After doing a deep word study on LIGHT in the Bible, I discovered that the pattern of separating light from darkness is an important lesson for us today. I invite you to walk through this study with me as I explore this pattern.
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It is important to acknowledge the Principle of First Mention. The first mention almost always contains the most complete and accurate meaning of the word. This not only serves as a key to understanding the word’s biblical concept, but it also provides a foundation for its fuller development in later parts of the Bible.
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:2-5
One of the things we can see from this first mention of light and darkness is that God called the LIGHT GOOD then divided it or some versions say “separated” the good light from the darkness.
Separating the light from the darkness is a common pattern throughout the Bible. Most people intuitively know that the light is good while the darkness is bad, but do most people know why? The reason why is because God established this pattern with its first mention in Genesis chapter 1 when He declared that the light is good, and He separated it from the darkness.
So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Exodus 10:22-23
All of Egypt had darkness for three days (FYI: 3 days is another pattern… Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days, Jonah in the belly of the great fish…)
At the same time that Egypt was in darkness, Israel had light in their dwellings.
Right here, in the time of Moses and the plagues leading to the exodus, God is still calling the light good and separating it from the darkness because the light is always good and must be separated from the darkness.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
Exodus 14:20
Now, Moses has convinced pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt only to have pharaoh and his soldiers on chariots chasing them down. God intervened with this incredible miracle of a single entity being a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians while at the same time the same entity was light to the Israelites and created a separation between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Once again, the light is good and must be separated from the darkness.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 9:5
Your word is a lamp to my feet
Psalm 119:105
And a light to my path.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Psalm 27:1
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Just as Jesus and the Bible is the light, the Bible is clear who the darkness is. We don’t have to assume. Jesus said that He is the light of the world. Psalm said that the Word of God is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:11
Who is the darkness? The spiritual hosts of wickedness and those of us who hate other people are considered the darkness.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [a]comprehend it.
John 1:5
If you walk into a dark room with a flashlight or turn the light on, the room will be filled with light. The darkness has no choice but to leave the room because light is there.
The dictionary defines the darkness as the partial or total absence of light. The very definition of darkness says that darkness cannot exist in the same place as light because darkness is by definition the absence of light. Light drives out darkness not the other way around.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:5-9
We will not be perfect. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. We will sin. We will fall short, but we shouldn’t be okay with that. We definitely should not have an “Oh well! Sin happens” attitude.
When we sin, our light has gone out. We are in darkness. This is not okay. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t condemn yourself or think you’re the worst because everyone falls short.
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
Psalm 97:10-12
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
At the same time, don’t be quick to excuse your sin or think it’s not a big deal. Sin is always a very big deal.
The great balance that is the Christian walk is to be quick to recognize sin in our life and determine that it’s not okay to be there. Once we recognize it, be quick to bring it to God, and repent. Repenting means to acknowledge that we sinned and that we are choosing not to sin in that way anymore, but we must also confess that we cannot stop sinning in our own strength or abilities. We must ask God to step in and give us the ability to stop sinning in that way.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
Just like Jesus is the light and the Bible is the light, we are supposed to be the light. We are supposed to be the very same light that Jesus was. A flashlight entering a dark room exposes the things that couldn’t be seen before.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1 Peter 2:9
We are called out of the darkness because the light is good and must be separated from the darkness. The light will always reveal what the darkness hides.
The light is good and must be separated from the darkness because darkness cannot remain in the presence of the light. We must examine our hearts for darkness and shine the light wherever we find it.
Separation of light and darkness is a pattern that is found throughout the Bible. Whatever God mentions A LOT is something that He really wants to make sure we understand. He keeps bringing it up over and over again because He doesn’t want us to miss it. These are the points that we need to pay closer attention to.
There were many more scriptures about light and darkness. They all come back to the same principle found in Genesis: The light is good and must be separated from the darkness.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Isaiah 5:20
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
The people who walked in darkness
Isaiah 9:2 which is quoted in Matthew 4:12-17
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Isaiah 13:9-10
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.
I form the light and create darkness,
Isaiah 45:7
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD (YHWH), do all these things.’
“Who among you fears the LORD?
Isaiah 50:10
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD
And rely upon his God.
If you extend your soul to the hungry
Isaiah 58:10
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
Matthew 4:12-17 (quoting Isaiah 9:2)
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
Matthew 4:12-17 (quoting Isaiah 9:2)
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light . But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23
Matthew 6:22
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:5
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:19-21
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? 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.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
John 11:9-11
In Acts 16:27-32, The keeper of the prison called for a LIGHT in v29. Psalm 119:105 says that the Word of the Lord is a LIGHT
Paul & Silas were captive in darkness. The guard called for a light and was given the Word of the Lord which is a light. This Word revealed that it was the guard who had been in darkness, and that same Word lit the path to salvation.
And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
Acts 16:27-32
Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Not only does 2 Corinthians 6:14 apply to marriage as is usually taught, but it also applies to any relationship that is a “yoking” one to another: Best friends, business relationships, partnerships, mentorships, counselors.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
Ephesians 5:8-21
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Walk in Wisdom
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:5-9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1 Peter 2:9
Never forget how important you are to God’s plan! He has called you out to declare His light.