God is referred to as a lamp. As part of a song of praise to God for protection and deliverance, David sings:
2Sa 22:29 You are my lamp, O LORD, the LORD turns my darkness into light.
God as lamp, lights up his soul giving spiritual light!
God’s Promise of an Eternal Lamp
God promises David he will always have a lamp on the throne of Israel:
1 Kings 11:36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.
Although Solomon follows as king/lamp after David, his kingdom collapses … yet this verse points to the Lord Jesus as the Lamp (Light of the world). See 2 Kings 8:19, which reiterates God’s promise of ‘maintaining a lamp for David … forever’.
But today, we find ourselves living on earth. The glorious Lamp and Light of Heaven is not yet ours, yet by His Spirit, Jesus lives within us. He is our Lamp and requires that we show His light to the world.
Mt 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
We must reflect His light! How do we do this? As we love, obey and serve Him, He shines through us:
Ps 18:28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
And we see the role of His Word:
Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
O God, light up my heart so that I will walk faithfully, shining Your light into this world. Amen.