#5 Darkness: Come Into The Light... You Are The Lamp... Series

#5 GIVE YOURSELF FOR THE LIGHT... WE ARE THE LAMP...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Friday is here but Sunday is coming...

I do this lesson in two parts...

I have a candle burning. It has been burning for sometime.

We note the candle, the candle holder, the flame and the candle gives itself for the light.

I. LIGHT IS A VERY IMPORTANT SYMBOL IN THE BIBLE...

Physical light is the basis for all LIFE on the planet EARTH!

A. On the very first day of creation God did a very special work:

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

B. We need the light to open our vision before God.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

C. MAY THE LIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OPEN OUR VISION TO CLARITY

AND EXPOSE ALL SIN AND WEIGHTS THAT WILL EASILY BESET US.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

II. LAMPS, CANDLES WERE USED IN THE BIBLE TO ILLUMINATE HOMES, THE

CHURCH AND THE PATH PEOPLE TRAVELED.

Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. [18] In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

A. Lamps in the Old Testament were made out of pottery.

They were almost always open bowl designed with a spout to support the wick.

B. The wicks were made of twisted flax.

The oil burned in the lamps were either olive oil, crushed nut oil, fish oil or of other sources.

C. On the outside where one had to worry little about the smoke build up Biblical people used TORCHES.

D. In the center of the TABERNACLE there was a GOLDEN LAMPSTAND....

This lampstand had 3 branches or bowls extending from the center.

E. At some time in history each branch had seven spouts ...

The Jews called a SEVEN BRANCH CANDLE HOLDER A MENORAH...

Later in history the MENORAH became a symbol of Israel.

III. THERE GREW A SAD DAY --- A DARK DAY IN THE CHURCH, THERE WAS NO OPEN VISION... THE PREACHER’S EYES GREW DIM.

ERE THE LAMP OF GOD WENT OUT IN THE TEMPLE...

A. There was a VISIBLE MEANS OF KNOWING IF GOD WAS IN OUR MIDST...

The visible means was the ARK OF THE COVENANT...

B. The church was proudly displaying the ARK OF THE COVENANT but God was being pushed out the BACK DOOR BY SIN’S DARKNESS.

1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. [2] And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

[3] And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

[4] That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

C. Eli had served the Lord faithfully and the LIGHT WAS SHINING...

Eli aged and condoned the sins of his sons...

D. WHY IS THE LIGHT GROWING DIM? Seems there were RELIGIOUS GAMES being

played in church... HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS ---Eli’s sons were abusing the OFFERINGS and they had a HOOK to pull out the BEST FOR THEM... They were selfish...

E. There were whispers going around the camp that HOPHNI AND PHINEAS were

chasing women? HOPHNI and PHINEHAS were very good in the EXTERNAL or OUTER COURT at church, they knew nothing of the INNER COURT and the PRESENCE OF GOD.

F. HOPHNI and PHINEHAS grabbed the ARK OF THE COVENANT and went to war.

The sad trouble was GOD DID NOT GO WITH THEM...

G. There was a praying MOMMA that had been to the ALTAR and knew the TOUCH OF A MIGHTY GOD... HER SON WILL NOT ALLOW THE LIGHT TO GO OUT...

THE LIGHT WILL KEEP ON SHINING!

1 Samuel 3:21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

IV. THE LAMP AND THE TORCH BECAME A TYPE IN THE BIBLE.

GIDEON KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO A TORCH THAN A TORCH, GIDEON KNEW

GOD AND LIGHT COULD HANDLE THE BATTLES BEFORE US.

A. Gideon you have TOO MANY, PERHAPS MAN WOULD GLORY IN THE VICTORY.

B. Send the chickens home.