The Sun of Righteousness

Yesterday I shared about the dual revelation of God as:

1. My shield
2. My reward

But as I was reading verses on these twin aspects of God's nature, I discovered a particularly interesting scripture. Psalm 84:11 says:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

Do you notice that in this verse, the description of God as a "shield" is linked with another description - God as a "sun."

The sun is often used in Scripture as a sign (Genesis 1:14; Luke 21:25) and a symbol of God's glory and righteousness (Psalm 37:6). Even the righteous are described has having this "sun-like" quality to their lives (Judges 5:31; Daniel 12:3).

But the verse that came especially to me was Malachi 4:2:

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."

Notice it is those "who revere my name" who experience this quality of God's nature. And God's nature as "the sun of righteousness" results in healing.

But this is not a remote experience that we accept intellectually in some kind of religious epiphany, but which ultimately doesn't touch our lives. You cannot step into the sunlight without being bathed in the light of the sun. That is why, I believe, Isaiah 60:1 says:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."

When the glory of the LORD rises upon you, the result is that your light has come - and with that reality that comes the divine injunction: "Now you arise and shine!" This is not dependent on your surroundings. Darkness may surround you, but that darkness no longer defines your life. Because the light of God's presence is what now makes you shine. This is why Isaiah 60:2 says:

"See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you."

The result of experiencing this "rising of the sun" of God's glory on our lives is not just we ourselves are illuminated. The illumination of God's glory also affects those around us. This is why Isaiah 60:3 goes on to say:

"Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Notice that it is to your light that the nations come; it is to the brightness of your dawn that the kings arrive, like moths drawn to a brilliant light.

I believe it is to this experience that God has called us all. But for me, in particularly, what I notice is the healing component of this "rising of the sun of righteousness" experience. For those who "revere my name", the sun of righteousness will rise "with healing in its wings." The Message (paraphrased for my experience) puts it this way:

"Get out of bed, David! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. GOD's bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness. But GOD rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness."

I'm taking a hold of this promise by faith for myself today. I'm stepping to the full sunlight of God's presence and glory.