The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. - Psalm 19:1
Hello again! For the past month we have been discussing the account of creation found in Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning God created the natural heavens and the earth, but they were originally formless and void. Then He began to shape them into a suitable environment where people could live.
The 1st 3 days of creation have been called “The Forming Days”. During these 3 days God created the basic elements that would be necessary to support human life. On the 1st day He commanded light to shine and separated it from the darkness. On the 2nd day He created an expanse which He called heaven, believed to be the earth’s atmosphere (and perhaps outer space as well). On the 3rd day God gathered the earth’s waters so that dry land appeared and then commanded plants to grow according to their kind.
The last 3 days of creation have been called “The Filling Days”. During these 3 days God filled the heavens and earth He had created. In today’s sermon we will consider how God filled the heavens, particularly the 2nd heaven or outer space, with celestial bodies. This message is titled, “Day 4 - God Creates the Sun, Moon, and Stars”.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
I. THE 2 GREAT LIGHTS
On the 4th day of creation, using nothing but the almighty power of His voice, God created lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate and govern the day and the night. Of these, 2 were called “great” lights - the greater light being the sun and the lesser light being the moon. The sun provides light and warmth to the earth, shining during the daytime, while the moon reflects sunlight to provide limited light during the dark of night. After creating these lights, it was no longer necessary for God to illuminate the heavens and earth with the light of His presence.
Besides lighting the earth, the sun and moon were also to provide signs of significant occurrences. Eclipses are often associated with historic moments, such as the darkening of the sun while Jesus was on the cross (Matthew 27:45). Lunar eclipses and blood moons are often signs of end-times events or of judgment (Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:12).
The sun and moon were also created to mark the days, years, and seasons. The Jewish calendar determines its months following the lunar cycle, so that each month starts with a new moon. This places the full month around the middle of each month, which often coincides with a major holiday such as Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Every few years an extra month is added to keep the calendar aligned with a solar year. The varying length of daylight each day signifies new seasons of the year as well.
II. THE NUMEROUS STARS
Besides the sun and the moon, God also created the stars. While they don’t light the earth, they are also used as signs and markers for the days and seasons. Different constellations in the sky mark different seasons of the year, as they follow a predictable and fixed pattern. Stars are also used for navigational purposes. As an example of a Biblical sign, Jesus spoke about the stars falling from the sky at His second coming (Mark 13:25).
There are trillions of stars in the universe. Amazingly, the Bible tells us that God knows each of them by name (Isaiah 40:26). This testifies of His all-knowing power. God promised Abram that His descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5). What a wonderful promise!
III. OTHER HEAVENLY BODIES
The author of Genesis 1 described what he could see from earth - namely, the sun, moon, and stars. That said, there are many more heavenly bodies in our universe besides those which are visible to the naked eye. Scientists estimate that there are around 2 trillion galaxies in the universe with an average of 100 billion stars (or more) in each. Based on their studies of the Milky Way, astronomers believe that most stars have their own planetary systems. So far, they have discovered over 3,000 solar systems in our galaxy.
Think about it! God created all of these galaxies, these planets, and every other celestial body in the entire universe! The sheer magnitude of His creation on Day 4 is staggering to consider. Yet, for Him, it was an easy task (Jeremiah 32:17).
IV. DISTANT STARLIGHT
Those who believe that the universe is billions of years old argue that the visibility of distant stars proves their position. They reason that if the earth is only 6,000-10,000 years old, as young earth proponents claim, light from these stars would not have reached the earth yet and we wouldn’t be able to see them… but we can. Thus, the universe must be old, right?
The length of time that it takes for starlight to reach earth is calculated on the basis of natural laws that determine speed. God exists outside of time and space. He is supernatural. In fact, He created nature and upholds its laws. Whatsmore, He can alter them, suspend them, or override them at any time. Beloved, you simply can’t explain the supernatural with the natural. If God wants us to see the stars, He can supernaturally permit us to see them, even if doing so defies a natural explanation.
That said… there may actually be a natural explanation. Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity states that measurements of time and space are not constant. They are affected by motion and gravity. Time will actually pass more slowly if an object is moving substantially faster and/or is farther from a source of gravity. This is called time-dilation. Following this theory, some argue that distant starlight might actually be arriving to the earth much faster than we calculate, because time in distant space may be progressing at a different rate.
CONCLUSION
Let’s conclude this morning’s message with a summary of its major points:
Although God had already created light on day 1, He created the “lights” on day 4. As such, He no longer lit the earth merely by His presence.
The 2 great lights God created were the sun, to govern the day, and the moon, to govern the night.
God also created the stars, and He knows each of them by name.
Besides providing light for the earth, the sun, moon, and stars also mark and measure the days, months, seasons, and years.
The sun, moon, and stars provide heavenly signs that are often associated with significant Biblical events.
The heavens declare the glory of God.
After creating the sun, moon, stars, and other celestial bodies in space God saw that what He had done was good. The 4th day of creation came to an end. Next Sunday we will discuss the 5th day of creation, during which God begins creating the animals. I hope you will join us then.
