Walking in the Lesser Lights

Sometimes we can be like Peter following lesser lights. “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:1-5) Peter was putting our Lord on the same level as Moses and Elias. We don’t wish to discount Moses and Elias but they can’t compare to our Lord.

“Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:28-32) Who are we lifting up above all others? 

Who is holding our hand and who is leading us in our darkest hours? “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined roundabout him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said,Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.”(Acts 9:3-8) God does work through men, as we can read in this chapter, but who is the light that shined in the eyes of the Apostle Paul?

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” (John 1:6-10)

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23)

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”(John 8:12)

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5) “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.” (John 11:9-10) Who is the source of light?

“And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:44-46)

Do others keep the light of God from shining bright because of their envy and pride? Do some not get a glimpse of the light because it is hidden under a bushel? Is there some man casting a shadow or standing in the way of the glorious light of God? Perhaps you are following just a man?

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.” (Romans 2:17-20)

There are so many lights we can follow in this world. The light of the world, the light of our eyes (lusts of the flesh), the light of other men, and the light of the glorious gospel can light our path. Do we choose other gods or other lights before our God? The first command to the Jews was “thou shalt have no other gods before me.” “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1st John 2:16)

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16)

In this verse we see that God made lesser lights in the heaven to provide light, provide signs, and identify seasons.

 “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 66:23) “He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.” (Psalms 104:19) The moon or lunar calendar determined feast days. The Feast of Tabernacles (dwelling place or tent of meeting) is one of the three pilgrimage festivals. The other two pilgrimage festivals are Passover and the giving of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai (feast of weeks or Pentecost). Isn’t it fitting that the Jews are actually celebrating the birth and death of Jesus at their festivals? If we study these three festivals we soon realize that they represent our Lord and what he accomplished for us on earth.

The Jewish Nation of Israel walks in these lesser lights today. They still walk in the moonlight. The new moon determined the times for their festivals because they use the Lunar Calendar for these feast days. However, when the sun comes up we don’t see the stars and the moon anymore because the sun blots them out. We see only the blue sky and the sun. When we look into the perfect law of liberty we see the SON. Ask yourself on a clear day what happened to the moon and the stars? They are hidden by our glorious sunlight.

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:14-17)

“For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” (2nd Corinthians 3:16) “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:18 King James 2000 Bible ©2003) “But if our gospel be hid, [Kalupto, veiled] it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4)

“Which vail is done away in Christ.” Can you even imagine the culture shock when Paul told the Jewish Christians (men and women) that they no longer needed to worship God covered or hidden showing humility by wearing their veil when the OT is read? “But we all (including women in our culture today) with ‘open face’ (not fully covered) beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord….”

Some of us men would not consider wearing a hat while blessing our food or during a prayer at the graveside. However, the other day I witnessed a church member bless his food with his cap on. I didn’t say anything even though I noticed. I guess, after all, if you feel uncovered because you’ve cut your hair why remove the hat? Or, why remove your hat during the worship service to the Lord if “your covering is just your hair” and not your cap? Personally, I feel otherwise and respectfully disagree with those that feel comfortable wearing a hat during prayer or worship as some do. “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.” (1st Corinthians 11:4) I feel that would include my hat. The practice of removing the hat during prayer has continued at the graveside for centuries even by men not religious at all. Notice this the next time you see old Tex buried in the ground after an Indian fight. Why did they remove those cowboy hats? Why has this been a longstanding custom? Is it just respect for men or for the Lord when we remove our hat? If we begin to focus on men, and the Jewish Christians, instead of women all of our arguments describing only hair as a covering,and how long is long, quickly begin unraveling before our very eyes. What applies to women also applies to men. Shorn is sheared hair that Paul wore on occasion. (Acts 18:18) If he grew his hair to his knees and trimmed off one inch every week would it still be long hair? W.E. Vine says, "Komao, signifies to let the hair grow LONG [abstract word for those that reason abstractly]." Many scholars agree that hair grows continuously (even when cut) and the word long is in the realm of abstract reasoning.

As Welty points out the Jewish Christians created the veil controversy of 1st Corinthians 11: “The Jews had long since abandoned the OT standard of capital punishment for adultery. This abandonment came about mainly due to the Roman system's abrogation of Jewish penal sovereignty in administering the death penalty. The convicted woman would instead be shorn or shaven,” Jewish women were veiled: “If a woman places upon herself the accusation of adultery, it is equivalent to a confession.” No Jewish woman in the church during this time would be willing to subject herself to this accusation. “It is known that the tallith commonly worn by men when reading on the Almemar or when praying before the ark is a symbol of condemnation for sin. Therefore for Paul, wearing the tallith must be forbidden because it dishonors the One Who atoned for all sin by virtue of His completed work.” Source: William Welty is the Executive Director of The ISV Foundation.

“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.” (Exodus 34:29-34)

As Christians we can view the glory of God and his son without the veil. Moses removed the veil when he talked to the Lord but when he talked to the congregation the veil was on his face. “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.” As Christians we don’t walk in the light of the moon and stars. Much of our bible is written metaphorically but often reflects physical reality too. Moses actually did put a veil over his face and Jews worshiped veiled and struggle with these same traditions today in the shul (synagogue) and in their public walk, as do all major religions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbrQwEerLsY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3qEqTqH33M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6bUAtrnHfU&feature=fvwrel

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto 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 the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 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. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1st John chapter one)

When we talk about religious controversy in the church it is not similar to some of the religious controversy that John discusses in 1st John. We don’t hear sermons from some in the church that do not believe that Christ came in the flesh (the antichrist). “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1st John 4:2-3) This form of Gnosticism (belief in gnosis) denied that Christ had a physical body.

When it comes to “fellowhelpers to the truth” John wrote this: “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” (3rd John 9-10)

As we know from history pride grew in the church until the word of God was hidden in a dead language (Latin) and was not available to the common man. Historians refer to various periods like this as “Dark Ages” as opposed to “Enlightenment” or age of reason.

The Apostle Paul speaks to this when he writes the Thessalonians in his second chapter: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)

“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” (Matthew 10:26-27) “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32)

The light of God is his SON and not these lesser lights."But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." (Malachi 4:2)

Christ is the head of the church. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23) “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1st John 1:7)

Yes, the light of God will shine even brighter someday. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)