Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105 NKJ
About a week ago, Psalm 119:105 was referenced in a sermon I heard, and several questions immediately came to mind that had never occurred to me before. Why does the psalmist refer to both a lamp and a light? What is the difference from the writer’s point of view? What is the greater truth this scripture is intended to reveal?
When I have questions like these I generally go to bible commentaries to see what the respected scholars have to say, then look for any lay commentary I can find on the web. I found much on this verse that focused on what was common to a lamp and a light, but little that focused on the difference, and why each has a significant importance. I did find one site that defined the difference between the words for lamp and light in the Hebrew language.
A lamp, by implication, indicates just enough light for the immediate area, and is defined as follows; primitive root, to glisten, candle, lamp. In contrast, the Hebrew definition of light is; luminary, bright, clear, daylight, morning, sun.
TalkJesus.com
So I settled into my time with God with these questions and definitions in mind. As I meditated on His Word, three different but intertwined understandings of a lamp and a light came to me.
My deeper understanding…
A lamp for my feet illuminates where I am now, the situation and circumstances of my life. What kind of muck are my feet stuck in today? In contrast, a light for my path illuminates the direction I am headed.
A light for my path illuminates the spiritual while a lamp for my feet illuminates the physical.
A light for my path illuminates the blessings that lie ahead while a lamp for my feet illuminates the pitfalls that are closest to me.
A lamp is a physical thing, a tool that requires fuel or a power source in order to give off light. In this sense, the word is a lamp that requires fuel. There is something I must do to cause the lamp to give its light. I must spend time in God’s Word, and seek Him with my whole heart to provide the fuel for the lamp. On the other hand, light is God’s creation. It is always there, and I have the choice to walk toward it or away from it. When I am in God’s Word, I am naturally drawn toward it. When I rely on my own understanding, I am drawn away from the light into darkness.
A lamp and a light work together…
The Word of God is light. It is illumination in and of itself that has no bounds. At the same time it is fuel for the lamp that illuminates just what is close by. Only having both sources of light, my lamp fueled by God’s word, and God’s brilliant, boundless illumination, allows me to clearly see and differentiate between that which is temporary from that which is eternal.
Blessings & Adventure,
Lynn “lynnibug” Rios
