@JoshuaBarzon C to my regret. Too many people in militaristic dictatorships. It also assumes that all nations in that region form an active alliance. S Korea and Japan for tech and plenty of available population to support the effort.
Promises & Shadows: Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament
Day 1: Light That Overcomes the Darkness (Gen. 1:1-5)
➡️ The Shadow
The Bible opens not with humanity, sin, or salvation, but with God. Before anything exists, He speaks, and the first thing He speaks into being is light.
This light is not yet the sun or the moon. It is light created by God’s word, pushing back chaos and making life possible. Darkness does not overcome it. It retreats at God’s command. From the beginning, God’s saving work is pictured as light breaking into darkness.
➡️ The Fulfillment
The New Testament deliberately echoes Genesis 1 when it speaks of Christ. John begins his Gospel the same way: “In the beginning.” He identifies Jesus as the eternal Word and says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
Jesus does not merely teach about light. He claims to be the Light and says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Paul later uses the same creation language for salvation. The God who once said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” now shines in human hearts through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
➡️ Why It Matters
Salvation begins with divine initiative, not human effort. Just as creation did not produce its own light, fallen humanity cannot produce spiritual life.
Genesis 1 reminds us that God’s answer to darkness is not improvement, but divine intervention. He speaks, and light appears. In Christ, God has spoken again, and darkness gives way to life.
➡️ Thanks for Reading! (and Happy New Year!)
If this post blessed you, please give it a share and follow me @JoshuaBarzon for a new "Promises & Shadows" post every morning in 2026.