The glory of God was declared today as the moon eclipsed the sun as observed across a path in the United States (August 21, 2017). Only the Creator-God could plan such a scene for His glory by making the moon 400 times smaller than the sun and 400 times closer to the earth.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun.” Psalm 19:1-4.
“Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name” Jeremiah 31:35
God’s display of His glory is humbling. My son Peter looked into historical records of early American eclipses and came across an article written by James Fenimore Cooper, better known as the author of The Last of the Mohicans, about his memory of the 1806 eclipse (it was written in 1831 and published in 1869):
“I have passed a varied and eventful life…it has been my fortune to see earth, heavens, ocean, and man in most of their aspects; but never have I beheld any spectacle which so plainly manifested the majesty of the Creator, or so forcibly taught the lesson of humility to man as a total eclipse of the sun.” -James Fenimore Cooper
I took these photos while observing the eclipse with my wife, Lida and others in a farmers field in Alliance, NE; total eclipse photo at 11:51 AM. This is one of many ways that light illustrates God’s word. It is time to acknowledge that God is the source of these wondrous works, the greatest of which is overcome the power of sin through the death of Jesus on the cross.
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. Psalm 78:4
“O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there is heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?” Deuteronomy 3:24
Hi Neil, As I think you know I’m a skeptic when it comes to religion. I too witnessed the total eclipse with my family at Lincoln City, Oregon, just as it came ashore in North America. I find it interesting that we agree on a couple of things here. First, I agree that the 400X thing is pretty incredible and note that earth is the only place in the solar system where a total eclipse occurs. Second, I’d read many accounts leading up to August 21 of the magic of totality. The prevailing message was that seeing 99% of totality was not in fact almost seeing an eclipse. For the proper effect, it must be totality, or nothing. Yet despite this heads up, I was unprepared and surprised to gaze upon totality and feel a deeper sense of Wonder and beauty unlike any I’ve experienced in nature. It was fantastic. Now, I’ve always been a sucker for beauty and the power of nature and so perhaps my reaction was to be expected. Interesting to me was that my three teenage daughters, two of which are in a cynical phase, seemed to experience a similar depth of wonder as I did. The event for me was a conjunction of the physical laws of nature; the clock striking a momentary midnight. For you, it was something more, and our human reactions were the same. I find that very interesting indeed. Thank you for your blog posts. Though I remain a skeptic, reading them oddly gives me a feeling of comfort. Maybe it’s just because I know you from so far back and I respond to the genuine belief in you. I wish you a well holiday season! JZ
John, Thank you for sharing your experience. I am grateful for your friendship. We will pray for your and your family. Neal