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I. THE IMPORT OF THE WORDS, "the light of the Lord." There appears here to be an allusion to that striking token of special guardianship which was vouchsafed to the Israelites in the Shechinah as it appeared to the Church in the wilderness; which, while it was the recognised token of special favour from God, indicated also their course of movement. The expression "to walk in the light of the Lord," we regard —

1. As indicative of a cordial reception of His truth. Light is the general emblem of knowledge; and there are many striking points of analogy between religious knowledge and light. The phrase is applicable to the whole body of Divine revelation, which may be viewed as the light of God, that breaks forth, as it were, from His countenance: His countenance, which is the emblem of His immaculate purity, as well as His infinite intelligence. He is said "to dwell in the light which no man can approach unto." And this is also significant of the glory of revealed truth — it is the very light in which the perfections of God stand manifested; the light that develops to us His secret counsels, His plans of government, especially His plan of saving mercy; the light, in allusion to which the prophet elsewhere speaks when he says, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come," etc.

(1) This expression is applicable to the law — that law which embodied the principles of the truth, indeed the only authenticated truth which then existed in the world. It was the purpose of God that His Church should walk in this light under that preparatory dispensation; that the Church should travel onward to meet the superior splendours of the Gospel dispensation, the dispensation of the Sun of Righteousness.

(2) To the Gospel, especially, the expression "the light of the Lord" is exceedingly applicable. This is that great light which shines in the midst of the darkness of the world. This is the glory of the Lord which is "revealed." And this Gospel also threw its light on the future; it abolished death; it proclaimed a resurrection. The Gospel showed, also, the principles on which God governs the world, both moral and providential; that the whole world is under mediatorial government; and that everything is moved for religious purposes — to support the Church, to diffuse the truth. To "walk," then, "in the light of the Lord" with respect to the Jews, was to retain the faith which had been handed down to the Church; to retain it free from all Gentile delusion, from all pagan intermixture, from all rabbinical subtleties.

2. To "walk in the light of the Lord," seems to imply the full reception of all the blessings which the light revealed. And there is this idea suggested in this view of the phrase, "the light of the Lord," that there is an inseparable connection between the truth of God and the favour of God. Whilst the truth creates piety, the piety of the Church is to react on the Church and preserve it from decline.

3. To "walk in the light of the Lord" implies the zealous prosecution of all those duties which the light unfolds.

(1) It seems to imply that the Church is bound to avow herself, not to put her light under a bushel.

(2) Also that there is to be an aggressive spirit in the Church, arising from those views of evil which the light will give, and which while they concern the purity of the Church, are thrown on the mass of darkness which surrounds the Church.

(3) To "walk in the light of the Lord," is to direct the spirit of enterprise in the Church. The ancient Church itself had an office to perform to the world. That Church had to preserve the primitive theology, to protest against the corruptions of paganism: to show, in the connection of religion with public as well as personal happiness, the folly of Gentile paganism, and to show the absolute necessity of submission to the spiritual government of Almighty God. (Ver. 3.) The Church in her purest ages walked in this light of evangelical enterprise; and her achievements were noble — in beneficence most splendid, in its results the most excellent of the world. And there are in modern times the same decisive evidences of the Divine will as it respects the Church.

4. To "walk in the light of the Lord" is to walk in the calm contemplation of the final fulfilment of prophecy.

II. THE MOTIVES OR PRINCIPLES WHICH ENFORCE THIS EXHORTATION.

1. There is moral obligation, for what is moral obligation but submission to the will of God — and to Him who is the Sovereign, we being the subjects? Therefore it is incumbent on us to submit to, and to recognise His will, to love His law, to mark His rule, and to feel all the force of the sanctions appended to that rule. This may be very appropriately illustrated by the very phrase itself: it is "the light of the Lord" — the light of Jehovah, sovereign light; the light dispensed by Him for special purposes and the natural light does not more clearly indicate its office than the moral light indicates the special intentions of the God of heaven. This light is given for a special purpose; it is directing light; and saving light; it regulates the degree of personal as well as collective responsibility.

2. Then there is also obligation specially induced by conviction of privilege. Privilege exists wherever light exists. There was nothing in the Jewish Church which bore any comparison to the gift of religious truth to that nation. Any nation that has the light of the Lord and the ability to use it, is signally privileged, and attains the very altitude of human glory. All this is not given us for vain glory; it is conferred that we might preach Christ and bring the world under His government.

3. The blessings attendant on walking in the light of the Lord. There is personal salvation, for instance, diffused to the very greatest possible extent. Then, if you look at the subject simply in reference to Churches, there is a very powerful motive; for, to "walk in the light of the Lord" is the sole condition for retaining the light.

(G. Steward.)

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KJV: O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

WEB: House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.