THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD Tomorrow:
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for THOU HAST MAGNIFIED THY WORD ABOVE ALL THY NAME." (Psa 138:2) ". . . for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!" (Amplified Bible)
Devotion 23 of 30
THE PRINCIPLE OF LIGHT
"Light" is a significant word and concept in the kingdom of God. God Himself is known as "the Father of lights" (James 1:17), and "the message which we have heard" is that "God IS light, and in Him is no darkness" (I John 1:5). Those that have been "added to the church" (Acts 2:47) are identified as "children of light," and the "children of the day" (I Thess. 5:5). Describing our elevated status in Christ, the apostle proclaims, "For ye were once darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8). John wrote that the Lord Jesus was "the Light" (John 1:7), and Christ Himself declared, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
"Light" speaks of illumination – moral illumination. It is not basically a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual one. It has to do with understanding, perception, and insight. Christ was "light" in that He exposed the world to the person and plan of Jehovah God. God is "light" in that it is His nature to open reality to His offspring. He is inclined to do this, and delights greatly in it. The children of God are "light" because they have been illuminated, and now diffuse light into the world. Whereas they once walked in spiritual ignorance of God and the things of God, now they "know" Him (Heb. 8:11). Like their Lord, they "have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:14). These are the results of "light" – illumination, perception, and discernment. God Himself has opened their understanding to these things. He has not done it in a work of overwhelming power, but in the work of revelation – revelation in words that can be understood, pondered, and taken into the "memory" (I Cor. 15:3).
HISTORIC DREAMS
God has communicated with men by means of dreams and visions throughout His dealings with them. A perusal of some of these occurrences will serve to emphasize the superiority of the word of God. The majority of recorded dreams occurred prior to the inauguration of the new covenant. That earlier time was, of course, a period of lesser light, rudimentary knowledge, and sparse revelation.
Abimelech, a heathen king, was warned of God in a dream not to take Sarah, the wife of Abraham, to be his wife. If he did so, he would die (Gen. 20:3). Laban, a Syrian, was warned by God in a dream not to speak good or bad to Jacob (Gen. 31:24). A certain Midianite dreamed of the defeat of the Midianites by Gideon (Jdgs. 7:13). In a dream, the chief of the butlers in Egypt, was told of his restoration to Pharaoh's favor while he was in prison. The dream, however, was veiled to him, requiring the interpretation of Joseph, at the time a fellow prisoner (Gen. 40:8-25). The chief of the bakers in the same time, and of the same nation, was told of his imminent death in a dream. It, too, required interpretation by Joseph (Gen. 40:16-23).
Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, received a revelation of a coming worldwide famine. The dream, however, was not understood, and again required interpretation (Gen. 41:1-32). King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, had a dream that outlined the destiny of the world kingdoms, and told of their ultimate demise and replacement by the kingdom of God. His dream, however, was blotted from his remembrance. It not only required interpretation, but had to be brought back to the king's mind. Daniel accomplished both of these requirements (Dan. 2:3,28-48).
Certain wise men, not Jews, were warned of God in a dream to avoid that despotical ruler, Herod, who sought the life of the infant Jesus (Matt. 2:12).
Pilate's wife, outside of the covenant of promise, had a dream concerning the Lord Jesus, then on trial before her husband. She concluded that Pilate ought not to have anything to do with that "just man" (Matt. 27:19).
There were also righteous men and covenant people that had significant dreams. Jacob dreamed of a ladder "set up upon earth, and the top of it reached into heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon it" (Gen. 28:12-16). The dream and vision involved a confirmation of the Abrahamic covenant to him, and a pledge of the companionship of God Almighty. Again, Jacob dreamed of "rams which leaped upon the cattle that were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled." It proved to be a pledge of prosperity during what appeared to be impossible circumstances (Gen. 31:10-13). In his twilight years, Jacob had a third dream confirming that he would be able to go to Egypt for food during the time of famine, and be blessed by Joseph, his own son (Gen. 46:2-4).
Joseph, the son of Jacob, dreamed of sheaves of wheat and stars of heaven. The sheaves and stars represented his brothers and himself, and revealed that they would all bow down to him (Gen. 37:5- 10).
Solomon the king had a dream in which God asked concerning his preferences as a king. Upon Solomon's statement of a desire for wisdom, God confirmed that he would also receive riches and honor (I Kgs. 3:3-15).
Daniel dreamed of a period when the "saints would take the kingdom," and the people of God would have authority (Dan. 7:1-28).
Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord, had three significant dreams. All of them provided direction. In the first, he was informed that Mary, to whom he was betrothed, was to give birth to the Son of God. He was not to fear taking her to be his wife (Matt. 1:10-21). The second dream directed him to flee into Egypt because of Herod's edict to slay the infants around Bethlehem (Matt. 2:13). The third dream instructed him to return to Palestine following the death of Herod (Matt. 2:19-22).
There are some observations that ought to be made here. It is true that some today emphasize dreams, and even deprecate those who refuse to attach eternal significance to them. A review of these recorded dreams constrains us to draw several conclusions.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your forwardness to communicate Your mind and purpose to the sons of men.