What I call the separation most people call sanctification. This theme pervades many of the Bible’s parables. In fact, we could say Moses’ act of striking the rock twice was a failure of sanctification. He did not treat the rock in a holy and separate manner, but as a common thing that he could but smite and receive water from. Amazingly, God teaches us about sanctification and separation unto him from the very beginning of the Bible, from Genesis 1.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. [Genesis 1:1-5 ESV]
We first learn of the separation by explicit terms in Genesis 1:4 which says, “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.“ The word “separated” comes from the Hebrew word “badal” which is also interpreted as “divided” in some translations of the Bible. This the first time that word occurs in the Bible and then occurs often in rapid succession after this first use. On the first day of creation we witness the separation of light from darkness. But, this is not all. We also see that, at the same time that God separated the light from the darkness, He divided the day into two parts, evening and morning. Then notice that the Divine revelation specifically draws attention to this division of darkness from light, or evening from morning, on each of the first six days of creation! See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, & 31. But observe this as well, there is no evening and morning mentioned on the seventh day. There is no division or separation on the Sabbath. This shows, in a parable, that the separation which the Bible teaches must be completed before the beginning of the seventh prophetic day, the seventh thousand years of man’s existence on the earth, i.e., the millennial reign of Christ! (Note: Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 comprise two clues concerning God’s method of counting time in a thousand year period of time called a “day.”)
The division of evening and morning on this first day must have occurred because of the separation of the light from the darkness. This separation was not caused by the light or the absence of light from the sun and the moon, for these did not exist until the fourth day! The separation occurred because God called forth light to shine in the darkness in Genesis 1:3 and then specifically called our attention to his separation of light from darkness. The New Testament clearly portrays light as truth, righteousness, and obedience to Christ’s commands while showing darkness as given to lies, doing evil, and practicing lawlessness. John 1:5-9, 2 Cor. 4:6 & 6:14, Eph. 5:13-14, I Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:1, and 1 John 1:5-7 illustrate just a few examples of this.
Thus we see that God’s separation of light from darkness on the very first day of creation prophetically foretells his requirement that men sanctify themselves, set themselves apart unto him. The command to “Come out of Babylon” spoken by both Old and New Testament prophets instructs us to separate ourselves from the things of the world (darkness) and come to the things of God (light). Jesus told us that “night comes when no man can work.” No one can do the works of God in darkness; each of us must come to the light in order to do the works of God.
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,[a] we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice[b] cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants[c] for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. [2 Corinthians 4:1-6]
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. [Proverbs 4:18]
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [1 Peter 2:9]