Hello again! For the past month we have been discussing the account of creation found in Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning God created the natural heavens and the earth, but they were originally formless and void. Then He began to shape them into a suitable environment where people could live.
The 1st 3 days of creation have been called “The Forming Days”. During these 3 days God created the basic elements that would be necessary to support human life. On the 1st day He commanded light to shine and separated it from the darkness. On the 2nd day He created an expanse which He called heaven, believed to be the earth’s atmosphere (and perhaps outer space as well). On the 3rd day God gathered the earth’s waters so that dry land appeared and then commanded plants to grow according to their kind.
The last 3 days of creation have been called “The Filling Days”. During these 3 days God filled the heavens and earth He had created. In today’s sermon we will consider how God filled the heavens, particularly the 2nd heaven or outer space, with celestial bodies. This message is titled, “Day 4 - God Creates the Sun, Moon, and Stars”.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
I. THE 2 GREAT LIGHTS
On the 4th day of creation, using nothing but the almighty power of His voice, God created lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate and govern the day and the night. Of these, 2 were called “great” lights - the greater light being the sun and the lesser light being the moon. The sun provides light and warmth to the earth, shining during the daytime, while the moon reflects sunlight to provide limited light during the dark of night. After creating these lights, it was no longer necessary for God to illuminate the heavens and earth with the light of His presence.
Besides lighting the earth, the sun and moon were also to provide signs of significant occurrences. Eclipses are often associated with historic moments, such as the darkening of the sun while Jesus was on the cross (Matthew 27:45). Lunar eclipses and blood moons are often signs of end-times events or of judgment (Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:12).
The sun and moon were also created to mark the days, years, and seasons. The Jewish calendar determines its months following the lunar cycle, so that each month starts with a new moon. This places the full month around the middle of each month, which often coincides with a major holiday such as Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Every few years an extra month is added to keep the calendar aligned with a solar year. The varying length of daylight each day signifies new seasons of the year as well.
II. THE NUMEROUS STARS
Besides the sun and the moon, God also created the stars. While they don’t light the earth, they are also used as signs and markers for the days and seasons. Different constellations in the sky mark different seasons of the year, as they follow a predictable and fixed pattern. Stars are also used for navigational purposes. As an example of a Biblical sign, Jesus spoke about the stars falling from the sky at His second coming (Mark 13:25).
There are trillions of stars in the universe. Amazingly, the Bible tells us that God knows each of them by name (Isaiah 40:26). This testifies of His all-knowing power. God promised Abram that His descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5). What a wonderful promise!
III. OTHER HEAVENLY BODIES
The author of Genesis 1 described what he could see from earth - namely, the sun, moon, and stars. That said, there are many more heavenly bodies in our universe besides those which are visible to the naked eye. Scientists estimate that there are around 2 trillion galaxies in the universe with an average of 100 billion stars (or more) in each. Based on their studies of the Milky Way, astronomers believe that most stars have their own planetary systems. So far, they have discovered over 3,000 solar systems in our galaxy.
Think about it! God created all of these galaxies, these planets, and every other celestial body in the entire universe! The sheer magnitude of His creation on Day 4 is staggering to consider. Yet, for Him, it was an easy task (Jeremiah 32:17).
IV. DISTANT STARLIGHT
Those who believe that the universe is billions of years old argue that the visibility of distant stars proves their position. They reason that if the earth is only 6,000-10,000 years old, as young earth proponents claim, light from these stars would not have reached the earth yet and we wouldn’t be able to see them… but we can. Thus, the universe must be old, right?
The length of time that it takes for starlight to reach earth is calculated on the basis of natural laws that determine speed. God exists outside of time and space. He is supernatural. In fact, He created nature and upholds its laws. Whatsmore, He can alter them, suspend them, or override them at any time. Beloved, you simply can’t explain the supernatural with the natural. If God wants us to see the stars, He can supernaturally permit us to see them, even if doing so defies a natural explanation.
That said… there may actually be a natural explanation. Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity states that measurements of time and space are not constant. They are affected by motion and gravity. Time will actually pass more slowly if an object is moving substantially faster and/or is farther from a source of gravity. This is called time-dilation. Following this theory, some argue that distant starlight might actually be arriving to the earth much faster than we calculate, because time in distant space may be progressing at a different rate.
CONCLUSION
Let’s conclude this morning’s message with a summary of its major points:
Although God had already created light on day 1, He created the “lights” on day 4. As such, He no longer lit the earth merely by His presence.
The 2 great lights God created were the sun, to govern the day, and the moon, to govern the night.
God also created the stars, and He knows each of them by name.
Besides providing light for the earth, the sun, moon, and stars also mark and measure the days, months, seasons, and years.
The sun, moon, and stars provide heavenly signs that are often associated with significant Biblical events.
The heavens declare the glory of God.
After creating the sun, moon, stars, and other celestial bodies in space God saw that what He had done was good. The 4th day of creation came to an end. Next Sunday we will discuss the 5th day of creation, during which God begins creating the animals. I hope you will join us then.