Light and lamps are often used in the Bible as a metaphor for life, as is the case in this proverb. “The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.” Perhaps this was Solomon’s observation, but most definitely this is a promise of God.
Jesus taught the crowds, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16; Mark 4:21-22, Luke 11:33) God gives life to do good deeds which honor God.
Jesus taught another crowd, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” (Luke 11:34-36) This brings me back to Solomon’s proverb. If my eyes are bad meaning I refuse to see the work of God through others, and if I, therefore, refuse to praise God for that work meaning my light is not lit, then I can expect to be snuffed out.
