Ambassador Youth Article
Lessons from the Night Sky
For generations, the sky has stirred man’s imagination. When ancient peoples looked up during the night, they imagined all sorts of fantastic creatures and heroic stories. Tribal societies created myths to explain what they saw. Others simply looked with wonderment at the brilliance of the cosmos.
Have you ever considered that when you look at the night sky, you are actually peering deep into the history of God’s Creation?
Objects are so far away that distances between them must be measured using light-years, or how far light travels in a year. Light travels approximately 186,000 miles per second, which is almost six trillion miles per year. The sun is so large that its own light takes about four and a half seconds to travel the distance of its diameter. It takes sunlight about eight minutes to reach Earth. The light you see from the second-closest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri, took about four years to reach our planet. Thus, when you see this star in the sky, you are actually seeing the star as it appeared four years ago. Some stars in distant galaxies are 13 billion light-years away, which means that when you see them in a photograph, you are actually seeing them as they appeared billions of years ago!
The fact that one can see ancient light from age-old stars helps us understand how much planning and work had to occur before man existed. If the history of the universe were a 12-hour clock, mankind’s 6,000-year history would fit into less than the last 8/100ths of the last second of it!
The Bible has much to say about the relationship between the heavens and the Earth—and their Creator. Psalm 102:25 states, “Of old have You laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Your hands.”
Jeremiah recorded, “Thus says the Lord, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is His name…” (31:35).
Although there is incredible distance between stars and planets, cosmic objects that are extremely far away can still be seen. This is because the universe is so clean and organized that very little dirt, dust or stray clutter obstructs our view—even for trillions of miles.
—Psalm 8:3-4
As with everything else in God’s Creation, these celestial bodies were created for a purpose other than lighting the night sky. While viewing the heavens away from city lights and pollution reveals a panorama of beautiful stars and planets, the stunning scenery also teaches us about the greatness of God’s Creation, our place in it and our amazing future.
Higher Than the Heavens
The Bible book of Job states this about the stars and heavens: “Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!” (22:12). Contemplating the heavens ultimately helped Job realize he was very small compared to the amazing celestial bodies God created. This taught him humility.
In the same way, King David realized the importance of meditating on the sky to understand God’s purpose. He praised God’s handiwork in the Psalms: “I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained” (8:3).
Compared to heaven and Earth, David realized he was like a small speck of dust floating in the universe. Notice what he wrote in Psalm 103:15: “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.” David understood that compared to God, he was like a single piece of grass!
Throughout the Bible, God uses the analogy of the distance between heaven and Earth to measure how far His thinking is from that of human beings. He states in the book of Isaiah, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9).
To understand how far apart God’s ways are from ours, realize that there are three heavens. God the Father and Jesus Christ live in the third heaven, where God’s throne is situated (II Cor. 12:2). The second heaven is the great, vast universe of stars, planets, comets and other bodies in space (Psa. 8:3). The first heaven is the sky or air that surrounds the Earth, which we refer to as the atmosphere (104:12).
When God says His understanding is past ours “as the heavens are higher than the earth,” He is referencing a place that as of yet is immeasurable by human standards! Science is only able to observe up to the second heaven.
Be a Stargazer!
To look at the night sky, several things are necessary. First, you need to view it under the right conditions. Next, you need basic equipment to see some of the more interesting celestial objects. Finally, you will need a chart of star positions so you know where to look.
The conditions surrounding you are an important factor when viewing the night sky. Many people live in areas where they cannot clearly examine the stars. Cities emit light and pollution, which obscure the sky’s full picture. In rural areas, light from distant towns, or even from a neighbor’s porch, can obscure the stars.
It is helpful to get as far away from light pollution as possible during clear weather conditions, and when you cannot see the moon.
The best way to observe the sky is to visit a local observatory or isolated campground. Often this means you will need to schedule ahead. The difference between seeing the sky near a small town and viewing it under the right conditions is the difference between seeing a small postcard of the Grand Canyon and actually being there. There is almost no comparison. For example, when it is truly dark, the light from the center of the Milky Way is so bright it is often mistaken for the rising of the sun. Seeing the Milky Way itself, with sparkling blue stars around a bright yellow glow in a sky littered with pinpoints of light, is simply breathtaking.
You may also wish to observe the Orion Nebula, the Pleiades, and the Andromeda galaxy. Most of these, however, look like fuzzy or colored stars when looking at them with just your eyes. Therefore, it is important to have the right equipment. While a telescope is ideal, good binoculars are sufficient. A pair of binoculars can help you see planets, certain close galaxies, the moons of Jupiter, comets and nebulae.
If you just look at random objects, you will probably end up looking at a lot of stars, so it is important to be familiar with what will be in the sky that night. All stars look similar through binoculars, but being able to see galaxies and nebulae adds a whole new dimension to stargazing.
Due to different viewing locations on Earth and its rotation, you will have to find out what to look for before heading out to view the sky. Information on the internet or via smartphone apps can help you find other cosmic objects, including planets, comets, meteor showers and galaxies, as well as reveal what you will see on a given night.
In addition to viewing the night sky, it is worthwhile to research pictures of space, such as those taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. These photographs will give you a close-up view of nebulae, galaxies and stars “being born.”
It takes patience to see the sky under perfect conditions, but if you are able, it can be a life-changing event!
