Above is a picture of the Herodian lamp (from the time of Jesus) I bought in Jerusalem last year. As you can see, it is small enough to fit in a person’s hand. The charred tip shows where the wick burned to give light and the hole on the top is where the oil was supplied.
In Psalm 119:105, we read: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
We often think of God’s guidance as a spotlight revealing the whole future. But an ancient oil lamp doesn’t do that. If you hold it down near your feet while walking on a dark, rocky path, it illuminates only the next step.
The lamp teaches us that faith isn’t about seeing the final destination; it’s about having enough light for the immediate moment to continue the journey.
These lamps also bring to life Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25. He describes ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom. Five were wise and brought extra oil; five were foolish and brought only their lamps.
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them…” (Matthew 25:1-3).
Of the many lamps found in archaeological digs, they often find lamp nozzles that are heavily charred with soot. These were lamps that were used. They didn’t sit on a shelf; they burned through the night.
May we be like those used vessels — burning bright, prepared for the long wait, and trusting God to light just the next step in front of us.
Darryl
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