When God speaks, something happens. This is mentioned at the very beginning of the Bible:

“And God said …”

It is not mentioned once, but seven times. Each so-called day of creation is introduced by these words. God speaks and it becomes. Much can be said about this, but it is significant what happens first:

“And God said, Let there be light. And light was.”
Gen 1:3

The Word of God gives light. It seems so simple and is very direct. It is clarifying, ordering. He can. He does. Of course, such a clear image, such a clear experience is also used for imagery.

The psalmist writes poetry:

“A lamp unto my foot is thy word, a light unto my path!”
Ps 119:105

Here we see how the Word of God can serve as a guide in everyday life. There is another application that Paul speaks of. In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Greece, he writes:

“For God, who commanded, Out of darkness let light shine; who causes it to shine in our hearts unto the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
2Cor 4,6

Paul makes a comparison. He wants to illustrate for the Corinthians how their lives have changed because they now trust God, through Jesus Christ. The apostle makes a comparison with the first verses of the Bible and says: Something so powerful and archaic, something so overwhelming and new has happened in your life and mine. Light is the best comparison for this. Light became!

God now “makes it shine in our hearts.” That is the place where this light spreads. However, the light is not detached from God. It is “to the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” If we want to get a deep insight into the gospel, this is what we see. It is about “the knowledge of the glory of God.” These we see “in the face of Jesus Christ”, which means as much as: when we look at Him.

If we see Jesus Christ, we see God at work. His glory shines there.