Entering Into God’s Presence Knowing God Through His Nature & Character

All Light (An Infinite Attribute of God’s Nature)

To Study and Ponder:

• This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is
  no darkness at all. (1Jn 1:5). Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow (Jam 1:17).

• God has nothing to hide. He has no darkness which he needs to cover up. Therefore, there is no pretense in God. He can live in absolute openness and transparency, making himself known without reserve, because there is nothing unseemly about him. His “deeds are perfect” (Deu 32:4), his “way is perfect” (2Sa 22:31), his “laws are perfect” (Psa 119:138) – everything about him is perfect (Mat 5:48). His integrity is on display for all to observe.

• Because he is light and because he desires fellowship with us, he invites us to walk in the light with him. This is possible because of what he has done for each one of us. “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (Psa 56:13).

  • -  Isaiah exhorts his listeners, “let us walk in the light of the LORD!” (Isa 2:5).

  • -  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness,

    because you will have the light that leads to life” (Joh 8:12) and “My light will shine for you just a

    little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you” (Joh 12:35).

  • -  Paul states, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and

    true” (Eph 5:8-9).

• Jesus is the “light and glory” of God which came to dwell among men and women. Simeon said of the infant Jesus, “He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luk 2:32). This echoes Isaiah: “the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (Isa 60:19). Paul explains, ‘For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2Co 4:6). And John describes the New Jerusalem, saying, “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory” (Rev 21:23-24).

• Spend some time reflecting on the glory of God.

  • -  Two main Hebrew words are translated as “glory.” The main Hebrew word translated as

    “glory” is kabod (#3519). It is used 200 times in the Old Testament.
    It is used to describe God’s indescribable excellence: Exo 16:10; 24:16,17; 33:18-22; 40:34,35; Deu 5:24; 2Ch 5:13-14; 7:1-3; Psa 19:1; 24:7-10; 26:8; 29:3; 57:5,11; 97:6; 102:15,16; Isa 6:3-4; 40:5; 42:8; 58:8; 66:18-19b; Eze 1:28; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4-19; Hab 2:14; Zec 2:5.
    It is used to exhort people to give glory to God: 1Ch 16:24-29; Psa 29:1,2,9; 72:19; 115:1; 145:11,12; Isa 42:12; Jer 13:16.

  • -  The main Greek word translated as “glory” is doxa (#1391). It is used 168 times in the New Testament. It is used to describe God’s indescribable excellence: Mat 16:27; 24:30; 25:31; Luk 2:9,32; 9:31,32; Joh 1:14; 2:11; 11:4,40; 17:5,22,24; Acts 7:55; Rom 1:23; 5:2; 9:23a; 2Co 3:18a; 4:4,6,15; Eph 3:16; Php 3:21; 4:19; Col 1:11; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:3;1Pe 4:13,14; 2Pe 1:17; Rev 15:8; 21:11,23.

    It is used to exhort people to give glory to God: Luk 2:14; 17:18; Act 12:23; Rom 11:36; 15:7; Eph 1:6; 3:21; Php 1:11; 2:11; 1Ti 1:17; 1Pe 4:11; 5:11; Jud 1:25; Rev 1:6; 4:9,11; 5:12,13; 7:12; 19:1.

• Note the following article on the word shekinah:- It is the “transliteration of a Hebrew word

meaning “the one who dwells” or “that which dwells.” The term enters Christian theology from

its use in the Targums and rabbinic literature to describe the immanent presence in the world

of the transcendent Deity. Although the word is not itself used in either Testament, it clearly

originates in OT passages which describe God as dwelling among a people or in a particular

place (Gen 9:27; Exo 25:8; 29:45, 46; Num 5:3; 1Ki 6:13; Psa 68:16,18; 74:2; Isa 8:18; Eze

43:7-9; Joe 3:17,21; Zec 2:10, 11); God, whose dwelling is in heaven, also dwells on earth. In

its narrower uses the term is applied to the “shekinah glory,” the visible pillar of fire and

smoke that dwelled in the midst of Israel at Sinai (Ex0 19:16-18), in the wilderness

(40:34-38), and in the temple (1Ki 6:13; 8:10-13; 2Ch 6:1-2)... The NT frequently alludes to

the concept of the Shekinah, even though the term itself is not used. God’s presence in the

NT is frequently associated with light and glory (Luk 2:9; 9:29; Act 9:3-6; 22:6-11; 26:12-16;

2Pe 1:16-18). John’s Gospel emphasizes both the concept of glory and of dwelling. When

the word became flesh, he dwelled among men who beheld his glory (Joh 1:14). The Spirit of

God remained on him (v 32) and would be with his followers forever (14:16). He would abide

in those who abide in Jesus (15:4-10). The same themes of dwelling in Christ and of his

dwelling in his people occur repeatedly also in John’s letters (1Jn 2:6,14,24,27,28;

3:6,14,15,24; 2Jn 1:9). Paul also identifies Christ as the Shekinah of God. All the fullness of

the godhead dwells in him bodily (Col 1:19; 2:9). The dwelling of Christ in the church

constitutes the saints as the people of God (1:15–23). Paul’s message was the “gospel of the

glory of Christ,” for God had caused light to shine to give “knowledge of the glory of God in

the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4–6 NIV). Finally, the writer of Hebrews sees Christ as “the

radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his nature” (Heb 1:3 NIV).” (Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (1943–1944). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

Meditation/Memory:

Lower Grades:

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. John 8:12 (NLT)

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 1 John 1:5

Middle Grades:

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. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (NLT)

Upper Grades:

Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. Luke 1:78-79 (NLT)

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7 (NLT)