Light In Their Dwellings

by Edwin Neely, Brantford, Ontario | Category: General | Apr 1982

The darkness that God sent as the ninth plague against Egypt was a darkness that could be felt, "so that men shall grope in darkness" (R.V. Margin). It answered to the spiritual state of the hearts of those who withstood the commandments of the Lord. We are now living in days of spiritual darkness in which mere men withstand the truth, even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. In Egypt's darkness the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. The dwellings of God's people today should show likewise that God has put a division between all other peoples and His people. We have been delivered out of the power of darkness, translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love, having been made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; or as Paul told Agrippa, turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, having received remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in the Lord. In this world of gross darkness, the light in the dwellings of God's people should be very obvious.

Subjection

In the context of light and darkness Paul discusses subjection. "Ye were once darkness, but now are light in the Lord: walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth)

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ... subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ", wives to husbands, children to parents in the Lord, servants to masters as unto Christ (Eph. 5:8-6:7). If there is light in our dwelling there will be right relationships. These in turn have their effect upon life in the assembly where brethren must also learn and show subjection (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?). "Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility to serve one another" (1 Pet. 5:5). "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light" (1 John 2:10). God is light, and God is love, and the two characteristics must be reflected in unfeigned love, in loving one another from the heart fervently, lest there be shadows in our dwellings where there should be light.

Truth

And these words which I command thee this day shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them.. .in thy house.. .and thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house.

Deuteronomy 6:5 demands an involvement of spirit, soul and body in an active love for the Lord. The centre for teaching this was to be the home, the family circle.

For He established a testimony... and appointed a law... which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know, even the children that should be born; who should arise and tell them to their children ... (Psa. 78:5-6).

We shall make a great mistake if we leave all spiritual instruction to others, whether it be Bible class or assembly platform.

Love for God and His house can be taught in the informality of the family circle, both in its activities and its conversation. We live in an age when television, books, sports, music, curricular and extracurricular academic pursuits put tremendous strain on the spirituality of the young. Godly patience and steadfastness find severe challenge in artificial drama in which all dilemma is rectified in an hour or in 300 pages, often by heroes in whom law-abiding behaviour and personal purity are sadly lacking. An affection for God's dwelling place and its present expression in churches of God seem of little consequence to the young mind whose thrill is found in sports super heroes and athletic achievement. The Spirit of God is able counterbalance all this, of course, but there will have to be the instruction which is in righteousness based on the inspired Word of God and taught from early childhood. Not all who read this will have had that benefit, but would we also deny our children? We long for them rather, that they might be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. We live in a world of darkness where sin grows fully and brings forth death. Our light, like every other good and perfect gift, comes from the Father of lights. James links his thoughts on this with our having been brought forth by the word of truth. Without our schooling in the word of truth we will fall far short of God's standard that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Testimony

"The people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up". Where the

Lord Jesus walked, light was shed abroad to others. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is a treasure we have in earthen vessels, hidden perhaps like the torches in Gideon's earthen pitchers. If so, there will need to be broken vessels, the denial of self, the arousal to the sound of trumpets and the sword of the Lord. Your home might be the only one in your neighborhood where there is light, a veritable potential lighthouse in a sea of men groping in darkness. We can hide our light under the bushel of business or under the bed of sloth, but the command is to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. The believer's home is an ideal place for such witness.

In the city of Victoria, B. C., there are two important buildings a short distance from one another. The Parliament buildings are a picture of lights, an evening attraction to tourists, a delightful display. The nearby harbour lighthouse has just one light, set and timed for the safety of those around. Does my house have its light only to shine on itself for its own beauty when men die in darkness at our sides without a hope?

Hospitality

What a light to weary Elisha must have been the house of the woman of Shunem! In an increasing intensity of gloom what a light to the Saviour must have been the humble abode of Mary and Martha in Bethany! Dear Lydia and her house of light were a light to Paul, and to the Spirit of God who caused these words to be recorded: "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us". God requires of men given to the leadership of His people that they be hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2). Hospitality is further commanded to all the saints in Romans 12:13. Peter says, "But the end of all things is at hand: be fervent in your love among yourselves...using hospitality one to another without murmuring". Hebrews 13:2 extends it a little further: "Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares". And the King shall answer and say unto them, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these My brethren, even these least, ye did it unto Me."

"There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt ... They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place... but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings". God was later to put a thick and intense darkness between Egypt and Israel. Egypt went from darkness to darkness, but Israel marched in light (Exod. 14:20). "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble" (Prov. 4:19). "But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (v. 18).

Edwin Neely, Brantford, Ontario | Apr 1982
General