Last week was Halloween with its emphasis on the ‘dark side’ to borrow a phrase from Star Wars. This week’s Bible Notes offer a contrast by looking at the theme of Light.
Psalm 104:1-4 NIVUK
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendour and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
How can we describe God? He is beyond our comprehension and description, which is why the Bible so often turns to poetry and metaphor. Here the Psalmist reaches for the familiar language of the elements, understood as the fundamental building blocks of the world. Fire becomes his servant (4), the elements and therefore all creation, is his to command and control, and light becomes his garment (2), creating a picture of dazzling brightness, suggestive of his power and purity.
God of light, the power over all, we worship you.
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