What Does It Mean for the Lord to Be My Salvation and My Light?

A Definition of “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation”

Psalms, or the Psalms book. A work written around a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, or about three thousand years before the time when our modern world began. I mean, can you even fathom the experience? Neither do I. What we now consider “unimaginable” was, in fact, everyday life for them.

The dread of starving and death brought on by a lack of water or food. Alternately, the dread of being attacked by an adversary. Evil as we know it now was commonplace for those who lived through it. Fighting and death were commonplace. This probably sounds all too familiar to you.

The walls of the city did provide some safety, at least until a siege cut off the city’s escape routes. Particularly vulnerable to assault were farmers and other employees outside the city who, had fighting broke out, would have been forced to flee to the city itself. To keep danger at bay. Because failing to do so would be fatal to them.

A fortress was therefore established in the city. That haven or fortress where one may feel secure. For further protection, some of the bigger towns would construct a “strong tower.”

The sturdy tower served as an additional line of defense and a landmark for travelers outside the city’s borders.

Unfortunately, this also made it simpler for the adversary to zero in on the spot. This was how it went down in David’s Jerusalem.

In fact, folks back then had good reason to be terrified. Also terrifying for leaders of the time, like King David, was the knowledge that they, too, were fair game in any conflict.

The Psalms read like a collection of David’s personal diaries. When we read the Psalms, we find that David’s anxieties, problems, and uncertainties mirror our own.

But every time David shares his anxieties and questions, he ultimately puts his faith in God. David is often seen clenching his fist and demanding to know why or when, and then he concludes:

Every time I feel nervous, I remember that I can trust you. I have faith and confidence in God, whose word I laud. Surely no normal person has the power to harm me. (Psalm 56:3).

Scripture’s Messianic Hope:

Several well-known Psalms are taken to be direct prophecies of the Messiah’s arrival: Scriptures: (Psalms) 2:1-7,12; 22:1; 110:1-4 (The author of Hebrews devoted an entire chapter in reference to the verse and to Genesis 14:18-20).

These and other prophetic Psalms are well-known, but what is fascinating is the way in which many of David’s Psalms predict the compassion and grace that are to be found in Christ: forgiveness, redemption, everlasting life, protection, peace, and joy. David prophesied about Christ and His activity a whole thousand years before Jesus’ birth.

1. The act of apologizing and asking for forgiveness

Old Testament law, sometimes known as the Old Covenant, is replete with allusions to the need of blood sacrifice for atonement.

According to all indications, the foundation of the ancient covenant is the observance of the law, which involves the offering of ceremonial sacrifices meant to appease God’s anger. It may appear contrary, yet many of the Psalms seem to imply the opposite.

King David penned Psalm 51 after killing his close friend Uriah and abusing his authority over Bathsheba. David asks God to pardon him on the basis of his repentance, not an animal sacrifice, anticipating the atonement that would come via Christ.

Psalm 32 is David’s confession to God that he has sinned against God’s holy law. Sin had separated him from God, yet he was able to assist tear down that wall by doing this. Christ’s atonement has been useful in this regard as well.

Without God’s grace, Psalm 130 argues, we are hopeless. But God’s grace renews our fellowship with him when we repent and ask for forgiveness. Once again, Jesus’ death and resurrection completed the task.

Psalm 103:12, however, may be the most informative of all since it tells us precisely what Christ was to accomplish on the cross. To put it another way, “he has put our sins as distant from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

2. Direction

Back when he was a kid, David worked as a shepherd. He understood the weight of that position’s accountability. As the Israelite forces prepared to meet Goliath, he really made this same point to King Saul (1 Samuel 17:34-36).

David’s time spent as a shepherd inspired one of the most well-known Psalms, Psalm 23.

When David compared the Lord God to a shepherd, he was acknowledging that he, like the shepherd he remembered keeping his sheep, was part of a larger group of believers who were being led and protected by God. If I live in the Lord’s home eternally, “I will not lack” for anything.

For this last passage to be true, Christ’s resurrection was necessary; without it, we would have no hope of spending eternity in the presence of God.

David had no idea that Jesus would one day call himself the “good shepherd” (John 10:11-18). A sheep’s only hope for survival is the food and water that the excellent shepherd provides.

Jesus warned that a hired hand would leave the sheep and go, but he promises to always be there with his disciples and lead them by the rod and staff.

3. Safekeeping

David makes explicit the source of his fortitude and assurance in verses 1-2 of Psalm 27.

Whom then should I be afraid, if the Lord is my light and my salvation? If the Lord is on my side, I have nothing to fear.

I have no need to be terrified of anybody or anything. What possible harm may be aimed at me? What worries, concerns, or uncertainties could I face? None. I have put my faith and reliance in the Lord, and he is my rock.

Okay, but why? Why did David say that God was his light and salvation if he had nothing else to go on at the time save his confidence in God?

The Guide to the Universe

John introduces the Messiah in his gospel by referring to him as “the Word,” or “that which was formed” (John 1:1-5).

Then, in the latter part of John’s gospel, Jesus explains who he is and why he came:

Jesus re-emerged before the crowd and said, “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never be in the dark, but will always have the light of life (John 8:12).

Aside from foretelling the arrival of the Messiah, David’s personal diary also foretold the coming of Jesus and his activity as the Messiah. We can’t understand Jesus’ role as “light of the world” apart from his connection to the Father.

There are numerous Psalms that still hold water today. I’ve committed this one to paper for further perusal. Day after day.

I have found my salvation in the Lord. My refuge is in the Lord.

I have found my hope, my salvation, and my rock in Jesus Christ. If my faith is in Him, I have nothing to worry about. Honestly, I can’t think of anything.