The Great Light

Proverbs 13:9

The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

What jumped out at me this morning was this phrase “The light of the righteous rejoiceth:”

The first time we see the word LIGHT in the New Testament is in

Matthew 4:16

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Webster says this about LIGHT

“That ethereal agent or matter which makes objects perceptible to the sense of seeing, but the particles of which are separately invisible.”

Also “Illumination of mind; instruction; knowledge.”

What is this LIGHT mention in Matthew? Was this great LIGHT the sun? I don’t think so because of what is stated afterward. Notice they were sitting in darkness, it’s hard to sit in darkness after the light of the sun lighten up the world after a nigh of darkness. They were also sitting in the shadow of death when light sprung up. Here what I think. We were born in darkness a dead spirit which could not know God neither worship God.

John 4:23

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:24

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The people which sat in darkness (no light lost without hope) saw great light; (the gospel , the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God) and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. (The light of Jesus)

John 8:12

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 9:5

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 12:46

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Jesus is the Light and if we never know Jesus we will be seated in darkness and the shadow of death will ever be present. But the child of God walks through the shadow of death.

Psalms 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

Therefore “The light of the righteous rejoiceth:”