June 24, 2010
Genesis 1:14-19
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. 16And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. 17And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Matthew Henry: Now these lights are said to rule (v. 16, 18); not that they have a supreme dominion, as God has, but they are deputy-governors, rulers under him. Here the less light, the moon, is said to rule the night; but in Ps. 136:9 the stars are mentioned as sharers in that government…
Psalm 136:9
the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;…The moon and stars to rule by night. No more is meant than that they give light…
Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD of hosts is his name:
…The best and most honourable way of ruling is by giving light and doing good: those command respect that live a useful life, and so shine as lights.
Clay Miller: God gives two ways at least in Scripture of the purpose of the sun, moon and stars. They are to rule. They are to give light. There giving light is their ruling. Henry here connects our spiritual life with the ruling of these lights…but in what since do we rule? The closest connection I can think of off hand is Romans 5:17…
Romans 5:17
For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Death reigned over me through Adam’s sin. I received the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness through Jesus. I will reign in life. Jon Gill says of this passage:
“in corporeal life, they are not now subject to death as a penal evil, as other persons are, and though they die this death, they will triumph over it in the resurrection morn, they will rise again to everlasting life; they reign now in spiritual life over sin, Satan, and the world; and they will reign in eternal life, they will sit on thrones, wear crowns, and possess a kingdom of glory for ever and ever; and all by and through one, Jesus Christ, and not on account of any works, or merits of theirs.
…I am subject to death but not in a penal sense anymore. I will be resurrected with Jesus. So I in that sense now reign over death rather than death reigning over me. I have this life that accomplishes this. So Henry would say, shine! Be useful and shine the truth of God wherever you go.
