Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth; and so it was. Genesis 1:14-15

On the first day of creation, God said, “Let there be light.” On the fourth day of creation, he added, “Let there be lights.” Light reflectors and generators in the expanse replaced the intrinsic light force that God created on day one. The stated purpose of the sun, moon and stars was to divide, direct, and dazzle.

Besides dividing the day from the night, the luminaries in the sky set the seasons and serve as signs. By day four if not before, the earth is tilting on its axis and unveiling the cycles of spring, summer, winter and fall to the new planet. The beautiful seasonal changes on earth provide variety and a spice to life.

In what way do these lights serve as signs? Of course, for centuries sailors have used the stars in the sky as navigation points. Scientists and astronomers study the stars to determine tides, eclipses, seasonal changes and so on. But is there something more to this? Some say God wrote the gospel in the stars but that the signs of the zodiac have been corrupted by pagan astrology. This theory has huge theological problems but it does make for interesting discussion.

God never intended for us to worship the sun, moon and stars. But the history of humanity demonstrates how prone we are to worship the creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1). In Greek mythology, for instance, Apollo is the sun god and Artemis is the goddess of the moon. The Greeks also worshipped a number of lesser “sky deities.” Hindus worship Aditi who is the mother of the sun and moon gods, Mitra and Varuna. Eskimos worship Akycha, the sun spirit. The Mayans worshipped Ah Kinchil, the god of the sun. Ama-Terasu is the Japanese sun goddess. And the list goes on and on.

Sun worshippers beware! Some speculate that the reason God did not create the sun first is because he knew we would worship it. No matter what day he made the sun, we are still prone to wander from our Creator, aren’t we?

Comments

alromaneski says:
Dear Pastor Ron, Greetings in Christ on Columbus day!! Thank you for your series on creation. Marilyn and I find these sermons very valuable and we hate to miss any. I will be doing the worship at the A/P Chapel next Sunday, but Marilyn will take notes for me, and then I can also see the sermon on the web page-- a miracle! Regards, ALR
sunukim02 says:
Dear Pastor Ron, Aloha from Quebec! : ) Thank you for your series on creation. You have ventured into series that so few pastors dare to enter. God bless you for your firm stance on six day creation with each day being 24 hour period. I, for one, am excited to hear more on this subject matter. His Word is eternal and final regarding 6 day creation account in Genesis 1-2 as He Himself testified of 6 day creation on stone tablet written with His Fingers. If we were to believe otherwise, we would be undermining the authority of the Lord Jesus as Creator God and dishonoring Him, the Word of God who is the Truth. God bless you and keep you always.
Mike H. says:
Pastor Ron, My wife and I wanted to thank you for your message this morning. In discussing the dignity of mankind as displayed in the image of God, you were unafraid to point out how this impacts our political culture today - specifically on abortion, sexuality and human dignity in general. Thank you for having the courage to speak to these important issues. God bless y'all! Mike

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“Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

Romans 8:28 MSG