The study of the stars and planets, with a view to understanding their movements and their use in fixing the time of significant events.
Astronomy as a study
It demonstrates the greatness of God and his creation
Job 9:7–9; Isaiah 40:26 See also Genesis 2:1; Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Chronicles 16:26; Nehemiah 9:6 Nehemiah's prayer reviews God's grace and power in creation; Job 22:12, Job 25:5, Job 26:9; Psalm 19:1–6, Psalm 33:6, Psalm 74:16, Psalm 89:5, Psalm 89:11, Psalm 96:5, Psalm 104:2, Psalm 136:5, Psalm 136:7–9, Psalm 148:3; Proverbs 3:19 Divine wisdom permeates the whole creation; Isaiah 38:8 the LORD's sign to Hezekiah; Isaiah 45:12; Jeremiah 31:35; Matthew 5:45; Hebrews 1:10 credited to Jesus Christ
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
It demonstrates the humility of the human race
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place — what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
The use of astronomy to determine dates
Genesis 1:3–5; Psalm 81:3, Psalm 104:19
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day.
Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.
The mysteries of astronomy are beyond human understanding
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
God's judgment and astronomical disturbances
Joel 2:31; Matthew 24:29 parallels Mark 13:25, Luke 21:25 See also Isaiah 13:10, Isaiah 24:23, Isaiah 30:26, Isaiah 34:4, Isaiah 51:6, Isaiah 60:9–20 the glory of Zion; Ezekiel 32:7–8; Joel 2:10, Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9; Acts 2:20; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 8:12
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
Lessons from astronomy
The stars as symbols of plenty
And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
The regularity of the heavens as a symbol of the bleakness of life
The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
The differing splendour within the creation
The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
Wandering stars as a symbol of lostness
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.