2 But
unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in
his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Mal
4:2)
2.The
people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the
land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
(Isaiah 9:2)
I could not allow the opportunity to pass without expounding in fuller detail
on the great and wonderful metaphor artfully painted by the Finger of God in
the second verse of this chapter - The Sun of Righteousness! I
will attempt to answer in two points the questions raised by this verse: 1) why
the metaphor; and 2) how does the metaphor so compellingly point to Our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ? But first, I will point out this metaphor is as
complete a message of the Advent of Christ as could be scripted. The Voice of
God will be silent for the next 400 years so that those of His people who were
accustomed to the voices of the prophets that they, nonetheless had
disregarded, will suffer a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord from the days
of Malachi across four centuries until the great voice of the Archangel,
Gabriel, spoke to a young virgin in Nazareth. If ever a people sat in darkness,
it was Israel during this dark night of spiritual blindness and silence. But
Malachi had given a gem of hope, shrouded in mystery, to those whose spirits
and hearts were discerning enough to receive it and comprehend it. It was
couched in a beautiful metaphor – the Sun of Righteousness!
Those writers of the sacred text to whom the wonders and Word of God were
revealed found no means of revealing, in human terms, the majesty of meaning
which was imparted to them. The most excellent means of showing the beauty of
expression of things heavenly and divine were through the media of those things
physical which were of common knowledge to the hearers. Those things physical
are known as metaphors. In the case of our Lord and Savior, this technique
would be comparable to the literary technique known as personification – i.e.
ascribing personal qualities to inanimate objects. Our Lord is known as
the Rock of our Salvation (Deut 32:15, 2 Sam 22:47, Ps 18:2, 18:46, 62:2, 89:6,
et al) because of His unchangeable stability and strength. He is known as the
Vine (John 15:5) from which the branches (His people) draw their life-blood and
bear fruit. He is called the Rose of Sharon (SS 2:1) for his purity and beauty.
He is called the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:46). Our Lord is most often made reference
to in the form of heavenly lights such as the Bright Morning Star (Rev 22:16),
the Day Star (2 Peter 1:19), and here as the Sun of Righteousness.
Why the metaphor of "the Sun of Righteousness"
ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ? First of all, because of His Unity
of Being. You may walk outdoors on a clear and pristine night to view thousands
of stars that are visible with the naked eye (many more exist than can be
seen). There are millions of stars, but only one SUN. In creation, we have many
mountains, rivers, trees, and deserts – but only ONE Sun. All of the living
Creation depend upon the Sun for their lives. Nothing could live without the
Sun, and none can live in eternity without the Sun of Righteousness. There is
only One Lord, One Savior, and One mediator between God and man – our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ!
Secondly, our Lord is the Sun of Righteousness because of His NEARNESS to those
who will receive Him. He is a God that is NEAR – Emmanuel. The Sun is the Star
that is nearest to us and therefore our life source. He is one who cleaves
closer than a brother. (Prov 18:24).
Thirdly, due to His magnitude and magnificence is Jesus called the Sun of
Righteousness. There is no greater or brighter orb in our heaven than the Sun,
or than Jesus Christ. There is no heavenly body, or being, that even comes
close in comparison.
Fourthly, He is the Sun of Righteousness because of the universal benefits He
offers. Just as the Sun spreads its beams of life-giving light on all alike, so
does Christ shed His love and life abroad on all who will receive light.
Fifthly, because of His nature, He is the Sun of Righteousness. Jesus
Christ is the Fountain of Light – the Light of the World! Creation began in
darkness, but the light always follows the night. Jesus scatters away darkness
before Him and darkness cannot abide His presence. He is forever the COMING
Light! We may be enduring the night of our Creation Day, but the Light is about
to arise as the Sun to complete the day of our eternity.
Our Lord and Savior has been Coming from eternity past to present. He is
forever rising to those who have eyes to see. His coming was promised to Adam
and Eve, and reaffirmed to Abraham. He came in bodily form to end the
night of darkness that pervaded all of the earth. He will come in Heavenly
power to end the long night of doubt, trial and strife to bring an eternal day
to those who are His.
Upon whom will the Sun of Righteousness arise? ". . . unto you
that fear my name." His resplendent rays will break on the
eastern horizon and grow continually in magnitude until no darkness at all can
remain. On that Sun Rise, the Light will never set. The fear called for here is
not a mortal fear of injury, but a filial fear as of a child for a loving and
respected father. The kind of fear generated by love and reverence and not by
apprehension of punishment. Noah labored more than one hundred years in
building the Ark out of that love-based fear – not out of fear of perishing.
The world has observed a long Advent season from its inception until now. But
with each brilliant revelation of Light, the Advent becomes more laden with
promise and anticipation of the final Advent of Light when "the
Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings."
As we prepare our hearts for the Advent and Christmas Season, let us exercise
caution that we allow no material or worldly object to come between us and that
Sun of Righteousness, else our way will be dark indeed. Just as the moon may,
at sundry times, eclipse the sun; so may the concerns of the world come between
us and the Light of Righteousness that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our hearts and souls must REFLECT that same LIGHT before others. His Light is
the only Light we can ever have.
At this coming Advent, let us appropriately look back to all that is past with
remembrance, but, more importantly, let us look forward to that Light which is
coming with all the powers of Heaven.
