Light shines on the godly,
….and joy on those whose hearts are right.
May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
….and praise his holy name! Psalm 96:11-12 NLT
Acts 6:15 (<<click here to read the passage)
Several times on my first route of the morning I’ve noticed at one of my first stops that when dad parks his vehicle at the end of the driveway waiting for my arrival, his headlights cast a far-reaching beam to the lone tree in the field on the opposite side of the road. I may have casually seen the tree in daylight hours but at the pitch-black hour at which I pick his son up, the tree stands out starkly in the inky darkness.
The last verse of Acts 6 in the New Living Translation reads,
At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s. v15
It caught my attention but interestingly enough, amongst the translations I regularly reference it was the only one to mention his face becoming bright. But when I searched commentaries online as to what the verse meant, all of them referenced Stephen’s shining face!
For reference here is the passage as found in the Amplified Bible,
Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen’s face was like the face of an angel.
A passage of Scripture that was frequently pointed out was what happened to Moses when he went up on the mountain to speak with God. When he would return his face would be aglow with the glory of God. The first time it happened it freaked everybody out, so from that time forward after his conversations with God, he wore a veil over his face. (Exodus 34:29-35)
What this says about Stephen is that he was so attuned to God that He brought upon him a radiant visage to drive home the fact that Stephen wasn’t just blowing steam. He was the real deal! His communion with God was so close that he radiated God’s glory!
This initial encounter caused the Jewish leadership to pause but immediately after Stephen’s sermon, which is recorded in the first 53 verses of chapter 7, whatever they had seen that had given them pause was consumed in the violent heat of anger.
So, what does this mean for us? As the dad’s headlights illuminated the tree across the field, and as God’s glory illuminated Stephen’s face God’s light should illumine us, as well.
When I drive down that road my eyes are drawn to the illuminated tree. I, of course, see the light from their vehicle but the tree is what often catches my attention.
Matthew 5:16 comes to mind,
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven. AMP
We reflect God’s light into the world’s darkness. May the light given us bring people’s attention, not to us, but to God and who and what He is! May He shine through us, and most importantly may they see the redemption He offers!
Feb 23rd, 2022, Wed, 7:46 pm
