Topical Bible: The Sun: The Rays of Pleasant to Man

◄ The Sun: The Rays of Pleasant to Man ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The sun, a central figure in the natural world, is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of God's creation, power, and provision. Its rays, which bring warmth and light, are depicted as a source of life and joy for humanity. The sun's role in the biblical narrative underscores the divine order and the sustenance provided by God to His creation.

Creation and Order

The sun is first introduced in the creation account in Genesis. On the fourth day, God created the "greater light to govern the day" (Genesis 1:16). This act of creation highlights the sun's role in establishing the rhythm of day and night, a fundamental aspect of the created order. The sun's consistent rising and setting are a testament to God's faithfulness and the reliability of His creation.

Symbol of God's Glory and Righteousness

The sun is often used metaphorically to represent God's glory and righteousness. In Psalm 19:4-6, the psalmist describes the sun as a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, rejoicing like a champion to run his course. This imagery conveys the sun's strength and the joy it brings, reflecting the splendor of God's handiwork. Similarly, Malachi 4:2 speaks of the "sun of righteousness" rising with healing in its rays, symbolizing the restorative power of God's justice and mercy.

Source of Light and Life

The sun's rays are depicted as a source of life and sustenance. In Ecclesiastes 11:7, it is written, "Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun" . This verse captures the joy and vitality that sunlight brings to human existence. The sun's light is essential for growth and nourishment, both physically and spiritually, as it illuminates the path of righteousness and truth.

Divine Provision and Blessing

The sun is also a symbol of God's provision and blessing. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus teaches that God "causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good" , illustrating the impartiality and generosity of God's grace. The sun's rays, which fall on all people, serve as a reminder of God's abundant provision and the common grace extended to all humanity.

Judgment and End Times

While the sun is often associated with positive imagery, it also appears in contexts of judgment and eschatology. In prophetic literature, the darkening of the sun is a sign of divine judgment and the coming of the Day of the Lord. Joel 2:31 warns, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD" . This imagery underscores the sun's role in signaling significant divine interventions in history.

Eternal Light

In the eschatological vision of the New Jerusalem, the need for the sun is transcended by the presence of God Himself. Revelation 21:23 states, "The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb" . This passage points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to be the eternal light for His people, surpassing even the sun's brilliance.

Throughout the Bible, the sun serves as a powerful symbol of God's creative power, His provision, and His righteous judgment. Its rays, pleasant to man, remind believers of the warmth and light that God provides, both in the natural world and in the spiritual realm.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 30:28
I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ecclesiastes 11:7
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Book I to Pleasant Songs My Work was Erstwhile Given, and Bright ...
... death which thrusts not itself upon men in their pleasant years, yet ... crab doth scorch
the field, fraught with the sun's most grievous rays, the husbandman ...
/.../boethius/the consolation of philosophy/book i to pleasant songs.htm

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. Therefore Take no Thought, Saying ...
... Without whom all thy toil is vain. He is thy living spring, thy sun, whose rays. ...
He leads us forth into a pleasant place. Be thou content. ...
/.../lyra germanica the christian year/fifteenth sunday after trinity therefore.htm

Thoughts Upon the Appearance of Christ the Sun of Righteousness ...
... this Life is infused into them, only by the Rays of the ... our Spirits in the inward
Man, as the Sun doth in ... And truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it ...
/.../private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon the appearance of.htm

Christianity a Light.
... thus gentleness, kindness, meekness, produce pleasant feelings and ... Christianity is
God in man, exhibiting his beauty ... like a diamond as the sun's rays fall upon ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter i christianity a light.htm

On the Feast of St Michael and all Angels
... The stars always look at the sun and reflect his rays, while the sun turns his ... with
them, are so virtuous that virtue becomes as easy and pleasant to them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxiv on the feast.htm

The Church.
... the Lord doth most shine, and most send forth the golden rays and pleasant beams
of ... backslidings; but after she had turned her face from the sun, and had ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxi the church.htm

By Divine Inspiration Philosophers Sometimes Hit on the Truth.
... Nay, men born mortal cannot even stand. Before the rays of the sun.". ... That feels
no fear or grief; profitable, painless,. Helpful, pleasant, safe, friendly; ...
/.../exhortation to the heathen/chapter vi by divine inspiration philosophers.htm

Our Deserts
... the more, and there is nothing so pleasant as loving. ... He is the glorious sun, perfectly
bright, perfectly pure; and ... goodness in the world is but rays and beams ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxxviii our deserts.htm

The Stage as it was Once.
... most have since, that it was far easier and more pleasant to know ... the dead, Watching,
with vainly lingering gaze, Her last, last sun's expiring rays,. ...
/.../kingsley/lectures delivered in america in 1874/lecture ii the stage as.htm

The First Theological Oration.
... as it is unsafe to fix weak eyes upon the sun's rays. ... and not they who make it a
matter of pleasant gossip, like ... or, to use Moses' words, whether a man lie down ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxvii the first theological.htm