Faithful on Fridays Blog

Light: Part One

I love the concept of the lower and upper stories of Scripture. The Bible is a fascinating book that reveals truth at both levels: our physical and spiritual life. A great example is light; let’s consider both the lower and upper story beginning with Genesis 1. 

Historically, God instructed Moses to write this book of beginnings after he lived for years in the Egyptian culture. It was full idolatry with Ra being the ‘creator of the universe’: their power deity of the sun. They believed Ra daily traveled across the universe; when he closed his eyes, it was nighttime and when he opened them it was daytime. In that way he ruled through darkness and light. That’s how Moses grew up, yet Elohim, Creator God, chose him to write the truth of creation. That’s the lower story. When you read Genesis 1:1-5 you’ll see the creation of ‘light’ mentioned five times, however, ‘darkness’ was already covering the earth. Why did Elohim create darkness first?

The lower story of darkness often describes chaos, destruction, or death; it’s the absence of light and God’s presence. When the Spirit appeared Elohim spoke light into our world. In the upper story God used darkness as a springboard for light, His presence, into our world. Even today Jewish people begin their day at sundown when darkness falls, 

And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 

What a beautiful lower and upper story to consider; with God, there’s a boundary between light and darkness (Job 26:10). However, He wasn’t finished with light for our world, He spoke even more into the heavens by creating the sun, moon, and stars to keep the light separated from the darkness. He called it good or beneficial for us, proving it with a lower story (Ex. 10) when Moses declared such a thick darkness over Egypt that it could be felt. God’s people did not experience that darkness because they had Elohim: Light. 

The Apostle John began his gospel account in a similar way, using the upper story of creation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

You gotta love this mystical writer of the gospel as he continually uses this upper story to point us to Jesus, the Light of the World. If you’re experiencing any chaos, destruction, or death in your life, darkness, it helps to remember that God’s Presence is available to bring light (revelation) into your situation and dispel that darkness. You can simply ask Him and He’ll respond.