“The God of Israel spoke;
The Rock of Israel said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.”
-2 Samuel 23:3-4
From verse 4, things get exciting!
We’re told how everything is going to transform once the Messiah comes to rule over Israel and the nations.
The effects of this rulership are described as the morning sun rays bursting through the darkness of the thick clouds.
The Rabbis also share an interesting metaphor connected to this phenomenon.
They say that until the arrival of this new Davidic Savior, Israel was immersed in cloudy darkness and could not perceive truth or righteousness.
But when the anointed King arrived, he brought with him God’s OWR or light.
The sun of righteousness…
Or maybe I should say the “son” of righteousness…
Did away with all clouds that were obscuring the truth.
Onward.
Next, we’re told that due to the sun (or son), the colors of the green grass will sparkle like diamonds after the rain.
These green grass blades are a metaphor pointing to God’s Chosen People.
This will become all the more clear when we compare and contrast with verses 6 and 7 that follow afterward, which speak of the thorns of the wicked.
Alrighty, so what takeaway can we extract from all of this?
In the creation story in Genesis, Scripture distinguishes between illumination and light-emitting objects.
One light is called OWR in Hebrew, and the other is MAOROT.
Take a look at verses 3 and 4
“Then God said,
‘Let there be light’;
And there was light.
God saw that the light was good,
And God divided the light
from the darkness.”
-Genesis 1:3-4
The word for “light” in these verses is OWR, and it refers to God’s illumination in the sense of divine enlightenment, life, and truth.
This light was created BEFORE the Lord created the sun, moon, and stars that we’re told about later.
“God said, ‘Let there be lights
in the dome of the sky to
divide the day from the night;
let them be for signs, seasons,
days and years; and let them be
for lights in the dome of the sky
to give light to the earth’;
And that is how it was.”
-Genesis 3:14-15
The Hebrew term for light in these verses is MAOROT and refers to only light-emitting objects.
So here’s the thing.
David’s vision in 2 Samuel refers to OWR (God’s enlightenment), and not MAOROT (light-emitting objects).
When the righteous King rules…
It is God’s OWR or light that will burst through.
Clouds will vanish.
And anything that blocks God’s illumination will cease to be.
That’s why Revelation tells us the MAOROT will one day be unnecessary.
Take a look at these verses:
And the city had no need of the sun,
neither of the moon,
to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it,
and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them
which are saved shall walk in the light of it:
and the kings of the earth
do bring their glory and honor into it.
–Revelations 21:23-25
Notice that?
No sun.
No moon.
No stand-ins.
When the Son of righteousness reigns…
God’s OWR shines directly.
And when illumination is complete…
Light-emitting objects fade into irrelevance.
Not because they failed…
But because their job is finished.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Again, Yeshua spoke to them, saying,
‘I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will
not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.’”
-John 8:12
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