If we think about it, how
wonderful would it be if we had the power to move the sun and moon?
If we somehow had control of those huge masses within the sky and
could orchestrate their orbits and paths, what would people think of
us? God Almighty controls the universe everyday, and yet, still
people doubt Him. As Habakkuk considers the workings of God in
Israel's past, He make reference to God's control of the sun and
moon. He wrote in Habakkuk chapter three and verse eleven:
The sun [and] moon
stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they
went, [and] at the shining of your glittering spear.
There
are several references to God being in control of the celestial
bodies in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the very first book and
chapter of the Bible, Genesis one, Moses wrote:
In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Moses
also wrote about God individually creating the sun, moon, stars and
heavenly bodies as well.
In
chapter eight and verses three and four in the book of Psalms, King
David of Israel asked:
When I consider your
heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you
have ordained; What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son
of man, that you visit him?
Later
on Joshua had an encounter with God which involved the sun and the
moon:
Then spake Joshua to
the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before
the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun,
stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of
Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not this
written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no
day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the
voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. Joshua 10:12-14
And King Hezekiah was given
a choice about the happenings with the sun as well.
And Hezekiah said unto
Isaiah, What [shall be] the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that
I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day? And Isaiah
said, This sign shall you have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the
thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or
go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for
the shadow to go down ten degrees: no, but let the shadow return
backward ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and
he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down
in the dial of Ahaz. 2 Kings 20:8-11
Habakkuk knew these stories
and now references them for his writing, “The sun [and] moon
stood still in their habitation:”
There is no power like God's power. He created the universe, and
manipulating the patterns of celestial bodies is within His command.
Habakkuk likens God's control over them like a warrior going to
battle, “at the light of thine arrows they went, [and] at
the shining of your glittering spear.” Just
the site of God approaching can make the greatest of stars flee. Is
there any reason that we should wonder whether God can help us in any
situation?
Habakkuk's
references to God's power helps not only him but also his readers to
know that God has ultimate power even over the sun and moon. God has
power over the elements of the Earth, and nothing is more powerful
than He. When we compare the daunting of our circumstances to the
power of Almighty God, there is never a contest. Perhaps today we
should measure our problems against the dynamic of our Heavenly
Father being involved, and the greatest of our troubles will
disappear in light of Him.
Next
time we will continue to study examples of God's power as God goes on
the march, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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