This dictionary topic is  referenced from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.

   Why is LIGHT so important?  We should "Train" our children to be the  KEEPER'S of the LIGHT. In our programs we talk about light, color, and music. All three play a important part in each of our lives.

WHEN WALKING out of a dark room into the sunshine, light can be blinding. As our eyes become accustomed to the light, we can see more clearly and enjoy the scenery that surrounds us. Likewise, when we look into the light of the scriptures, the brightness of truth can sometimes hurt. However, as our spiritual eyesight becomes adjusted we can enjoy "walking in the light". What does the Bible say about light? Below, I have given some of what I believe to be the most important uses of this word in scripture.

The first specific creative act of God, in Genesis 1, is the creation of light. Yes the sun, the stars the moon but even the most little of creatures.  The tiny firefly or lightning bug is a great example of light . Though the light is a chemical reaction Children can relate to seeing and even running to catch them on a warm summers night.

 Did you know? One of the true beauties of God's creation, enough cannot be said about fireflies. Dancing along just above the blades of grass or in the bushes and trees, fireflies use their little bioluminescent lanterns to flash messages to each other on warm humid evenings. Not really 'flies' at all, fireflies belong to the beetle family of insects, scientifically known as Arthropoda: Insecta: Coleoptera: Lampyridae: with 23 genera and over 200 species in North America alone. Worldwide it is estimated there are over 2000 species of these wonderful creatures, also known as lightning bugs.In most cases, the flickering and flashing of fireflies is used to communicate between the male and female in preparation for mating. And, with so many different species, each one has its own distinctive flashing cycle rate that distinguishes it from members of the other species. In addition, different species of fireflies have different color flashes. Our God is a awesome God!

 Since the exact interpretation of Genesis 1 is in some doubt, I cannot say that the first creative act was God's creation of light. That is, it is possible that Genesis 1:1-2 is a summary statement, with specifics given in what follows, and that, thus, God's first creative act was the creation of light. It is also possible that the earth was already present when God created light, because Genesis 1:1-2 describe the creation of the earth first. We don't know. In either case, the creation of light was very significant. No wonder that James 1:17 describes God as the "Father of lights." [Remember that the devil likes to  duplicate God that is why he is called the light of this world]

After the flood, God promised never to destroy the earth again, and He chose a rainbow, a phenomenon caused by light passing through water, to signify this.

During the Exodus, God showed Himself to the Israelites (at night, at least) as a light-giving pillar of fire, light enough to travel by.

In Exodus 25, and elsewhere, the Israelites were commanded to prepare light in the Tabernacle, as part of their worship of God.

In 2 Samuel 22, David said: "For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness." (verse 29) Perhaps this is the first time that God's presence and communication with humans is compared to light. In Psalm 27:1, first part, David wrote that
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?"

Job refers to the day when he was born, and wishes that it had never happened (chapter 3) saying that he wishes it had been condemned to darkness. Darkness and evil, and light and good, are often linked, in the Bible.

Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path," comparing God's word to light. 1 John 1 is one of the places in the New Testament where God's revelation to humans is compared to light.

In Isaiah 9, Isaiah, apparently speaking of the coming of the Messiah, compares this event to the appearance of a great light. (This passage is quoted in Matthew 4:12-16.)

Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16, compares the God-honoring life of his followers to light.

In John 1:1-13, the revelation of God in Christ Jesus is compared to light. John 3:16-21 says that that revelation of light has brought judgment. In John 8:12, Jesus describes Himself as the light of the world.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 says that Jesus "dwells in unapproachable light. . ."

As the first chapter in the Bible refers to light, so does the last, Revelation 22:1-5, which says that the only light necessary in heaven is God, Himself.

I submit to you that God has been well aware of the importance of light, and has used it as a symbol of Himself, throughout the time of His interaction with humans.

That which penetrates and dispels darkness. The concept of light appears numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. God created light (Genesis 1:3). However, a careful reading of the Scriptures reveals that the physical entity that we call light is actually only the second form of light in the universe, since everywhere the Bible declares that God Himself is light. Psalms 27:1 says, The Lord is my light. In Psalms 104:2, the psalmist testified of the Lord who covered himself in light. In John 8:12 Jesus, the God-man, said, I am the light of the world. Such expressions make at least two things abundantly clear. First, the origin of light rests with God. Second, in some sense God Himself is the very essence of light. Such statements do not suppose that God is light and nothing more, but they do stress that God is the ultimate source of all knowing and understanding. To this end Psalms 119:105 informs us that God's Word is a light to one's path. Here the emphasis lies upon perception and understanding gained when darkness is dispelled and light revealed.

This last concept becomes even clearer in John 3:19; people love darkness better than light, because their deeds are evil. Such statements reveal that the character of light is to reveal and to provide understanding and purity, while the opposite of light or darkness is designed to obscure, to deceive, and to harbor impurity.

A small problem confronts the interpreter who discovers that Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14, Ye are the light of the world. Yet in John 8:12, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. What appears to be a contradiction is not one at all. The moon provides light for the earth just as the sun does. Yet, the actual source of light for both the sun and the moon is the sun. The moon only reflects the light of the sun. By the same token, Jesus, the God-man, is the source of all light. His disciples become reflectors in a darkened world, transmitting through their lives the true light of the eternal Son of God. See Lamps, Lighting, Lampstand

In the Scriptures, we find other examples of light in the Bible. Colossians 1:12, Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. I Timothy 6:16, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. Paul tells us in Acts 26:13 of the time that Jesus spoke to him. At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. No doubt, Paul was speaking of a kind of spiritual light. The Bible is full of non-physical light. In I John 1:5 we see that God is a type of light. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. We can see clearly that the light spoken about in Genesis 1:3 may very well have been something other than physical in nature. What was this light? If not sunlight as we know it, feel it, and see it, what was this first light?

Lightning bug gif created by Dan Wheeler