Hanukkah Day 1 – Let There Be Light

Passage: Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Pondering:
Light was the very first thing Elohim spoke into existence during the Creation process. He saw that it was good. When He separated the light from the darkness, it was the first Scriptural reference that symbolized two kingdoms – the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. What is interesting to me here is that typically when light shows up, it eradicates darkness. Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Where there is light, it is no longer dark. Darkness is simply the absence of light. 

But here the light and the darkness both exist, and Elohim saw fit to separate them, making a clear distinction between the two, giving them two different names, each with its own unique identity and purpose. It is during the night hours of rest that our bodies and souls (mind, will, emotion) reset, recover and recalibrate. Day and night are all part of Yahweh’s intentional cycle of one flowing into the other, back and forth with a syncopated rhythm of life itself. In this sense, darkness is a good thing. 

But what about the analogy of two opposing kingdoms? Does this mean that nighttime is inherently evil? No. One of the most beautiful things about studying scripture is that any individual verse or passage can carry many levels of interpretation. A single verse or passage can have a surface-level interpretation that makes complete sense to the logical mind, while at the same time hold a much more profound meaning to the one who dares to unravel the deeper mysteries of the Word. 

Proverbs 25:2 tells us, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” As kings and priests (Revelation 1:6), we carry the ability and responsibility to search out the mysteries of the kingdom, Word, Spirit and heart of Yahweh Himself. 

John 1:4-5 reminds us that even in the presence of the light, some do not understand what/who they are looking at. It says this of Yeshua: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”So, for the purposes of this Hanukkah devotional series, the separation of light from darkness in Genesis chapter 1 being symbolic of the distinction between the kingdoms of light and darkness is laying a foundation that will be better understood in the next few days. Shalom.

Prayer: Almighty Father, Maker of heaven and earth, thank You for the deep truths of Your Word. Thank You for making us kings and priests in Your kingdom and for calling us to search out Your glorious mysteries. During these next eight days, I choose to slow down and listen for Your voice. Show me Your heart for this celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication. As we light the first candle tonight, remind us of that moment when you first spoke light into existence, saw that it was good, and separated it from the darkness. Teach me to live in the light of Your love, separate from the dark ways of this world. All glory be to Your name forever and ever. Amen.