"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also." [Gen 1:16]

Amongst all of God’s creation, the heavenly lights that He created on the fourth day, “in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night,” [Gen 1:14] are in many opinions, that which give Him the most glory. These heavenly bodies and their tabernacle as it were speak to all languages across earth. They magnify God and show us His marvelous ingenuity. David writes,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” [Psa 19:1-5]

Further, by beholding these lights: the sun, moon, and stars – the stark conclusion that we are all insignificantly small in this universe is inescapable. Any man who looks upon and studies the vastness and depth and beauty of the heavens, or of any creative work God has done, shall certainly conclude alongside David, “when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?” [Psa 8:3-4] Moreover, we must cry out with humble awe when we realize the creator of these great things is far greater than them, again agreeing with David, “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!” [Psa 144:3] In comparison to even one of these heavenly bodies, let alone God, man’s days are very brief and very small. “Man is like to vanity: his days are a shadow that passeth away;” [Psa 144:4] and so, the realization of God’s tender and eternal love, who would take such thought and delight in man, “which is a worm,” [Job 25:6] is truly awe-inspiring and should provoke us to worship and live for Him; as Paul spoke, “for the love of Christ constraineth us.” [2 Cor 5:14]

Having the heavenly lights in our thoughts, let us prick up our ears to what God has said in Genesis, that the Sun was made to “rule the day,” and the moon, “to rule the night.” First, we remember the sun, which lights up our days, providing us with energy and life. It is most pleasant, and though day-by-day it retreats and season-by-season its strength and pervasiveness wanes, we enjoy it most and hope in that blessed day wherein God promises, “thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for The LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” [Isa 60:20] The sun reminds us of Christ, who is “The Bright and Morning Star,” [Rev 22:16] and “The Sun of Righteousness,” [Mal 4:2] and how He provides us with strength, energy, light, and life, and who, shining in all His glory, shall one day light up the New Jerusalem, the City of God –  for we are told, “there shall be no night there.” [Rev 21:25] Though presently in our lives we experience seasons and days of darkness, of a lack of seeing and feeling Jesus’ presence and warm light, as we see typified in creation, yet soon there shall be a day wherein, as the new creation, our “sun shall no more go down.”

Just as the sun hides itself beyond the horizon and night comes, so too in our lives, from time to time, the Lord Jesus’ glory is hidden from us and we must endure a season of darkness. As it is written of The LORD, “verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” [Isa 45:15] But as Peter says, these times are not without purpose, for He writes under influence of The Holy Spirit,

“…for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” [1 Pe 1:6-7]

Though it is necessary to experience hardship and temporary wanings of Christ’s light in this life, (for “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” [Acts 14:22]), yet even in these times of darkness, the light reigns supreme. For remember what God said regarding the moon, that it is, “the lesser light to rule the night.” And so, contrary to the flesh and what is only apparent to our natural man, even in the night seasons light reigns and rules. It is not just the daytime, filled with light, wherein light rules as the chief influence, but also the night, wherein the light of the sun reflects off the moon and onto earth. And so too it is with us, who have found ourselves in the night season: Christ’s light rules. When we cannot see the Lord Jesus, let us look to Zion, to the church, that great body which reflects Jesus’ glory even as the moon reflects the sun. Where we cannot comprehend or ascertain the glory of Christ primarily, let us allow our thirsty souls to seek after even a dim reflection – for His light, His glory, is so powerful a source, that even that dimness is greater than the surrounding darkness; for, “the lesser light” was set there of God “to rule the night;” and, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [1 Jn 4:4]

When the night of testing, hardship, affliction, or discouragement comes, let us lift up our eyes. As the Psalmist proclaims, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from The LORD, which made heaven and earth.” [Psa 121:1-2] Yes, let us take heed to the command, “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth,” [Col 3:2] looking upward to Christ to catch a glimmer of His light. And if we be too weak, let us take courage, for The LORD is “a shield for [us]; [our] glory, and the lifter up of [our] head[s].” [Psa 3:3] No matter the season, light rules; darkness shall never reign supreme nor conquer our lives. For through the love of Jesus we have become “more than conquerors.” [Rom 8:37]

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