Keep the Light Shining!

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. ²¹ In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel."

Exodus 27:20-21

God commanded the lamp in the tabernacle and later the temple was to burn continually in the Holy Place.  From evening until morning it was to be carefully attended by the priests before the LORD.  Oil was to be added and wicks trimmed through the night to ensure it remained lit throughout the night.  Light was to shine continually in the Holy Place though the sun disappeared and night fell.

In the days of the Judges, we read men did what was right in their eyes.  Though God's Law had been committed to His people and the tabernacle had been erected according to God's design, the days were dark.  The priests had neglected the command of God to keep the light burning, and the implications for Christians today are enormous.  We read in 1 Samuel 3:1-4:  "Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. ² And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, ³ and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" 

There are several telling observations from this text.  The word of the LORD was rare in those days.  There was no widespread revelation.  Eli, the High Priest descended from Aaron's line, was physically blind.  His eyes had grown increasingly dim to the point of blindness.  Whilst Eli laid himself to sleep, the lamp of God was permitted to burn out in the tabernacle of the LORD.  How suggestive is this!  Eli and his sons neglected to tend the lamp of God according to His command, and it was an indicator of their slack approach to God.  1 Samuel describes the sons of Eli as desperately wicked, and though Eli heard all about their debauchery he did nothing to stop them.  There is a clear connection in the passage between allowing the lamp of God to burn out and blindness, lack of vision and divine revelation, and the rarity of the word of the LORD.  The priests had despised the commandment of God and embraced sleep instead.  Darkness in the temple resulted in blindness, ignorance, and distance from God.

One glorious truth in this tragic passage is though the light was permitted to burn out, God spoke directly to a young boy who did not even know the LORD yet!  It may have seemed a helpless situation with ever-increasing darkness and wickedness, but God graciously revealed Himself to someone who would be faithful to hear and speak forth His truth.  The lamp of God was permitted to burn out, but the light of life shone through little Samuel even as a child, and none of his words fell to the ground.  Jesus said in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  Jesus also told His followers in Matthew 5:14:  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."  Jesus is the Light of the World, and all who repent and are born again through faith in Him have the Holy Spirit living within them.  Oil is a type of the Spirit who sets us aflame, the fuel to empower Christians to comprehend and live out the scriptures in truth.  We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:16:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

If you are a Christian, consider these questions:  is hearing from God a rarity in your life?  Is fresh understanding and personal application from the scriptures seldom experienced by you?  When you read the Bible is it dry and dull?  Is your vision increasingly dim?  It could very well be due to the neglect of obedience to God's Word.  Perhaps you have never been baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  Maybe the Holy Spirit has been quenched, resisted, and grieved by decisions you have made.  Praise the LORD, there is hope for those born blind as well as those whose eyes have gone dim!  Acts 9:17-18 speaks of when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and his eyes were opened.  "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

How is your vision, dear Christian?  Have you recognised your desperate need for spiritual sight and light from the Holy Spirit?  If your heart has been darkened by sin, there is hope for you in Jesus Christ.  Jesus will forgive, heal, and restore those who admit they are blind, yet those who believe they see will remain blind.  No matter how dark the world becomes, Jesus remains the Light of the World.  Instead of doing what is right in your own eyes, obey God's commands faithfully night and day.  Keep His light shining bright!