Afterwords -- every star has a name
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." (Psalm 147:3-5)
November 10, 2023
Dear friends,
In recent years I've rarely seen the night sky in its full glory. Apparently, this is due largely to light pollution from populated areas. When I was much younger, living on a farm in Virginia many years ago, I would often look up and see the dark, dark sky, filled with millions of sparkling lights. Sometimes, its immense beauty was overwhelming. Today, thanks to the Hubble and James Webb telescopes we can see more of what we are missing due to light pollution, though now we only view it on our computer screens.
The Psalmist (quoted above) says that the Lord determines the number of stars and gives names to all of them. I had to look up how many stars (and names) that might be...
There are approximately 2,000,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe – that’s 2 trillion. Astronomers don’t know exactly how many stars are in each of those 2 trillion galaxies. Most are so distant, there’s no way to tell precisely. But we can make a good guess at the number of stars in our own Milky Way, [which is] about 100 billion stars – 100,000,000,000. Using the Milky Way as our model, we can multiply the number of stars in a typical galaxy (100 billion) by the number of galaxies in the universe (2 trillion). The answer is an absolutely astounding number. There are approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the universe. Or, to put it another way, 200 sextillion. That’s 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000! The number is so big, it’s hard to imagine. But try this: It’s about 10 times the number of cups of water in all the oceans of Earth. (From "Astro for kids: How many stars are there in space?" See link below.)
I don't think astronomers have even assigned numbers to all the stars or galaxies we can see!
Determining and naming stars tells us so much about the Lord. There are at least five truths we can deduct from God's naming of the stars: a) God is creator of all (and sovereign over it); b) God is omniscient (all-knowing; he names them because he knows them); c) God is omnipresent (everywhere present, sometimes called his "immensity"); d) God is transcendent and immanent (both far above and very near, at the same time); and e) God is personal and relational (giving names is a personal action). He creates, knows, and names all the stars. They are all his. Every star has a name.
Any one of these characteristics (or attributes) of God is amazing in itself. Yet these attributes are all true of him, all of the time, and in every place: "God's attributes coincide with his being," wrote Herman Bavinck. That is, God is what he is all the time. His attributes are not Lego-parts of God, and neither is God merely the sum of his parts. William Plumer wrote, "The character of God is a perfect and glorious whole." God is Simply Who He is.
What do we do with this? We simply trust him, completely and entirely. With everything big or small -- with nations and history, with relationships, and with our individual situations. Is anything too big or too small for him? God's nature is subject to no limitations of space (or knowledge, or power). He is above the universe, fills the universe, and is present in every part of the universe...
"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15)
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)
According to the Psalm 147, we can bring to him all matters great and small, even our own hidden hurts and wounds. The Lord is high, yet regards the lowly (Ps 138:6). He's the God of the Big Picture and also of the Smallest Detail. We can trust him with everything.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST.
-- Astronomy article: "Astro for kids: How many stars are there in space?"
-- "Light pollution, the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects." (National Geographic)
-- Kevin DeYoung explains the doctrine of "Divine Infinity."
-- Daily art display, a new (to me) blog I've started following, introducing artists I'm not familiar with, complete with historical backgrounds.
FINAL QUOTE. "God wants to show us that nothing is great or small to Him." (Lilias Trotter)
And Happy Veterans Day to all those who served! We thank you! (The photo below is of my father and mother during their Army Air Forces flight training, ca. 1942 in Texas.)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image credit: photo above of Carina Nebula taken by James Webb Space Telescope, courtesy of NASA. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
