Psalm 19:1-6 has this to say about the heavens:
1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
What Do The Heavens Declare?
If the Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God and that their speech is heard by everyone on earth then we need to examine what the sun and the stars have to say to us.
The sun is the center of our solar system. It is the source of light and heat for the earth. It is a medium sized star that is yellow in color and produces a lot of energy mostly through the burning of gases. Its surface temperature is about 6,000 degrees Celsius. Water boils at 100 degrees C so 6,000 degrees is extremely hot. Inside the sun it is even hotter, around 15 million degrees Celsius. If a pin were that hot, the heat from it would kill someone who was standing ninety miles away.
Besides the sun, the solar system is made up of eight planets, some with moons orbiting them. Just to state the facts isn’t enough; we need to think about the sun and planets more deeply and reflect on how their existence speaks of God’s eternal power and divine nature.
The sun is huge. Over one million earths could fit into the space it takes up. We know that all things are made up of matter and have mass. Ninety-nine percent of the mass (amount of matter) in the solar system is in the sun. Anything that has mass is subject to the law of gravity.
Gravity is the force of attraction that exists between all objects as a result of their mass. We stay put on the earth and don’t float around in space because of the effect of gravity. The massive size of the sun causes it to exert a strong gravitational pull on the earth and the other planets.
The force of gravity between the sun and the planets keeps the planets in orbit around the sun. Without the creation of the sun, there would be no solar system and earth would have been just a huge, frozen meteor spinning through space, unable to support life.
Our Unique Solar System
A solar system is made up of a star or stars and the planets and objects orbiting them. Our solar system is unique in that it only has one star, the sun. Most stars are part of solar systems with two or more stars.
If there were another star besides the sun in our solar system, it would also exert gravitational pull on the planets that would throw off their orbits around the sun. For the earth that would mean that its orbit, instead of being circular, would be irregular, at times it would be closer to the sun and at other times farther away from it.
Everything on the earth would burn up if the orbit of the earth were irregular and it got any closer to the sun and everything would freeze if it were farther away. We know that God designed the earth as a place for people to live and it is a perfect distance from the sun to support life. If earth’s distance from the sun varied even a little, the environment would change and life on earth would cease to exist.
Remember the sun is actually a star made up of burning gas. Most stars are considered unstable because their energy output varies. Sometimes they produce more energy and are hotter and other times they produce less energy and are cooler. The sun is unique in that it is a very stable star with a constant energy output, which only varies less than a few tenths of one percent. Considering the immense size of the sun, that is a very small fraction.
If the energy output of the sun were unstable that would mean that sometimes it would be too hot on earth and at other times it would be too cold. God uniquely designed the sun to be a stable source of energy for the earth. The sun provides the right amount of heat the earth needs to support life.
Other Planets
The existence of other planets in the solar system also speaks of the glory of God. The planets in the solar system help to stabilize the distance of the earth from the sun. The four inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They are called terrestrial planets. Terrestrial comes from the Latin word “terra” which means earth. The terrestrial planets are small and earth-like with rocky surfaces.
The four outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are called Jovian planets as they are Jupiter-like. Jovian is another name for the god Jupiter, who was the chief God of Ancient Rome and after whom the planet Jupiter was named. These planets have atmospheres thousands of miles thick, made up of poisonous gases. Because we can’t see through the gases there is no way to know what the cores of these planets are like.
Jupiter is huge and has over three hundred times as much mass as the earth. Because of its gravitational pull it has been described as a cosmic vacuum cleaner sucking in meteoroids that might otherwise enter the area of the inner planets and possibly crash onto the earth. God designed the solar system so earth would have a stable and secure place within it.
God’s Word
Besides saying that the heavens declare the glory of God, Psalm 19 also speaks of God’s word:
7The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
God’s word brings new life to the soul. It also makes people wise, fills them with joy, leads them down a right path, and protects them from danger. Since God’s word is the source of what is right and true and provides blessing, protection and guidance, we will do well if we make it part of us.
We make God’s word a part of us when we take it in through studying the Bible on a daily basis and thinking about it throughout the day. God’s Spirit makes it real to our lives and we experience its benefit. We need to seek to know God through both the study of his creation and his word.
Jesus said that the heavens and earth will pass away but God’s Word will last forever. God’s wisdom existed before creation and it will continue to exist even when everything else disappears. God is eternal and so his Word is eternal. He will always exist and his Word therefore will always exist too.
- Overview Questions: What is unique about the sun compared to other stars? What does that mean for the earth? What do the other planets do for the earth? How do the heavens declare the glory of God? How does what they have to say extend to the ends of the earth? What does God’s word do for us?
- Thought Questions: When God established the earth what were the plans he had for it? What is the role of the sun in fulfilling those plans?
- Prayer: Thank God for creating a place for people to dwell. Thank him that you have been granted life and an opportunity to know him. Pray that you would learn to praise and honor God as he deserves and receive from his Word the joy, insight and protection God wants to give you.
Week’s Memory Verse: Psalm 19:1-3
1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Why can all people know God through his creation?
The heavens declare the glory of God to everyone on earth.