Sermon Tone Analysis

Biblical concept of light and darkness

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Light and Darkness in the Old Testament)

At the heart of Old Testament’s symbolic use of light and darkness is the connection the text makes between light and the personal presence of God, and darkness as all that opposes God.

The light and darkness theme in the New Testament builds on the symbolism visible in the Old Testament and in Second Temple Judaism, but re-focuses it on Jesus as Messiah and the bodily presence of God.

Jesus is our light.

What happens at the Feast of Booths?

The Mishnah (Sukkah)

5:2 A At the end of the first festival day of the Festival [the priests and Levites] went down to the women’s courtyard.B

And they made a major enactment [by putting men below and women above].C And there were golden candleholders there, with four gold bowls on their tops, and four ladders for each candlestick.D

And four young priests with jars of oil containing a hundred and twenty logs, [would climb up the ladders and] pour [the oil] into each bowl.5:3

A Out of the worn-out undergarments and girdles of the priests they made wicks,B and with them they lit the candlesticks.C

And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem which was not lit up from the light of bet hashshoebah.5:4

A The pious men and wonder workers would dance before them with flaming torches in their hand,B and they would sing before them songs and praises.

by this festival the lawgiver teaches two lessons, both that it is necessary to honour equality, the first principle and beginning of justice, the principle akin to unshadowed light; and that it is becoming also, after witnessing the perfection of all the fruits of the year, to give thanks to that Being who has made them perfect.

) Again, the beginning of this festival is appointed for the fifteenth day of the month, on account of the reason which has already been mentioned respecting the spring season, also that the world may be full, not by day only but also by night, of the most beautiful light, the sun and moon on their rising opposite to one another with uninterrupted light, without any darkness interposing itself between so as to divide them.

The Feast of Booths evokes strong light imagery in the hearts of the people.

I am the light of the world.

Jesus is our light.

How can we receive his light?

Believe and follow, becoming sons of light.

Sons of light shine Jesus.

Jesus is our light, working good works in us, which brings glory to God.

Receive and Shine the Light.