Simply Massive
While we can somewhat grasp how far apart the second heaven is from Earth by examining the sky, it can still be difficult to fully internalize how vast the universe really is. This is where science helps.
Earth is 7,926 miles in diameter. Mars, Venus and Mercury are all smaller than Earth, but other planets are immense. The diameters of Neptune and Uranus are about four times that of Earth, while Saturn’s is about nine and a half times the size of Earth’s. Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, dwarfs Earth. It is approximately 89,000 miles in diameter, or over 11 times the diameter of Earth. This means more than 1,000 Earths could be packed into Jupiter.
Next, consider the moon, which looks like a large rock in the sky. Yet its surface is only slightly smaller than the entire continent of Asia.
Then contemplate the stars. God’s Word refers to the stars as uncountable as sand on a seashore (Gen. 22:17; Ex. 32:13; Heb. 11:12), yet David recorded that God could number them: “Praise you the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely…He tells the number of the stars…” (Psa. 147:1, 4).
Imagine trying to count all of the tiny grains in just a cup of sand. It would be virtually impossible! Yet God says He can. After all, He “made the world and all things therein” (Acts 17:24).
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 100,000 light-years across, and its center is 26,000 light-years away. One of the closest neighboring galaxies, the Andromeda galaxy, is at least 260,000 light-years across, or over twice as large as the Milky Way. The Andromeda galaxy is more than 2.3 million light-years away, but it is so large that, when viewed in a perfectly dark sky with binoculars, it appears over six times larger than the moon.
These are only two of the estimated two trillion galaxies in the universe, each containing billions of stars.
Providing for Mankind
Other than distance, one of the clearest ways one can see God’s fingerprints in the night sky is to understand how energy provided by the sun, Earth, moon and stars allows for man’s existence.
Most of the energy on Earth comes directly from the sun. Plants and certain smaller organisms convert the sun’s rays into sugar. Animals eat those plants. Human beings then eat certain plants and animals. Whether from plants or animals, all food that people eat receives its energy from the sun.
In addition, the sources of energy we use to power our homes and businesses originate from power provided by the sun. The fossil fuels we rely on—coal, natural gas and oil—all come from the broken-down bodies of plants and animals, which, again, received their energy from the sun. Burning wood from trees, and solar and wind power are also ways of harnessing the energy of the sun.
The Earth itself and the moon also provide certain resources. Geothermal heat from inside our planet gives energy to man. Tidal energy—from the moon—is another source that has been harnessed.
Perfect Design
Understanding the universe itself allows man to learn about his awesome potential.
The planets in our solar system offer amazing refuge, allowing for Earth to be filled with all the natural resources needed for mankind to thrive. The outer planets protect us from stellar debris, which geological records show would constantly collide with the early Earth. Without outer planets, asteroids and comets would frequently crash into Earth, making survival impossible.
Scientific progress and understanding of the fundamental laws of the world around us come primarily from studying the cosmos. Through them, we are able to understand concepts such as gravity, light, space and time.
These laws had to be put in place by someone—God. A quote often attributed to the famous scientist Albert Einstein supports the idea that the world must have been designed: “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.”
In other words, the universe makes too much sense, and is too easy to understand for it to be that way by accident. What Einstein did not understand was why this was true. Yet we understand God wants us to know He is the one who created and ordered the universe. (Read The Real Truth series “Designed for Discovery” to learn more about our unique planet.)
Incredible Future
Perhaps the most important thing that we can learn from looking at the stars is what they reveal about our future. Unlike the fictitious system of astrology that relies on constellations to supposedly reveal a person’s destiny, God, through His Creation, shows what our incredible future can be—if we obey Him.
God will give those who overcome a part in ruling the universe (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21). Overcoming means developing the very character of God. By striving to obey God, your parents are building character, which will allow them to qualify to become part of God’s Kingdom.
You Have the Same Opportunity!
Read Hebrews 2:6-8: “What is man, that You are mindful of him? Or the son of man, that You visit him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of Your hands: You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
An infrared image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, its first Deep Field showing gravitational lensing of distant galaxies (Jul. 11, 2022).
NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI
In Mr. Pack’s book The Awesome Potential of Man, he states: “When God says that ‘all things’ will be put under the feet of man, that is what He means! The vast universe, with all of its quadrillions of stars and one trillion galaxies, will be put under the authority of men who have been born into the Family of God. In fact, the Moffatt translation of the Bible renders the Greek word for ‘all things’ as ‘the universe.’
“This is truly staggering knowledge! Take time to grasp it. Savor what can be your future!”
Stop and think. If man is to inherit the whole universe, then all of the things in the universe are to become man’s—yours.
Right now, all of the planets you observe in the sky (and those too far away to see) are barren wastelands. But God says that someday you could help to beautify the universe. Think of what an incredible opportunity this will be!
There is another reason King David and other of God’s servants observed the heavens: to remain focused on the big picture of God’s Plan.
The Bible exhorts us to “remember the days of old,” “meditate on all Your works,” and “muse on the work of Your hands” (Psa. 143:5). This includes meditating on the “works”—the Creation—of God.
Looking at the stars is viewing living history. Use the experience of stargazing to contemplate not only the history of what God made, but also your awesome future.
What the Creator has in store for you is far greater than you could ever imagine. Remember how the universe was created, meditate and muse on the big picture the sky represents—and rejoice at the incredible future that lies ahead for you!
Published April 11, 2024