Name of God - ‘Or Yisrael: Light of Israel
‘Or Yisrael: Light of Israel
Daily Verse: “The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night.”
☆ Isaiah 10:17 NLT
Let's Talk About It: The Hebrew word for light is “‘Or”. The Strong’s Dictionary states that it means to make luminous (literally and figuratively); to be, give, or show light; set of fire or shine. Another lexicon states that it is usually only used with compound proper names. It can also mean to make shine, to brighten, to be resplendent with light, or to shine on.
Resplendent, according to the Webster dictionary, means to shine with brilliant luster, or very bright. What’s more, when we read the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, we see the terms, “make His face shine upon you,” which means to establish favorable circumstance, peace, and relief from trouble. When we read about light in the Bible, we must understand that it is always used in a positive sense. It denotes good fortune; victory; justice and righteousness; guidance; and a bearer of deliverance.
It is clear to see then, why God would be referred to as the Light of Israel. It is He who makes us shine. It is He who establishes favorable circumstances in our life, and it is He who has promised that He will be our everlasting light (Isaiah 60:19). While the verse for today focuses on the fact that God delivers us from our enemy, I think it important to understand that to be children of the Most High God, we must understand that we are called to walk in the light. We cannot waver between darkness and light.
The truth is, if we do waver, we must question whether our love for God and our willingness to obey is birthed from relationship or religion. Religion acts from a place of expectation and fear of man whereas relationship acts from a place of devotion, love, and a fear (reverence) of God. How can we as believers be resplendent, or shine brightly, if we are walking in darkness? The Apostle John explains how this is not possible in John 3:20-21. I encourage you to read it and meditate on it.
Lastly, I’m sure there are some who question why I am speaking to New Testament believers about Israel. Well, we are grafted in as Gentiles. Israel as a people are more than Jews, it is all the those who believe in YHWH as the One True Living God. Paul dives into this in Romans 9:24 & 11:17. However, for us to understand it in context, we must read the entire chapters, perhaps, and even better, Romans 8-11. Israel can mean the nation of Israel, it can mean all the children of God, or it can mean the Jewish people of God. We must understand which “Israel” Paul refers to when studying the Word. Either way, it is clear to see that those who have put their faith in Christ for salvation, are now children of God, and therefore, grafted into the people of God (AKA Israel).
As we wrap up this week, many around Florida are still cleaning up and dealing with flooding. Our city is still handing out sandbags as the rivers reach critical flood levels. We can choose to focus on the destruction, or we can focus on the miracles God is working in the midst. How has God shown His light upon you? How can you shine brightly for His glory? Let’s do our best to walk in the light and draw others to it, like a moth to a flame! – Crystal