The older I get the more need I have for light. Especially when I read and study. As we age the eyes fade and the goodness of light illuminates our subject that is shrouded in the dim. You know what’s funny about light? When you need it nothing else will do. Light is light and nothing can replace it. We’ve had a few new light technologies in the last years with LED, but the technology is all meant to yield the same results. To give mankind illumination to see what needs to be seen in the midst of darkness that seeks to conceal it.
I’m a big fan of flashlights. I really can’t say why, they just fascinate me, especially the really high-powered ones. Light output is measured in lumens, basically the more lumens the brighter and stronger the beam. I saw a flashlight at Home Depot the other day that was 1300 lumens. It was a really cool silver/chrome finish and the manufacturers were smart enough to package it with the batteries already in it so you could try it out. This thing was a beast. In the middle of the day in full light you could see the beam on the 35' ceiling of the store. Cool. The really fun thing is to take a high powered flashlight out into the night and shine it into the sky. It pierces the darkness as it clears a path to the stars. The darkness ceases to exist in the presence of intense light.
This morning we encounter different kind of light in Leviticus chapter 24, the perpetual light of the lampstand in the tabernacle. We’ve studied the golden lampstand and its construction back in Exodus 25 and then we saw the basic instructions for its use in Exodus 30. Today we see its actual use. It stood on a beautifully wrought golden base that sprouted into 7 golden branches of almond boughs. Aaron, the high priest, would pour oil into the reservoirs and then the oil would be burned. God instructed that it burn continually while the tabernacle was erected. The specifics God gives about the light in the lampstand is beyond valuable, let’s take a look.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning constantly. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord constantly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord constantly.” Leviticus 24:1-4
When you see light mentioned in God’s Word is represents, God. In fact, throughout the Bible it represents not just God the Father but the entire Holy Trinity. God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.
It represents God the Father - “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
It represents Jesus Christ – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
It represents the Holy Spirit – “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Hebrews 6:4
God is light in a dark world. You could probably figure this out just by looking around our planet today, but did you know that satan is thoroughly in control of this world?
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 1 Corinthians 4:4
You see, the natural state of our world is darkness. Spiritual darkness. As the light of Christ is loosed in our world today it can have quite the dramatic effect. A 1300 lumen light shining all around in utter darkness not only illuminates the path of the one who wields it but the light also benefits others. If I’m holding the flashlight, even all of those around me benefit from that light. And even those that are far away can see the light.
But what struck me this morning was the suppliers of the light. We already saw above that God is light, and all light is supplied by Him. But in this instance instead of miraculously supplying the oil or the flame for the light, He commands the people to bring it. He uses His people to fuel His light. What a beautiful picture we have here.
The oil itself was to be from olives. Now when you get oil from an olive there are different methods. You can press it, or you can beat it. (Do I have to pay Michael Jackson’s estate royalties for saying beat it?) The next time you go to the store check out the olive oil labels. You’ll see virgin and extra virgin to describe the quality of the olives used to produce the oil, but you’ll also more than likely see on the label, hand-pressed or cold-pressed. Pressing is the most common and cost efficient way to extract the oil from the olive. But notice that God specifically instructs them to avoid this method. He commands them to beat the olives. You see to beat the olives was time consuming, difficult and exhausting, but it produced by far the most pure, contaminant-free oil. The oil was pure, fine and clean and it got that way by hard work. God wanted the best oil from His people for the light that would perpetually burn for Him.
Folks, today if you have Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have the very light of God burning within you. It is like a lamp that shines out into a dark world, illuminating all around you. The purer the oil you provide for God, the brighter your light can shine. You see God demands a pure heart. He desires you to be blemish free, absent of anger, lust, jealousy, idolatry, gossip, greed, sexual immorality and pride. A pure heart will allow God’s purity to magnify and intensify the light He provides to every believer. The purity of your heart affects the brightness of your light. Is your light for Christ today shining at 1300 lumens or 300 lumens?
Seek a pure heart before God today. He and He alone can cleanse and purify your heart. And just how can He cleanse you? Well, like beating those olives, it will take hard work on your part. Study His Holy Word daily, be in constant prayer to Him, seek blessed fellowship with other believers, serve Him through serving others and a myriad of others ways. Get close to God and He will work on your heart. But folks, a cleansing of the heart is not a one time deal. In fact, at times it seems it can be a by the minute deal. You see, if you walk down a muddy road, your gonna get muddy. As you walk in this sin-filled, dark world, you’ll be greatly tempted to get dirty. You have to fiercely protect your heart each and every minute of the day. Satan’s world is a tricky, tempting place and if you’re not constantly on guard, you’ll get ensnared quickly and easily. Seek a pure heart and then protect that pure heart today. As a result, God’s light will go before you and illuminate your path so that not only you will see it, but the world around you will see it.
Spend time today beating those olives to a fine, beautiful, pure oil and present it to the Lord. He will use it to shine a great light through you.
Merry Christmas.
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