The Lamp and the Light
Psalm 119:105-112
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.
109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the entire bible with 176 verses. It is also divided into a series of 8 verse sections. Each 8 verse section represents a letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The section of Psalm 119:105-112 is represented by the Hebrew letter NUN.
The writer in this passage is likening the Word of God to a lamp and a light. He goes on through the remaining verses in this section to look to God’s Word as his guide for his entire life. He recognizes that life is not fair, nor is he free from all problems because of being obedient to God’s Word, but rather it is the keystone of his life. He frames every thought, action and deed around it, no matter how difficult it may be or how many obstacles others may place in front of him. He continues to look to God’s Word as the illumination of his existence. Verse 105 frames this entire passage.
As a young child growing up in the plains and farmlands of Oklahoma, I was very used to gentle rolling hills and flat plains. That was my vantage point and view of the world, as a young boy. We had not visited the mountains as yet. My mother would show me pictures of the mountains in the encyclopedia or other books, and I would sometimes see them on television, but I did not have a real appreciation for them until I saw them for myself.
My mom and dad and I made a trip to Colorado when I was about 8 years old. The long drive on what seemed to be an everlasting drive through the northern highways of Oklahoma heading to the west through the panhandle of Oklahoma was an eternity for a young boy. I was so anxious to see the mountains and get a glimpse of just how big they were. In my mind, I just could not conceptualize the size and their sheer magnitude.
After a few hours of driving, we crossed the border into Kansas and then to Colorado. I was so excited when my dad remarked we were in Colorado now. I perked up and looked out the car window and to my utter disappointment, there was just more flat hilly land. I was somehow expecting the mountains to magically appear when we crossed the border! I remember expressing my disappointment to mom and dad. I think I even wanted to turn around and go back home, but my mom reassured me that it wouldn’t be long until we would see the mountains. At that point, I just layed back down in the back seat of the car (this was before there were seat-belts and seat-belt laws) and closed my eyes and listened to the hum and rumble of the tires on the pavement and tried to go to sleep.
I was awakened from my sleep later when I heard mom call out to me and tell me to “Look!” We could see the mountains. I popped up in my seat and began to look around with excitement only to see some little “bumps” across the horizon that seemed to be only shadows under the clouds. Again I was disappointed, but I continued straining my eyes to see. Then almost magically, the sun came out from behind the cloudy shapes to the west and I saw the mountaintops come plainly into view. The light shining from the sun had broken through the clouds and there were the biggest most beautiful mountains that I had ever seen in my short life. My ears were popping with the ever increasing altitude and as we were driving curvy, steep roads. There was a mountain top in the distance that I could see with the sun behind it. No matter what direction we went, if I looked toward that mountain, the sun was bright behind it and I could always see it no matter where the road took us.
This is how God’s Word is to us. That mountain-top I saw as a child with the sun behind it and with my eyes fixed on it became a destination for me. It was where I wanted to go. But for the believer, Christ is the “mountain top” which is our destination. Christ is the light unto our path to guide us to Him. As our lives take many twists and turns toward that eternal destination, our road sometimes takes us backwards and every which direction, but ultimately toward that “mountain”. If we but only look upward toward Christ through His Holy Word to see our destination, we have hope and the knowledge of someday reaching that eternal destination. As we travel our own winding road through life, we can depend on God’s Word as a lamp to shine downward toward our feet so that we do not stumble or fall over whatever obstacles are at our feet. We can also depend on the Light of God’s Word as we look upward to Christ as He is our eternal Light to guide us to Him at the end of our own life journey. Is the person of Jesus Christ your light?
About The Author
Shelby Cooper
Shelby Cooper is a retired IT professional that worked in the oil industry for 33 years. He is a former minister of music/youth and religious education where he served Baptist churches in Oklahoma. He is also an amateur radio operator and also enjoys photography and writing.