THE
SUN RISE
By
Jeremy Dehut
On the first day of creation God spoke light into existence
and separated it from darkness, and proceeded to name the
light Day and darkness Night. On the fourth day God
fashioned the lights in the sky, the sun, moon and stars.
Ever since then we have been blessed with the daily
consistency of the rising and setting of heavenly lights,
from which we are blessed with light and warmth
(Gen.
1:3-5, 14-19).
It is such a refreshing thing in the chilly predawn hours
to experience the beginning of a new day as the sun crests
the horizon, warming the morning air and melting away the
dew. Everything appears fresh and new, vibrant and alive!
The morning sun can be inspirational to those who
experience it.
LIGHT IN THE PSALMS
The writers of the Psalms certainly found inspiration in
light! Considering the following verses:
“The
Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The
Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid” (Ps. 27:1)?
“For
with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see
light” (Ps. 36:9).
“For
you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from
falling, that I may walk before God in the light of
life” (Ps. 56:13).
Not only did the Psalmists find inspiration in light, but
the prophets were inspired by God’s spirit to use the
imagery of the sunrise to predict the most significant
event of human history!
THE SUNRISE
In Isaiah’s well-known prophecy predicting the birth
of Jesus, he said,
“The
people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, and them has
light shined” (Is. 9:2).
Later in the book of Isaiah this is recorded,
“Arise,
shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the
earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will
arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And
nations shall come to your light, and kings o the
brightness of your rising…Then you shall see and be
radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the
abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of
the nations shall come to you…The sun shall be no
more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting
light, and your God will be your glory” (Is. 60:1-3,
5, 19).
Isaiah says we are people who “walk in
darkness,” and “dwell in a land of deep
darkness” (see also
Eph. 5:8; Col. 1:13; 1 Jn. 2:9).
While in darkness, nothing happens but stumbling, groping
and searching for the light. For those of us in this land
of darkness, Isaiah promised God’s coming as the
sunrise, providing all the light we need.
ZECHARIAH’S PROPHECY
As soon as Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist,
confirmed what John’s name should be, God returned to
him the ability to speak (Lk.
1:63-64).
The first words out of his mouth are words of praise toward
God. After these initial words of blessing, Zechariah is
filled with the Spirit, and pronounces the final prophecy
of the Old Covenant as well as the first of the New.
Towards the end of this prophetic hymn of thanks, Zechariah
explains why John was commissioned by God to prepare the
ways of the Most High.
“Because
the tender mercy of our God, the sunrise from on high has
broken upon us” (Lk. 1:78).
Christ’s impending birth, life and victory over death
are seen as a majestic sunrise, dawning in a dark and
desolate wilderness where we sit imprisoned by the black
chains of our own sin. Because of Him there is a new day!
Because of Him there is victory! Because of Him there is
hope!