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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
The Jljght o f the Knowledge o f the Glory o f Qod [Continued from page 87]
in it : for the glory o f God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev. 21 :23). Have you ever noticed the contrast, in Isaiah 60, be tween “ the sun” and “ thy sun,” and between “ the moon” and “ thy moon” ? (vs. 19, 20).. The picture is for Israel, but in these glories we also are to share, as we have already seen. “ The sun shall be no more thy light by day ; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but Je hovah will be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (v. 19, R .V .). So much for that which is na tural, as “ the sun” and “ the moon.” Now, read on. “ Thy sun” — notice, “ thy sun” — “ Thy sun shall no; more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself ; for Jehovah will be thine everlasting light, and the days o f thy mourning shall be ended” (v. 20, R .V .), He who is the Light is both sun and moon to His peo ple, His earthly people and His heavenly people. They who follow Him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light o f life (John 8 :12). “ If we say that we have fellow ship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth : But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood o f Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1 :6, 7 ). L ight for the P ath In the world we are appointed to suffer tribulation, but we can testify with God’s servant o f old, who said : “ When his candle shined upon my head, . . . by his light I walked through darkness” (Job 2 9 :3 ), or with another who said : “ Jehovah is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear ?” and, “ With thee is the fountain of life : in thy light shall we see light,” and, “ Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound : They walk, O Jehovah,.in the light o f thy countenance” (Psa. 2 7 :1, R .V . ; 36 :9 ; 89:15, R .V .). It remains only to point out again the way into all this blessedness. It is through the Word o f God. “ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” ; “ The entrance o f thy words giveth light; it giveth understand ing unto the simple” (Psa. 119:105, 130). This is the light of the knowledge o f the glory o f God, shining forth frotn the face o f Jesus Christ, who Himself is the Word o f God ; and this is the light that leads us into the presence o f a holy God and sustains us there in joyous fellowship. Thomas Binney’s beautiful hymn expresses this thought perfectly : Eternal Light! Eternal Light! How pure the soul must be, When, placed within Thy searching sight, It shrinks not, but, with calm delight, Can live, and look on Thee ! The spirits that surround Thy throne May bear the burning bliss ; But that is surely theirs alone, Since they have never, never known A fallen world like this. Oh, how shall I, whose native sphere Is dark, whose mind is dim,
the light to shine out o f darkness, hath shined in our hearts.” That is what did it. That is what transformed the blind Saul o f Tarsus into the open-eyed Paul the apostle. God had shined in his heart, “ to give” unto him “ the light o f the knowledge o f the glory o f God.” And whence comes the light, this “ light o f the knowledge o f the glory o f God” ? It proceeds from Him who is the Light; it is “ in the face o f Jesus Christ.” L ight —H idden and M anifested Science tells us that light, in itself, is invisible. “ That which maketh manifest is light,” but light itself cannot be seen'. What we see is that which the light reveals, but we do hot see the light itself. Apart from the Son, “ no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom o f the Father, he hath declared him [“made him known” ] ” (John 1 :18). Apart from the Son, the Fa ther is unknowable, “ dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see” (1 Tim. 6 :16 ). The everlasting Son is the only way to God (John 14:6), and He is “ the image o f the invisible God” (Col. 1:15 ). He that hath seen Him hath seen the Father (John 14:9 ), but “ whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father” (1 John 2 :23 ). Men produce light from electricity, and since light and electricity travel at the same rate of speed, 186,000 miles per second, it is assumed that electricity is just another form o f light. Electricity is brought into a building by means o f cables and wires. The wires are dark and cold, and the mysterious current remains dark and cold until it meets what the electrician calls a resistance coil, in some form or other. If the resistance coil be o f a certain form, the result' is light; illuminating the rooms o f the building. I f it be of another form, the result is heat, and the whole building may be made comfortable in the coldest weather. I f it be o f yet another form, the result is power, by which power the building, perchance a mill or factory, may utilize the electric current to operate its machinery. The Son o f God is “ the light o f the world.” But it re mains true that “ the whole world is lost in the darkness of sin.” Why is this ? It is because there are so few resistance coils. There are so few men and women who lay hold upon Him who is the Light, and with appropriating faith receive Him the light, the heat, and the power He is so ready to give. And He who is the Light one day said to His friends: “ Ye are the light o f the world.” We who receive o f His light, ourselves become lights, and are ordained to “ shine as lights in the world ; Holding forth the word o f life” (Phil. 2:15, 16). Centers o f heat we should be also, to comfort, warm, and cheer those in need o f our ministry. And as for power, there is no limit unto us, for “ the ex ceeding greatness o f his power to us-ward who believe” is “ according to the working o f his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:19, 20). L ight I ncreasing And this way o f light grows better and better as we go on in it, for “ the path o f the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4 : 18). And when we reach the end o f the road, we shall see Him as He is, and we shall be like Him who is the Light— Him whose eyes are as a flame o f fire (Rev. 1 :14 ). We shall see H is ' face. In the city whither we are bound, there will be “ no need o f the sun, neither o f the moon, to shine
Before th’ Ineffable appear, And on my naked spirit bear That uncreated beam? There is a way for man to rise T o that sublime abode: An Off’ring and a Sacrifice, A Holy Spirit’s energies, An Advocate with God. These, these, prepare us for the sight O f Majesty above. The sons of ignorance and night Can stand in the eternal Light Through the eternal Love !
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