Psalms 27:1, commentary and pictures

The Lord Himself is the believer's personal light and rescue and the strength of his life, so no person need be feared and nothing need cause dread. It was sung by David in his years as a hunted fugitive in the wilderness, when amid constant change he kept communion with heaven in song. That light is Jesus Christ the Redeemer, in whom is no darkness, who gave His own life to guide and sustain His followers and who as the Sun of Righteousness scatters hindrances and fills the heart with peace and joy. It gives complete freedom from fear when evildoers attack and armies encamp and war rises, for those foes are the Lord's enemies and are vanquished by the Captain of salvation, whose presence is security and joy in duty and trial. It belongs with one consuming desire to dwell continually with the Lord to behold His beauty, with the promise that in trouble He will hide His people in His shelter and set them high on a rock above their enemies, until joyful worship ends in final triumph.

Meaning and Background

The verse is David's song from his years as a hunted fugitive seeking refuge in the wilderness, one of the songs by which amid the changes and vicissitudes of his changeful life he held communion with heaven. The Lord Himself is the speaker's personal light and salvation and strength of life, so there is no person to fear and nothing to be afraid of and no cause for fear. It is a song of praise to be sung now with firm step and melody in the heart in calm, perfect trust that God will work and nothing is too hard for Him. The same Lord preserves health and strength in old age for continued useful work, enabling early rising and hours of labor even at seventy-eight years with weak eyesight troubled by cold, when care is taken.

The light is Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer, in whom is no darkness at all, who gave His own precious life that His people may be guided and strengthened and sustained. He who follows Him shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life. As the sun disperses clouds from its path, so as the Sun of Righteousness He removes and disperses obstacles to progress, and when He shines into the heart those restored sit in peace and joy in the Lord.

In this period of earth's history light will surely be given to God's chosen people, for whom the Lord is light and salvation. Increased light is given to those who appreciate light and impart it to others. Precious light and knowledge given to saints and prophets of former ages is now unfolded to the chosen of God in these last days, and having Christ the Light of the world present is a great privilege and blessing, as with the disciples, whose value must be comprehended and appreciated through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Confidence in Trouble

The Lord Himself is personal light, rescue, and strength of life, so there is complete freedom from fear of any person and of anything to be afraid of when evil-doers attack, when a host encamps, and when war rises. Christians are passing through an enemy's land where foes hate God and hinder their advance, but those foes are the Lord's enemies, and though strong and artful they are vanquished by the Captain of salvation. As the sun disperses clouds from its path, the Sun of Righteousness removes obstacles to progress, and looking at unseen things cheers and animates the soul on the journey. Even though a host encamps and war rises, the heart need not fear but can stay confident, because God's presence is security, treasure, glory, and joy for doing duty and enduring trial.

It belongs to a larger song expressing one central desire to dwell in the house of the Lord continually all of life to behold His beauty and seek Him in His temple. It promises that in the time of trouble He will hide His people secretly in His shelter, in His pavilion and in the covert of His tabernacle, and set them secure on high on a rock above surrounding enemies. With heads lifted above enemies it ends in joyful worship with sacrifices of joy and singing praise to the Lord. It is the song of every trusting believer who understands God's government and rejoices in lasting protection and rescue secured through Christ's merits, to be sung now by those who love God and keep His commandments with firm step and melody in the heart in calm, perfect trust that God will work and nothing is too hard for Him, until the day of final triumph when each saved person receives according to works and God's people recall with joy all He has done for them.

Those who ask God for light and instruction and submit to follow Him can have full confidence that He will guide and lead their minds, shine light on the pathway, bring them by providence to the truth they need, give courage to choose the work of soul-saving, and guard them when enemies oppose and trouble comes. When a person is true to the Word of God, clinging to the Saviour and living it out in every respect, he stands on the side of Christ and on the side of the loyal, holy angels under the shield of Omnipotence. That protection gives strength to understand personal peril and to resist subtle, dangerous temptations. Christ, who gave His own precious life so that believers may be guided, strengthened, and sustained, is to be approached as a child approaches a father, as Helper, Sufficiency, and all and in all. Those who come to Him in faith never fail to receive comfort, and He deals gently with infirmities because He has been tempted in all points as they are.

The verse is the personal confession that Christ is salvation and covering, impressed on the mind of one converted by truth and born again who bows in humble submission of heart, mind, strength, and soul in reverence for Jesus Christ and omnipotent power, with mercy and the love of God as controlling power. Beholding the grace and glory of the Lord Jesus in contrast with personal littleness does not overwhelm him, because beholding changes him and Christ's glory transforms character, which is the highest miracle. That transformation produces real fruit bearing witness to divine life and the genuine instincts of the newborn soul unashamed to wait on the Lord. As light and salvation Christ's love encircles sinners, seeks and hunts for the lost sheep, brings them back to the fold, and gives them the privilege of sitting together with Him in heavenly places, and when the Sun of Righteousness shines into the heart those restored sit in peace and joy in the Lord. This redemption, that believers are not their own but bought with a price, is the science and song of all heaven. The same Lord as personal light, salvation, and strength of life preserves health and strength in old age and enables continued useful work, rising early and laboring for hours, even at seventy-eight years of age and even when eyesight is weak and troubled by cold, when care is taken.