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105 Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto
my path. (Psalm 119:105)
God’s Word is most certainly a lamp
unto our feet, indeed. But there are true lights, and there are false lights. A
true Light brightens our path and leads us in the proper direction; but there
does exist false lights that lead us not into solid ground but rather into bogs
and quick-sand. The false light appears as a genuine light unless the sun
rises, at which time, it disappears. False lights cannot compete with the Sun
of God’s Creation, or the Sun of Righteousness. (Malachi
4:2, 2 Peter 1:19)
In southern Alabama where I live,
there are regular sightings of lights hovering over the swamps which are quite
plentiful. These false lights are called Will-o-the-Wisp, or Jack-o-Lanterns.
The scientific name is Ignis Fatuus or Fool’s Fire. They do not emit a steady
light, but rather a flickering flame. As one approaches these lights over the
swamps or bogs, they move away as a rainbow. When the person stops, they stop.
They will then follow if the person retreats. Men who were lost have perished
of drowning or being caught in quicksand by trying to follow these lights.
These false lights are very much like the false Gospel being preached widely
today in apostate churches. Both the sermons, and even their new Bibles, are
false, or fool’s lights.
Will-o-the-Wisp has a scientific
explanation. They are formed by the oxidation of diphophane, phosphine, and
methane gases resulting – not from life – but death (decaying organic
substances).
Men often seem more attracted to the
mysterious false lights than they are to the open and genuine Light of God’s
Holy Word – a mystery I find difficult to understand.
We should forever bear in mind God’s
pure and Holy Word is the True Light being the very manifestation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Men seemed pleased to amputate a word here and there, or even entire
verses, without fear of the wrath of God. God has not told us that only SOME of
His Words are pure, but rather each and every one. The textual critic that
believes he can ‘summarize’ God’s Word with fewer syllables, words, or verses
(dynamic equivalence) is erring in a serious manner – not only being deceived,
but deceiving many. 5 Every
word of God is pure: he is a
shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words,
lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Prov 30:5-6) Changing the term “only Begotten Son”
to “one and only Son” is adding meaning which does not exist. Christ is the
only Man that is the very issue of the Father. We are sons and daughters by
adoption only. Taking away (omitting verses as the ESV & NIV do) also
brings with it a sure damnation. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words
of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall
add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out
of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book. (Rev 22:18-19)
God’s Word as a Lamp
I love the tale of Aladdin from “One
Thousand and One Nights” that speaks of the wicked sorcerer who tried to
retrieve the magic lamp from Aladdin. He collected a number of new lamps and
went by the house of Aladdin when only his new bride was home shouting “New
Lamps for Old…new lamps for old.” Aladdin’s bride was not aware of the magic
properties of the old magic lamp, so she traded for a nice shiny one. That is what
men are doing with God’s Word today. They are trading off the old tried and
true Bible of the Reformation (Ecclesiastical Text) for a bright shiny one
whose language is of the vulgar class and full of error. It exudes a false
light which, like the Will-o-the-Wisp, when followed by the young and innocent,
leads to a very crooked path. It draws into question the Holiness of God at
almost every point, and takes a far lower view of His beloved Son, Jesus
Christ. The errors may seem small to the uninformed, but when one changes the
lay of the barrel of artillery piece only an imperceptible two or three mils,
the rounds will miss the target downrange.
A Lamp should be bright to our vision.
We need to keep it polished in our souls, and always lit. The wick needs to be
regularly trimmed – that is, we must not read extra meaning into it, or take
meaning away. We trim our lamps by the Grace of God and His grant of wisdom and
understanding.
Unlike the five (of the ten) virgins,
our lamps must be supplied with abundant oil. That oil represents the Holy
Spirit to give light to our understanding of the Word.
When embarking on a long night’s
journey, how grateful we must be to possess a well-lit Lamp full of the oil of
God’s Holy Spirit. That Lamp inspires CONFIDENCE for the journey.
Our Lamp is a sure guide in unknown paths. It
is a guide in three ways:
1.
It
guides us, first of all, in the right path. It illumines the path upon which
our feet will find solid ground;
2.
It
reveals the dangerous bogs, rocks, and ditches that could cause us harm. It
tells us, not only the right way, but the wrong as well so that we have no
excuse for getting lost or falling into the ditch.
3. It serves as a searchlight for those
seeking safe harbor from the storms and billows of an unfriendly sea.
Our Lamp of God’s Word is a handbook
for the entire journey of life. It is brighter than the natural sun to inform
us of how we must live, how we must serve, what we must treasure, and what we
must know and believe.
There are times when our lives are in jeopardy on life’s road.
But, to be honest, our lives are always in jeopardy on life’s road. The Road of
Life is a valley which leads either to the summit or the abyss. It is, indeed,
a dark road. But it can be lighted for our travels. 4 Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) As
I have stressed so many times, we need not fear a shadow, and that is all death
can be when we are equipped with God’s Lamp for Light. Without that Lamp
casting a shadow, death becomes real to those lacking the Lamp.
Since the journey of this earthly
night is always dark without a Lamp, we need our Lamps all of the way to
journey’s end. We must not extinguish the flame once lit by the grace of God’s
salvation. Then, as we enter into that portal of bliss and joy beyond the
grave, we no longer need our Lamps, for the Son is the Light thereof. Of
course, He is the Lamp personified before our very eyes.
Do you have a sure and true Lamp, or a
false Will-o-the-Wisp lamp that leads to death? Do you replenish your supply of
oil (Holy Spirit) in daily reading and study, prayer and meditation? Do you
trim your Lamps to be sure that nothing is added or taken away so that only the
pure flame appears? Do you always remember to carry your Lamp daily, not only
in your hands, but in your heart? Do you use that Lamp’s wisdom to make
decisions in life about how to order your life? Do you use your Lamp also to
signal others who have gotten on the wrong path?
Do you have the Old, Authentic Lamp which
bears all of the answers to life’s dilemmas, the one whose testimony boasts of
many martyrs and saints, or have you gotten a cheap, shiny metallic, plastic
lamp that only works on AA batteries? Think it over friends. Those cheap, new
Bibles offer their testimonies in the sinful lifestyles we see so prevalent in
modern society. Modern society is the testimony to man’s low view of the Lamp
of God! They treasure their Fool’s Fire instead.
For those entrapped in false churches
with false lamps, God’s counsel is clear:
17 Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive
you, 18 And will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor
6:17-18)
