Last week, the headlines were dominated by a truly newsworthy story: the completion of the mission around the moon dubbed Artemis II. NASA and their remarkable team of astronauts successfully circled the moon and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of San Diego. It was the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years — a remarkable achievement in human history, demonstrating the prowess and capability of our species. The precision and intelligence required to accomplish this level of success are astounding. And yet, when we observe those pictures from space and see the earth anew, we gain a sobering perspective on just how vast the universe is, and how small we truly are.
Civilizations have been fascinated with the moon since the dawn of creation. Some time ago, we noted that the original inhabitants of Jericho likely worshiped the moon god Yarikh, whose name is echoed in the city’s own — Yarikho (יְרִיחוֹ). Deifying the moon has been a common practice across cultures worldwide. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that the Greeks notably worshiped Artemis as a lunar deity. It is no wonder — the moon dominates the night sky and holds sway over the tides. We are beholden to the cycles of the moon.
Given these two tendencies, it is easy to see how humans might place undue emphasis either on our own accomplishments or on a celestial body like the moon. We can get lost in the notion that we are more remarkable than we really are, or we might bow down to something that is, in the end, simply an object in the universe. This is precisely why, in the very first chapter of Genesis, God gives us a true picture of reality.
Genesis 1:14-19 “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights–the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night–and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”
Notice that within God’s reality, we see the true order of things. God holds jurisdiction over everything — He merely speaks these objects into existence. He even informs humanity that these lights are not to be worshiped; rather, they are given to us to mark time and order our calendars.
For ancient cultures, this was a revolutionary concept. These great lights in the sky are not to be deified or worshiped — they have no power at all. God is demonstrating that He alone is the true power, and that everything else was made for us to help order our lives. It is easy for us to get confused. We might think we have achieved some great power because we can orbit the moon, or we might think the moon — or even the earth — is magnificent simply because it dwarfs us in size. But God does not see it this way. He created the universe and everything in it for us. And yet, even we were fashioned by His mighty hand. And hopefully, when we recognize this, it will give a little perspective.