We are still considering day one of creation. On this day God created light. We have considered what it means for God to have created light. We have considered the benediction spoken about this day. Now we are going to consider the division that is made upon this day, namely between the light from the darkness.
We read from Genesis 1:3-5 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
First, notice from our passage that God divided the light from the darkness. This division is key for this is seen in both a physical separation and later in the Bible, this division is taken up in a spiritual manner. Consider first the physical, or metaphysical, reality of a separation of light and dark. Practically speaking, light is required for life. While there are some creatures who do not need light to live, they have adapted to their environment and make their own light in order to survive. This is bioluminescent, and when you read about it or watch a documentary on animals capable of such amazing things, it makes the believer rejoice all the more for a wonderful Creator. The point is clear; we need light to live.
Some take this moment and wonder where the source of this light is coming from because the sun, stars, and moon has not been created yet. We will get to this objection later, but for now, we need to simply recognize the almighty God, Creator, knew exactly what we needed in order to live, move, and have our being. Without light, plants would not be able to grow. God is establishing everything for life in His creation, and the first thing He establishes is one of the first building blocks of creation- light.
Next, we have the spiritual element the Bible brings to light. Jesus calls Himself the light of the world in John 8. This language is unique and understandable. When we begin to look through the Bible, we see that God’s Word is a light for our path and a lamp for our feet (Psalm 119:105). This is exactly what Jesus is getting at when He says He is the light of the world. There is no hope apart from Him. He is the source of all light. He is the source of revelation. He is the source of all good. He is the light that shines in a dark world, giving us hope for a future.
It is only when we see Jesus Christ that we see the way of salvation. But how are we able to see Jesus in Scripture? This too reveals another luminary- the Holy Spirit. It is one of the works of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and ears to see and hear the voice of Jesus from the pages of Scripture and in the preaching of the Gospel. This is called the doctrine of illumination, where the Spirit shines His gracious light upon the Word revealing salvation for us. I love hearing the stories of believers who have experienced this wonderful moment where they read the Bible every year, but there is that one moment when they read that passage like they have read it for the first time. Suddenly, the lights are turned on in a dark room and they are finally seeing clearly. This is light. God the Father created the light. God the Son is the saving light. God the Holy Spirit shines His light upon the elect so they may believe in Christ.
As we turn back to Genesis, we see secondly, God named the light, and He named the darkness. In other words, He gives His creation a name. God does this. He has the authority to do this as the Creator. Here are several important concepts and points to consider.
First, God not only created all things, but He also names His creation. This speaks to the Author’s authority to not only create, but to also give a name to His creation.
Secondly, with this authority comes the authority to give purpose to His creation. We see this with purpose given to light and darkness. Not to spiritualize this text, but think about the way light and dark are understood throughout the scriptures following the fall of man into sin. To be in the light is to receive salvation, or to be redeemed, and in right relationship with God. But to be in the dark is to be fallen, lost, and still in your sin. As we have seen, the Holy Spirit brings us into the light. We are all in darkness until the light of God’s Word is revealed.
Thirdly, with this authority comes the authority to establish law. This is the moment we see the law of nature. For example, light reveals and helps to give sight. Darkness is the opposite. Light provides and darkness takes away. If we were to consider the light spectrum, which we have argued was created on this day of creation, then consider white light. This light includes every color in the spectrum. Black absorbs all color or is the absence of color. Think of a black hole and see that there is no light there. God establishes these laws of light and color.
In conclusion, the amazing thing about all that we uncovered in these articles is the fact that we are merely scratching the surface of God’s creation. We must never think we have finally arrived at a complete understanding of creation. Science is still groping for more information. We are still dealing with just a surface deep knowledge compared to what God knows of His creation. This should not discourage us, but encourage us to continue to investigate, experiment, and invent more to help us understand what God has provided in His world.
