He Made the Stars Also

INTRODUCTION: The phrase, “he made the stars also,” almost seems to express an afterthought. Although that is not the case, it certainly expresses the ease with which God created the universe. As we consider the stars, we must exclaim with the psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).

1. THE STARS DEFINED
1. General Definition: any one of many celestial bodies appearing as fixed points of light in the night sky
2. Fixed Stars; the bodies in outer space similar to our sun usually referred to as stars today
3. Wandering Stars (Jude 1:13)
1. Stars that change position in the sky in a major way
2. Usually a reference to the planets
3. One example is the morning star (Revelation 22:16)
4. Falling Stars; bodies like comets and asteroids (Matthew 24:29)
2. THE STARS CREATED
1. God Made the Stars (Genesis 1:16)
2. Ordained by God to Rule in the Heavens (Psalm 8:3; Psalm 136:9; Jeremiah 31:35)
3. God Put the Stars at Great Heights (Job 22:12)
1. Ancient astronomers thought that the stars were not all that high but were placed on a dome above the earth.
2. The builders of the Tower of Babel thought they could build a tower to reach heaven (Genesis 11:4).
3. Modern science has determined that the closest star (not counting planets) is 4.3 light years, or about 25 trillion miles, away from us.
4. God Made to Differ in Magnitude (1 Corinthians 15:41)
5. God Will Seal Up the Stars (Job 9:7; Ezekiel 32:7)
3. THE STARS NUMBERED
1. Human Reckoning
1. By the human eye; one account from the time before the invention of the telescope counted about 4,000 stars in the sky.
2. With the aid of telescopes; we now know stars to number into the countless millions.
2. Divine Account
1. A number so large that it cannot be numbered by man and is comparable to the number of the promised seed given to Abraham (Genesis 15:5; Genesis 26:4; Nehemiah 9:23)
2. The seven stars (Amos 5:8); probably refers to the constellation known as Pleiades since it is also known as the seven stars.
3. The eleven stars (Genesis 37:9-10)
1. As dreamed by Joseph
2. A reference to his eleven brothers
3. But perhaps also a reference to the wandering stars known as planets
1. The International Astronomical Union made a proposal at a meeting in Prague on August 22, 2006, to change the number of recognized planets from nine to twelve. The proposal was sent to committees for consideration but it looks as if some change will be made.
2. The twelve planets would, of course, include the earth. Since we are viewing them from the earth, it would not be one of the wandering stars considered by Joseph. Therefore, it may be that science is beginning to catch up with the Bible. If this ruling takes place, the scientific establishment will have recognized that, other than the earth, there are eleven planets. Perhaps these are the eleven stars of Genesis 37:9.
4. THE STARS NAMED
1. As Numbered by God (Psalm 147:4)
2. By the Greatness of His Might (Isaiah 40:26)
5. THE STARS IN TYPE
1. The Angels
1. The morning stars at creation (Job 38:7)
2. The host of heaven
1. The stars (Deuteronomy 4:19)
2. The angels (1 Kings 22:19; Luke 2:13)
3. The stars in their courses (Judges 5:20)
4. The stars of heaven (Revelation 12:4 with verses 7-9)
2. False Gods
1. Star of their god Remphan (Acts 7:43)
2. The target of Satan (Isaiah 14:13) who presents himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)
3. The stars of the movies are false gods. They seek worship and attempt to elevate themselves above the other stars.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ
1. A star out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17)
2. The star of His appearing (Matthew 2:2, 7-10)
3. The day star (2 Peter 1:19)
4. The morning star (Revelation 22:16)
6. THE STARS WORSHIPPED
1. An Act of Idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:15-19)
2. Provoking the Lord to Anger (2 Kings 21:5-6)
3. Includes Astrology and the Following of Horoscopes (Deuteronomy 18:10; Isaiah 47:13)
7. THE APPLICATION OF THE STARS
1. Not Pure in Gods Sight (Job 25:5)
2. No Refuge to be Found in the Stars (Obadiah 1:4)
3. To be Darkened in the End Times (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10)
4. Created to Praise the Lord (Psalm 148:3)
5. The Righteous to Shine as the Stars (Daniel 12:3)

CONCLUSION: As an expression of God’s creative power, the stars cause us to praise the Lord. As an object of worship, the stars lead to destruction. But those who serve God in righteousness will shine as the stars forever. Let us all worship and serve our great Creator.