The Goodness of God in Stars
How great is our God!
He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. (Psalm 147:4)
People have always been fascinated by the night sky. The ancient Mesopotamians considered the stars to be "heavenly writing" (Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible), while the Babylonians used the positions of the stars to predict earthly events. It was Babylonian wise men who read the stars all the way to Bethlehem to welcome Jesus, the King (Matthew 2).
Today, we are fascinated by images from the Hubble Telescope, launched by NASA in 1990 with a life expectancy of 15 years. More than 35 years later, the telescope has returned more than 430 terabytes of data in 1.6 million observations.
Based on the data, astronomers believe there may be a septillion stars: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Stars die and form regularly, so no one can ever know the actual number of stars on any given day—no one except the Creator, who set them in their places on the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14).
The psalmist praises God for His mercy and gentleness: binding broken hearts, gathering the outcasts, and understanding the needs of each person who calls out to Him. At the same time, He determines the number of the stars and gives them each a name. The Lord God is great and abundant in power, yet He lifts up the humble and the hurt. The God who created the universes and galaxies loves us—and knows, not just our names, but also the number of hairs on each person's head (Luke 12:4–7). Jesus said that the God who named the stars also knows the sparrows—and we are worth so much more than sparrows.
The night sky reveals the power of God. It led the Magi to the first coming of Jesus. And someday, the same stars will portend the second coming of Jesus in glory and judgment (Luke 21:25–27). That day will bring terror to those who mock God and joy to those who call Jesus Lord. No one knows when that day will come, but Jesus keeps His promises. In Matthew 24 He said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).
Those who worship Jesus as Lord, Savior, and King do not need to fear that great day. We who know Elohim as Father, Protector, and Source of all good things can persevere in anticipation of His goodness prevailing over evil. The Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people of all nations can look to the stars above and know that the Creator who numbered and named the stars sees each one of us. How great is our God; how worthy of all praise, forever.
Stars and Whales singing How Great is Our God (Chris Tomlin) - Louie Giglio - 9min version
Resources:
The ESV Bible. English Standard Version, Crossway, 2001.
The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version. General ed., John H. Walton and Craig S. Keener, Zondervan, 2019.
NASA. Science Missions. NASA, https://science.nasa.gov/mission/.
NASA. Stars. NASA, https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/.
Stars and Whales Singing How Great Is Our God. YouTube, uploaded by Sheila, 2015, Stars and Whales singing How Great is Our God (Chris Tomlin) - Louie Giglio - 9min version.
