Genesis 1:16, Psalm 147:1-7,11
Some years ago I remember seeing a stunning aerial photograph of an iceberg. The sea was blue and very clear and a man could be seen in his small expedition boat nearby. Next to the floating mountain of ice the man was miniscule. I remembered learning that 90% of an iceberg is beneath the surface of the ocean and because the sea in the photograph was so clear the whole iceberg could be seen. The size of it was just staggering. I thought of that verse in this very psalm, “He casteth forth his ice like morsels…..” vs.17.
Even more stunning have been the photographs we are seeing from the James Webb telescope which has been launched into space to photograph the universe. We are seeing images of the universe which have never been seen before. Those who love the Lord and acknowledge His work of creation rejoice in the reminder of His infinite power.
The creation account in Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and the Earth in six days. He could have done it in an instant but the day by day account shows that God is not only a God of great power but a God of order and wisdom and of infinite intelligence.
Someone who had seen the images was keen to ask me if I believed there was life elsewhere in the universe, I said I had never personally believed that. He replied, “why then such vastness of the created order?” I answered, saying, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handy work,” Psalm19:1. It is God’s work, created for us to show His infinite nature and eternal being so that we may honour and revere and worship Him. When we see such things our hearts are instinctively drawn to the Creator.
All that is revealed by the James Webb images of outer space tell us that God was before all things and created all things and that by Him all things consist. The universe in its endlessness is there for us to acknowledge and to worship our Creator.
“HE MADE THE STARS ALSO” Genesis 1:16
The words which give us our title heading for this sermon were recorded by Moses, the inspired writer of the Bible’s first five books. In the first chapter of Genesis we have the record of each of the six days. On the fourth day God created the sun and the moon. The words “he made the stars also” seem an almost nonchalant expression. It sounds as if Moses, so full of assurance, makes no fuss of it. “He made the stars also,” seems to be a simple undertaking. So simple the heavens above are described as the work of His fingers. Psalm 8:3.
“HE TELLETH THE NUMBER OF THE STARS, HE CALLETH THEM ALL BY THEIR NAMES.” Psalm 147:4
Astronomers tell us that there are billions and trillions of stars in the universe. Their immeasurable distances stretch out over millions of light years and the above text tells us that God knows exactly how many and has names for everyone. We don’t know those names and we couldn’t know them, the text is again stressing the greatness and vastness of God.
In the first verse of Psalm 147 we are commanded to praise the Lord and the reasons are given. “For it is good to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.” Praising God is good for us and gives a sense of happy satisfaction, even enjoyment. Praise is both a duty and delight and a beautiful part of the new life. Right at the beginning we are given an inclination that this psalm will be about Christian conversion and new life in Christ.
The second and third verses make it even clearer. We see the Gospel at work. “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem.” The building up of the city of Jerusalem is a beautiful picture of the church. The psalm was written on the occasion of the Jews returning from captivity to rebuild their ruined city. Though a literal and historical event, God in His great wisdom intended for us to project that to something far greater in the future, the building up of the church under the Gospel.
“He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.” The typeology continues. The Lord builds up His church in gathering together outcasts, sinners, people like us. Sin casts us out of fellowship with God but through the Gospel, believing and receiving the Saviour, God saves all who come to Him. He gathers those He saves into His great family the Church.
HE IS THE GOD OF A BILLION STARS AND THE GOD OF THE BROKEN HEART, verse 3
The God of all creation is infinite and immense. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient the Creator of all things. He is the creator of billions of stars but is the God who reaches down to sinful man and can heal every broken heart. It is an amazing contrast. “He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” Heb. 4:15. “He will not leave us comfortless,” John 14:18. “He will never leave us nor forsake us,” Heb. 13:5. He leans towards the weak and is the God of the broken hearted. Our hearts may be broken over some great loss or tragedy that we have known and the Lord is “a very present help in trouble,” Psalm 46:1. The Bible here speaks in terms of the heart broken which has come to regret sin and longs to repent.
When CH Spurgeon commented on these words he said, “What a contrast we see in verse 3 and 4. He says from sighs and sorrows to stars, from wounds to worlds, from despondent humans to distant galaxies.”
HE IS GREAT AND OF GREAT POWER, verse 5
“Great is our God and of great power.” It means that He is infinite and immense and His great creation reveals His great power. We read in the verse that “His understanding is infinite.” If He knows the number of the stars and their names we can be sure He knows us. His mind reaches to the furthest star and extends to me and my lot in this world. He is acquainted with all our ways.
A young man by the name of Henry Kirke White, 1785-1806, wrote these words, “God knows everything perfectly and he knows everything perfectly at once. God beholds as distinctly the actions of everyman, as if that man were the only created being, and the Godhead were solely employed in observing him.” It’s a thought that should fill our minds with awe and remorse. Henry Kirke White certainly knew the scriptures.
“HE LIFTS UP THE MEEK BUT CASTS THE WICKED DOWN…”, verse 6
The meek are those who are willing to yield to Him and receive Him and obey Him. Here God reverses the evil order of things. The meek of this world are put down but God lifts them up to new life and to the forgiveness of their sins and into fellowship with Himself.
The wicked of this world, the brazen and high and mighty, in God’s time, are cast down to the dust. O for eyes that can see these things. Heaven and Hell are in this verse, eternal life and eternal damnation, as well as eternal glory for the meek. The person who sees his need, realises he is a sinner and is ready to come to Christ for salvation will be lifted up into newness of life and ultimately lifted up into heaven and to be with His Creator who became his Saviour.
HE TAKES PLEASURE IN THOSE WHO FEAR HIM, verse 11
There are many who hold a reverential fear of God, who acknowledge His existence and live careful lives. They recognise His work of creation and even believe that He is holy. The verse however tells us that God takes pleasure in those who have that reverential fear but also hope in His mercy. That is those who hope in nothing else for salvation other that the mercy of God.
The Lord revealed infinite mercy at Calvary. Christ died in the place of the sinner. The sinner deserved eternal judgement but through boundless mercy the sinner can be saved forever.
It was said that one of Napoleon’s generals had committed crimes against the state and was sentenced to death. Napoleon endorsed the death sentence. The general’s daughter went to see Napoleon to plead for her father’s life. Napoleon said, “for his crimes your father deserves to die.” Yes,” she said, “I accept that justice is right and must be carried out but I am here to plead for mercy. Have mercy, even though he be guilty, have mercy and spare my Father.” Napoleon was moved deeply by the young daughter’s plea and granted mercy for her father.
We all deserve to die, the Bible says the wages (payment) of sin is death and our many sins condemn us. Justice will one day be served eternally, but through our Saviour who died in our place God will have mercy. Accept Christ now and receive mercy from such a merciful God, put it off no longer, the Great Creator became our Saviour.
John Tonks (February 2023)
