Thinking Like a Christian

A series of Scripture meditations on what the Bible teaches about the Christian life.

by Pastor Pete Beck III

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Shadows

...the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16 (NET1)

Today as I read in the Psalms, I was drawn to the concept of shadows in the Scriptures. One of the best known verses comes from Psalm 23.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4 (NASB)

The Hebrew means "deep shadow". This is the kind of shadow that is not good. If we combine the verse from Psalm 23 with our opening verse, we see that being in the shadow of death is a place of fear, judgment and bondage. It is where everyone lives because of sin. Before Christ came to save us, before we placed our trust in His finished work and resurrection, this is where we were held captive. But Jesus came as the light of the world to overcome the shadow of death. Shadows disappear in the presence of a his great omnipresent light.

The phrase "the valley of the shadow of death" forces us to see death as something huge which casts a big shadow, a mountain. Before the gospel is believed, death is an ever present foe, always looming in the background of our thoughts, always waiting for us at the end of our days, always a specter as portrayed by the caricature called the Grim Reaper. Jesus journeyed into that shadow land to procure our release from death's power. He defeated death so we could come into the light of eternal life.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), 15 and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NET1)

But shadows are not all bad. There is another shadow that is a place of refuge, the shadow of the Almighty.

As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One, and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty king — 2 I say this about the LORD, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust — 3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter and from the destructive plague. 4 He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. Psalms 91:1-4 (NET1)

Once again, the idea behind the shadow is that God is huge and, in this case, casts a protective shadow, not a gloomy one. This is a shadow that is well lit with God's presence but hides us from the adversary and the storms of life. God's shadow is a hiding place, a refuge.

James tells us that there is no "shadow of turning" in God.

All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. James 1:17 (NET1)



This means that, unlike the shadows cast by the sun which are constantly moving, God's protective shadow never shifts. He is absolutely truthful. His promises can be fully trusted because his character is a giant rock of faithfulness.



Life is meant to be a journey out from under the shadow of death and into the shadow of the Almighty. Jesus, the light of the world, has delivered believers from death and brought them to the Father of lights, whose shadow is one of protection, not fear or darkness. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus and let him take you by the hand to lead you out from fear and into safety? Have you made the journey? There is no time like today!



Sadly, many prefer darkness over light.



Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. John 3:19-21 (NET1)



Light haters would rather live in a place where their sinful deeds and thoughts remain undisclosed, at least for now. They choose to live without regard for God, refusing to submit their lives to the Life. For these, there is no hope. But for those who are willing to come into God's light by acknowledging their sin and trusting in good news about Christ, God transfers them out from under the shadow of the lord of death and into the gloriously bright kingdom of the Son of God.



...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14 (NET1)



Those who long to be free from the grasping arms of the shadow of death need only cry out to the Light of the World. If you seek him with all your heart, you will find Him. If you ask him to come into your life, He has promised that He will never cast you aside.



Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. John 6:37 (NET1)



That's a promise from God, with whom there is no trace of shiftiness or falsehood.

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