Have you ever thought about the first four words ever spoken by God?
Alexa, Turn on the lights!
A few years ago, we somehow got our first Alexa. I was reluctant to bring Alexa into our house because we already had Siri and I wasn’t sure if the two would get along. But after we got the first Echo Dot with Alexa, we were sold!
Maybe our favorite discovery was when we realized we could use Alexa to turn on the lights! After all, we all know how difficult it is to flip a light switch, so imagine our relief when we realized that with a smart plug or a smart switch, Alexa could now control the lights in our house.
So now, every morning when I come down to the kitchen to get coffee I just say, “Alexa, turn on the Kitchen Lights,” and the lights magically turn on in the kitchen! It’s so nice!
Surrounded by Darkness
Don’t you wish it was that easy to turn on the lights in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us in the rest of our lives?
I think about what’s happening right now with the pandemic and how people around the world continue to suffer from this virus. These past 8 months have been a dark time for so many because they’ve gotten sick, someone they love has become sick, or they’ve lost their job, or been affected negatively in some other tragic way. It’s been a dark time in our world.
I think about what’s happening right now in our country with the 2020 Election. No matter who you voted for or what you think about when you think about American politics, I think we can all agree there’s a sense in which this has been a dark and difficult season in the life of our nation.
I think about what’s happening in the spiritual lives of so many people right now. So many people who, maybe they were connected to a church this time last year but now, because churches have been unable to meet, have become disconnected. People who are living in the darkness of isolation, of sin, or shame, or worse. Spiritually, they are in a dark place.
We wish we could just say, “Alexa, turn on the lights!” But, it’s not that simple.
Darkness, in whatever form it presents itself, is always problematic. And the truth is, sometimes we experience darkness because of our own poor choices. But sometimes, we experience darkness because we live in a broken and fallen world and darkness is all around us.
In the Beginning
The good news is that from before time began, God had a plan for people who lived in darkness. That’s because God had a plan for the darkness.
If you have your Bible or your Bible app, I want to encourage you to open to Genesis 1. Genesis is the first book in your Bible and you probably know that Genesis 1 is the creation story. You probably even have the first verse of the Bible memorized.
Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Many of us learned that verse when we were young. And, if you grew up in church, you might have even memorized the creation story… what God created on each day that he created. And all of that is good. But as we keep reading the creation story, we begin to learn that this story is about more than just creation. Here’s what I mean. Listen to what happens as this story unfolds…
2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Sometimes when we read the creation story we quickly move past this introduction so we can get to what God created on which day and all of that. But notice that when God began creating the heavens and the earth, it’s formless, empty, and there’s a darkness that covers deep waters. It’s as if whatever exists when God began creating is in disorder. There’s a sense of chaos and things are in disarray. It’s into this confusion, into this darkness, that God speaks.
And don’t miss this. In our scriptures, this is the first time God speaks. These are the first words that come from the mouth of God in our scriptures. So these are important words. Here’s what happens next…
3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
The first four words God speaks before time began were these four small but powerful words… “Let there be light.”
Into the darkness, God speaks light. And by the Word of God light was created. Light was formed. Light was shining in the darkness for the very first time. And this wasn’t light that comes from the sun, or the moon, or the stars. Those haven’t been created yet. Those are created on day 4. This is day 1. On day 4, God creates the sun, moon, and stars. And maybe even Jupiter and Mars! But on day 1, God created light.
Where did it come from? It came from the Word of God! God spoke and there was light. Light that illuminated the darkness. And we know that this light that God created had a purpose and that it fulfilled or accomplished its purpose because of what we read next in verse 4.
4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
God SAW the LIGHT he created, and he saw that it was good. And before the sun was born, before the moon took its place in the sky, before there were stars that were scattered across the heavens, there was light and there was dark.
And the light was good.
About More than just Creation.
Here’s what I want to suggest today… that this story that many of us have read as the Creation story all of our lives is actually about more than just creation. It was written for people, specifically the people of God, to read throughout the centuries to remind them of their origin.
