Look up at the stars tonight! Orion is blazing away - Can you undo his belt of three stars? That is what God asked Job (Job 38:31). Wow.


Nasa image of Orion which may help you find him in the winter night sky.

by Pat Franklin

It is winter as I write and if you look up tonight about  8-11pm you will see the amazing constellation of Orion with his belt of three stars.  Can you loose the belt of Orion?  Can you undo it?  That is what God asked Job (Job 38:31).  Wow.

You can find Orion by looking for his belt, the three stars which are in a diagonal line.  Look for that diagonal.  Once you see it, look for two stars above – his shoulders.  Then look for the two stars below – his knees.  Onc e you find Orion, you will always be able to see him.  I was so thrilled to find him that now every time we go out in the winter in the evening, I look up, and there he is.  We are in the northern hemisphere, so Orion is up now for Britain and America, but will not be there in the summer.  If the sky is very clear, you will be able to see the 'sword' hanging from Orion's belt.  It consists of two stars, with the Horsehead nebula in the middle.

The most thrilling thing is that Orion is in the Bible, in the book of Job, the oldest book of the whole Bible, and possibly the first book ever written at all!  And God specifically pointed out Orion to Job, who had been feeling pretty sorry for himself, having lost everything. 

When God started talking to Job, he stopped feeling sorry for himself and instead despised himself, because he could then see so clearly that God is so wonderful; that He made everything and it all belongs to Him;  and  that he (Job) was just a man.

 Job’s last words, after meeting with God and clearly seeing the state of things: ‘I abhor (despise) myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’  Now there is a statement to put on your coat of arms!  Instead of something like ‘Courage, strength, victory’,  wouldn’t it be something if a royal person had that on his coat of arms?  'I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.'  I would have the greatest love and respect for such a person.

God certainly responded positively to that.  He gave Job another 140 years of life, double the wealth that he had lost, and gave him ten more children.  We even know the names of the three daughters. 

Getting back to Orion, I do wonder if one day God Himself is going to undo that belt of three stars.  We know there will be signs in the heavens.  Maybe He will do that. 

Anyway, if you follow the diagonal line of the Orion's belt to the right and put your fist up against the last star, about 2 ½ fists away you come to the tight cluster of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters.  You can see them better if you look slightly to one side of them. 

God asks Job:  ‘Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades?’ (Job 38:31)  I have come across articles which claim that scientists now know there are up to 500 stars in that cluster and they may even form the gravity (the binding force) which holds our entire Milky Way galaxy together!  Can you bind those blazing, mighty stars?  God can and did!  And He can unbind them too, which He will do when He rolls up the heavens like a scroll.

These things are so mind blowing, but they will most certainly happen.  And to think how God speaks of making the stars on Day 4 of creation week, almost as an afterthought – ‘the stars also’ (Genesis 1:16). 

The maker of the stars also made a body for Himself, and was born as a baby so that He could grow to a man, and go to a cross, and shed His holy blood for me.

Like Job, ‘I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.’

Dear friend, will you acknowledge the One who made the stars?  Will you bow your head and ask His forgiveness for your sins?  The Bible clearly says that all have sinned and need forgiveness.  It also says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.  Fortunately for me (and you), Jesus shed His own blood, so I do not have to shed mine and you do not have to shed yours.

And the Lord Jesus promised that whoever comes to Him, He will never, never, ever turn them away.  And no one will ever be able to snatch them out of His hand!

The maker of the stars has spoken.  He died for me and for you, so that we might be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to God.  He died so that we might have eternal life.  And  He will do it, folks!  He will accept all who come to Him.  He will forgive your sins and wash you clean.  He alone can do that.  He has the power because He made you and He shed His blood for all who will put their faith and trust in Him.

Why would you want to put your faith in anything or anyone else?  Everything in this world turns out to be a disappointment, because everything decays and dies, but Jesus will not disappoint!  Everything we see now is going to pass away; why trust in something with a limited life span?  This whole earth is going to dissolve in fervent heat.  (2 Peter 3:10, 11)

But Jesus promises to make us new creations, new people, to give us new life, and the life He gives will not pass away.

Who could fail to take up His offer of free salvation and eternal life?  Who could be so stubborn, so mutton-headed that they would say ‘no’ to the God of heaven and earth, the maker of the stars, the Savior of the world?  I was a muttonhead.  I said 'no' until I was 36 years old.  Now I say:  ‘Yes, please!’  Now I regret every day that I said 'no'.

You can talk to the star-maker right now.  His ear is open and tuned to your voice.  Tell Him ‘Yes!’

 * Here's how we did Orion in Sunday School at this link http://www.thefreepressonline.co.uk/news/5/2380.htm 


21/02/2014

 
Journal
25/02/2023 It's a slow fade
16/12/2020 Black day coming
17/05/2020 A Sabbath in Israel
21/07/2014 Grieving over Gaza
19/12/2010 Toys that teach
 
Insert key words to search our site and archives






















'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' (And it did not take Him millions of years!)
Genesis 1:1

© Copyright 1995-2024 Designed by www.visual-craft.com
visitors counter
11873351