psalm 139.12 even the darkness is light......

[claypot]

I would like some thoughts on this truth that the darkness is as light to God.

This truth is opening up something within my being but I can't fully grasp it yet.

[marie glen]

That's very comforting.. I can't know what you were thinking but here's what caught my eye..

according to verse 8, if we make our bed in sheol - the grave - for the LORD Most High's Word says in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 —

3 This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone.

5 The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing...

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going..

Now verse 6 says "..never again will they have any share in all that is done under the sun..

BUT - as repetition in researching these 'forever' verses - originally the verse is more like - " they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun — as the Old Testament "olam" may be "long duration" - especially from the author, the preacher's days! But no problem.. the dark of the grave does not hide from Him!! All are safe..

https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ecclesiastes/9-6.htm - word #5769 - olam

I like/LOVE these verses for what I consider giving great clarity..
     Jesus said, John 5:28-29 - "...all in the tombs" (graves) "will hear His voice and will come forth" (out of the graves/tombs) some "in the resurrection of life" - (which is at His return, Rev.20) and some in the resurrection of judgment" (which is "after the thousand years"/millennium, Rev.20)
     Considered WITH - 2 Peter 2:9 - "God knows how to preserve the unrighteous for CORRECTION/kolazo on 'day of judgment."
    AND, Matthew 25:45-46, "He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into aionian/agelasting kolazo, but the righteous into aionian life." — It's human (fallible) translators who translated "agelasting correction" into 'everlasting punishment' or sometimes 'everlasting condemnation or contempt' BUT according to what was ORIGINALLY "God breathed"/inspired, it should read "agelasting correction" ..I have to think much like some experience now during this age, after all, "a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven" - John 3:27.

But back to sheol, we read how there "the dead know nothing" etc. per God's teaching.,

But look at what human translators day sheol means —

  :mshock: " underworld (place to which people descend at death)... {sheh-ole'}; from sha'al; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates --"

I do not think they got that from the bible.

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7585.htm - word #7585 - sheol

Psalm 139:11-14
" If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;" .."by His stripes we are healed".. made whole.. all is light to Him (is seen by Him) understands us, makes us whole, transforms us.. from faith to faith.. by His grace..

The whole chapter is awesome.. all going together of course.. He knows us.

[Ross]

David makes an interesting point in Psalm 23 ; yeah, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil;
                                                                     Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

Hebrews points out in 12;6 He disciplines who He loves.

1 Cor 4;5  " So then do not be judging anything before the time, before the Lord comes,
                 Who will bring to light the things NOW HIDDEN In DARKNESS,
                 and will show the counsels of the heart;"

Jesus states that His kingdom is not of this age;

Paul says the difference between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of Christ.
There are ages to come.

Paul says that nothing can keep us from the love of God in Christ our Lord.

I.M.O and current understanding the dark was created for a reason- to teach us right from wrong.
The current world leader, Satan tries to keep us focused on the temporary stuff to distract us from our glorious future.

Isaiah 45;5-7 " I am Yahweh, there is none else besides me, there is no other God- I gird you , though you have not known Me;
                       that the men may get to know from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none beside Me-
                        I am Yahweh, and there is none else;
                        forming light and creating darkness, making prosperity and creating misfortune-
                       I am Yahweh Who does these things."

Paul says that if this life is all there is then we should  be pitied most of all.
More of the opinion stuff is that we are to learn through experience what to truly value.
To perceive the difference between man and God- His ways/methods are higher than ours.

SO even though we are in darkness, which is part of creation, we are not going to be there forever- this age is temporary.

[claypot]

pretty deep thoughts for this shallow mind but thanks.

My thinking is leading me towards the idea that God brings light out of darkness. That God only sees the light that is within all darkness. Jesus lights every man that comes into the world. To God the darkness is as light?????

[rosered]

Wonderful thoughts everyone!!!    so blessed to read this  !!   :dsunny:   :HeartThrob:

[Ross]

My thinking is leading me towards the idea that God brings light out of darkness.

Pretty good idea.

John 1;3-5  " All things came into existence through Him, and not even one thing came into existence without Him;
                    in Him was life and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness,
                    and the darkness does not lay hold of the light."

John 1;9    " The witness concerning the light coming into the world enlightens every man."

John 3;20,21 " For whoever does practise corrupt things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his works be reproved.
                       But he that does the truth comes to the light
                       that his works may be made manifest that in God they have been wrought."

John 8;1    " I am the light of the world;
                   he that follows Me shall in no way walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

[GodIsLove]

The Beginning

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

The creation account seems to say that God created darkness first and then created light.

This is also the pattern of all of creation on a both individual and collective level: we are in darkness first and then are pulled or drawn toward the light.

This shows it's not random but a specific sequence of events that God is doing.

[jugghead]

The Beginning

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

The creation account seems to say that God created darkness first and then created light.

This is also the pattern of all of creation on a both individual and collective level: we are in darkness first and then are pulled or drawn toward the light.

This shows it's not random but a specific sequence of events that God is doing.

And from a different perspective (IMO):
darkness was over the surface of the deep
and
the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

are two ways of saying the same thing from two different perspectives;

that God's Spirit is darkness to us if He is unknown to us (not understood/hidden)
and
that God's Spirit is light to us if He is known to us (understood/revealed)

Is this how it is understood in the verse that says, darkness and light are the same to Him, just viewed from two different perspectives

and that the words "Let there be light" is the revealing of His Spirit out of the darkness

Again, just my opinion