This story isn’t just a creation story, it’s an origin story. An origin story that reoriented their lives.
Imagine the people of God reading this story living in Babylonian captivity, living in exile, living under Roman oppression, living in foreign lands surrounded by the worship of other gods, living in dark places in dark times searching for hope.
And then, they go to the Synagogue and someone opens the scroll and reads this story. Or children gather inside a home and someone retells this story. And this story, this Creation story, it becomes about more than just creation.
This story reminds the people of God throughout the centuries that their God:
1 // Speaks LIGHT into darkness.
Whatever darkness surrounded them… whether that darkness was political, economic, relational, emotional, or spiritual, whenever they walked through the valley of the shadow of death… this story reminded them that their God was with them and He brings light into any and every darkness.
2 // Brings Order to Chaos.
Whatever the trouble, the calamity, the setback, the problem, the disorder, the pain, the circumstance, or situation, the pandemic, their God brings order to disorder, purpose to pain, provision to make things the way they ought to be. God is a God of peace. Shalom! He sets things right and makes things the way they ought to be.
3 // God is good.
What God creates is good because he is good. Everything God creates has a purpose. And when what he creates fulfills its purpose, does what it was intended to do, it is good! God created light and that light had a purpose and when God SAW the light, so that it illuminated the darkness and fulfilled it’s purpose, it was good. Everything God creates is good because He is good.
4 // God is Sovereign.
He is Creator. He is God and God alone. He has no rival. He has no equal. Whatever land they’re living in, whatever the other gods are who are worshiped around them, this story reminds them, that their God is the One and Only God. The One True God. He isn’t created, He is Creator. He has no rivals, there is no one like Him. He is the Sovereign God, the Only God, the King of the Universe.
Let There Be Light
Have you ever been in a place where it was completely dark? Like, can’t see your hand in front of your face, dark?
Maybe you’ve been in a dark room before. Or maybe you’ve been out camping one night when the clouds were thick and there’s no light from the moon or the stars and it’s so dark you can’t see your way forward. We understand what that’s like. What it’s like to be completely surrounded by darkness.
But we also know that if we can just find a flashlight, a candle, a phone, I’ve even got this flashlight app on my watch! If we kind find a little light we can find our way through the darkness.
A little light provides a lot of hope.
So you can imagine how the people of God living centuries ago, when they heard words like these from the prophet Isaiah…
The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.
Isaiah 9.2
When they heard those words they were filled with hope. Why? Because God is the only one who can speak light into darkness.
The apostle John would later write his own origin story. And he said…
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… John 1.9-12
If Your in the Dark, Remember…
And so today, if you find yourself in a dark place for any reason… maybe your marriage is in a dark place, or maybe your parenting is in a dark place, maybe your work is in a dark place, maybe your spiritual life is in a dark place, whatever the situation, whatever the circumstance… Here’s what the people of God have been reminded of throughout the centuries when they’ve found themselves living in darkness…
Your God still speaks light into darkness.
Your God still brings order to chaos.
Your God is still good.
Your God is still Sovereign.
And to all who are living in or experiencing the darkness, there is hope. Because…
Where there is light there is hope.
Light + Hope
The same God that spoke light into the darkness before the beginning of all that we know still speaks light into the night. His light still has a purpose and his light is always good.
Whatever darkness may surround you, whatever chaos may try to consume you, the light of God shines and proves there is hope for those who put their trust in His name.
What is the darkness that is surrounding you? What would happen if you invited the light of God, the light of Christ, into that darkness?
There would be hope.
So as we enter into the final weeks of this year, a year that in many ways has been filled with darkness, we are not walking in the dark. We have a Light. And this Light gives Hope. Because this Light has a name. Jesus.
About 2000 years ago the would be powers of this world, both seen and unseen, tried their best to put out this Light. But they couldn’t do it. For a moment the world went dark. For three days, it seemed like the light had burned out. But on Sunday, a new light dawned. The stone was rolled away and ever since that day everyone living in darkness has seen a great Light. Light that gives way to Hope.
Let there be Light.
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