Not All Stars Formed on the Fourth Day
We need to be careful not to interpret words that are not in the text. The Genesis narrative in the original does not say that God made the stars on the fourth day. He made the greater and lesser light, but the Hebrew verb עָשָׂה`asah made is not repeated in relation to the stars. The account of the fourth day, in Genesis 1:14‑17, mentions the stars only once. At the end of verse 16 the original Hebrew says and the stars. And the stars what? This sentence fragment follows the material on the three-fold purpose of lights in the sky, the making of them, and their commissioning to perform those three functions. It appears that the stars share in the purposes and commission of the greater and lesser luminaries.
Against Idolatry and Astrology
It is easy to see why Moses would want to be as brief as possible when referring to the stars. The Egyptians worshiped the heavenly bodies. The Sun was the head of their pantheon, and the Moon was very important. The Genesis narrative is, among other things, a polemic against the gods of Egypt. It declares that there is only one God, and He is the One Who created, formed, and made the heavens and the Earth. To show the lower rank of the Sun and Moon, Moses does not even name them. He merely calls them the greater and lesser luminary. He mentions them but he says very little about them. Especially, he mentions the stars as little as possible.
The Egyptians among others gave improper importance to the Sun and Moon by worshiping them, but many people have given even greater importance to the stars. Astrologers teach that the stars rule our lives and destinies, and that we should consult the stars about everything we do. Astrology holds much greater potential for wreaking havoc in people’s lives than the occasional worship of false gods. Ronald Reagan superstitiously feared the fact that William Henry Harrison (elected to be U. S. President in 1840) and every U. S. president since who was elected in a year divisible by 20 had died in office. At the end of his presidency, he was virtually a prisoner in the White House on certain days, days that were “dangerous” for him according to an astrologer who was a friend of Nancy Reagan. However, Ronald Reagan lived to complete his second term, thus breaking “the curse.” Astrology has proven ability to bind even the most powerful man in the world.
The problem Moses saw was serious. He had to explain, in as little space as possible, that God created the heavenly bodies and made them to serve His purposes. Moses had to admit that they govern or serve as signs, besides separating day and night and giving light on the Earth. However, he carefully limits the type of sign they are. They are not signs of propitious days to start a business or evil omens for a kingdom, they do not show whom we should marry, and they do not destine some to be great and others to be worthless. They are signs for seasons, days, and years, and that’s all.
It is easy to see why Moses would want to be as brief as possible when referring to the stars. The Egyptians worshiped the heavenly bodies. The Sun was the head of their pantheon, and the Moon was very important. The Genesis narrative is, among other things, a polemic against the gods of Egypt. It declares that there is only one God, and He is the One Who created, formed, and made the heavens and the Earth. To show the lower rank of the Sun and Moon, Moses does not even name them. He merely calls them the greater and lesser luminary. He mentions them but he says very little about them. Especially, he mentions the stars as little as possible.
The Egyptians among others gave improper importance to the Sun and Moon by worshiping them, but many people have given even greater importance to the stars. Astrologers teach that the stars rule our lives and destinies, and that we should consult the stars about everything we do. Astrology holds much greater potential for wreaking havoc in people’s lives than the occasional worship of false gods. Ronald Reagan superstitiously feared the fact that William Henry Harrison (elected to be U. S. President in 1840) and every U. S. president since who was elected in a year divisible by 20 had died in office. At the end of his presidency, he was virtually a prisoner in the White House on certain days, days that were “dangerous” for him according to an astrologer who was a friend of Nancy Reagan. However, Ronald Reagan lived to complete his second term, thus breaking “the curse.” Astrology has proven ability to bind even the most powerful man in the world.
The problem Moses saw was serious. He had to explain, in as little space as possible, that God created the heavenly bodies and made them to serve His purposes. Moses had to admit that they govern or serve as signs, besides separating day and night and giving light on the Earth. However, he carefully limits the type of sign they are. They are not signs of propitious days to start a business or evil omens for a kingdom, they do not show whom we should marry, and they do not destine some to be great and others to be worthless. They are signs for seasons, days, and years, and that’s all.
