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Showing the Glory of God
December 18, 2021

It was nearly fifty-three years ago and more than two hundred thousand miles away that the crew of Apollo Eight was circling the earth on Christmas Eve and read the first few verses of the Book of Genesis. Almost ironic that a group of three men in a completely hostile environment totally reliant on their technology would read from a book of faith during their journey. Before these men ever circled the moon, lives were lost and two nations on earth worked to be the first to get a person to land on the moon. In the United States, when President Kennedy challenged the nation to go to the moon within the decade, he knew it would be a challenging task to complete, and yet it was a task the United States undertook.

The computer systems operating those early spaceships had less computing power than the typical smart phone of today, and many of the conveniences we enjoy today have a footprint in the rush to get somebody to the moon. Man’s interest in the moon and space itself stems from the fact that at night it’s fairly easy to see the moon and stars, unless you live in a heavily polluted city or one where streetlights illuminate the night sky. Let’s start today by reading part of the first chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 1:1-19
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Genesis shows us that the stars in the night sky were designed to give mankind a sense of time. When God designed our solar system around the sun, we don’t know if mankind immediately understood it or not. We do know through many civilizations that mankind began to understand the alignment of the sun and how the night sky followed a repeating pattern based on the night sky. During the winter season of the year, the pattern of stars we see is consistent along with the rising and setting of the sun, with the only change that might happen from year to year is when the moon is new and full. Each year with predictability, there are recurring meteor showers. We may live in a world that is chaotic to us, and Earth follows a consistent pattern established by God since the beginning of time. In Hebrews, we are told that is through faith we understand that everything we see with our eyes, including the planet we live on were framed by the word of God.

Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Earlier in the Book of Hebrews, we are told that God now speaks through His Son Jesus to mankind, and that is was through Jesus Christ the worlds were made. Many overlook the concept that when in the beginning God said, the God that was referenced was the plural majesty of God, Strong’s Hebrew word 320, elohiym. God made planet Earth through Jesus Christ, who continues to uphold all things through this very day. In other words, in the very first few verses of Hebrews, we are told that God worked through Jesus Christ to make the world we live on today, and that today Jesus Christ continues to uphold all things, whatever we see that was created on the land we walk in, in the water we swim in, or see in the sky above us and beyond into the universe, all was created by God through Jesus Christ and continues to be upheld by Him through this day. We can begin to see the majesty from which God the Father and Jesus Christ rule the universe.

Hebrews 1:1-3
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The same Jesus Christ who died so that our sins can be forgiven is the same through Whom God created all things. When we think of the majesty of the heavenly presence and how insignificant we could be to God, we instead are reminded throughout the Bible that God is very interested in what is happening here on planet Earth. When Jesus was teaching the disciples about God’s interest on Earth, He taught them that God is aware of what happens to even the smallest animals, and yet also reminded them that people are of more value than animals.

Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Isaiah paints a picture for us of God in the heavens looking down on earth showing that compared to God up in heaven we are like tiny insects. God is able to control what happens here on Earth and we are unable to control what happens in heaven. In all of the ways that God intervenes on Earth, it is for the benefit of His people on earth.

Isaiah 40:21-25
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Job tells us that when God placed the earth in the heavens, it was like earth was hung up, like a work of art, and yet earth hangs on nothing but the command of God. Science will tell us that life became possible on earth because of a series of events that resulted in life and never connect that it was God that brought these causes about. It is Job who shows that God has power over the earth, life, and death, and has the power to control weather on Earth. Everything we see on earth should serve as reminder of the creation of God showing the majesty of God, and yet man typically removes God from the equation chalking it up to random acts. Without God, we can observe the world we live in and respond to what we can observe. With God we begin to see the majesty of God’s creation.

Job 26:5-14
Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

David was a man after God’s own heart who as a shepherd would frequently find himself in the fields during the day and night. David knew that as glorious as the heavens were, the glory of God was greater. It was David who like so many before and since him have looked into the night sky to see the moon and stars and feel very small compared to the vastness of what is seen. David knew that God created this all and also knew that given all that God had created man and David found it amazing that given all that God had created, that God would have time or interest in tiny little man, and how on this planet, God had given mankind dominion over all other animals.

Psalm 8:1-9
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

With the entire universe under His realm, God rightly has the privilege to give attention however and wherever desired and focuses attention on our planet. When we look up into the night sky, we see that it declares the glory of God. That glory of God inspired man to first take flight and to go to the moon. In another psalm, David shows that the heavens do declare the glory of God comparing the sun to a groom.

Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

In yet another psalm, David shows us that heavens were made by the word of the Lord.

Psalm 33:1-6
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

It is in the Book of Psalms we are told that God has numbered and named all of the stars. When we look up in the night sky, we can’t even see all of the stars with our eyes and some appear so close together it can be challenging to distinguish them, but not for God.

Psalm 147:1-5
Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

As we come to the winter solstice, this comes at a naturally recurring and predictable cycle. We are never caught off guard, say in early September that the winter solstice has snuck up on us. We accept the universe we see around us, even those who do not believe in God. We who believe accept the universe and our solar system as it reveals the glory of God. Because we accept this, we must also accept that as much as the heavens declare the glory of God, what is created by God, including the creation we see around us here on Earth also declares the glory of God, even when that creation appears hostile to man.

As much as God works through people to complete His work on Earth, the Bible shows that from time to time, God has used nature or will use nature to also complete His work on Earth. In his second letter, Peter wrote that God used water to overflow the creation during Noah’s flood, and how this very same creation is kept in store by God to be used for judgment against ungodly men.

2 Peter 3:1-10
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

We live in a world where we see both the beauty and fierceness of nature, and all declares the glory of God. In speaking to His disciples, when they wanted to know the signs of the return of Jesus and the end of the world, Jesus mentioned several conditions related to climate and natural disasters that would come before His return. Famine is the result of some type of crop failure, typically brought about by adverse weather conditions. It could be a freeze at the worst possible time, a storm or flood that destroys a crop, or a drought. Sometimes crop failures are brought about by diseases specific to plants. Pestilences are diseases, and what we have learned with Covid-19 is once scientists think they understand the disease, there is a new variant brought about by mutation. Jesus even mentioned earthquakes, and all of these are just the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:3-8
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

In the Old Testament, God provided a listing of blessings and cursings to the children of Israel. Blessings would be a result of obedience and cursings would be a result of disobedience. Many blessings and cursings were given, and many directly related to the bounty of the world around us. For instance, one of the cursings given was that heaven would be as iron and earth as brass. Here imagery is given of polluted skies and earth that is so dry, it is hard like brass. God goes on to mention that efforts given to harvest crops will have little to no success as the expected harvest will not come. A few verses later, wild animals are mentioned that eat small children. Wild animals typically stay away from people and when they are in areas where people are, it is because they are looking for food or water, meaning the drought is so extreme, it even affects wildlife.

Leviticus 26:14-34
But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

In the Book of Revelation, the creation is used by God to show mankind its disobedience. Described for us is pollution of water where a good portion of drinking water becomes undrinkable, where the balance of life in oceans is upended bringing death to many aquatic animals.

Revelation 8:6-13
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

In other places, Revelation again shows destruction to life in the seas, and changes to the sun that disrupts life on earth, bringing about heat waves on earth. There has been much talk about climate change on earth and not as much discussion on increased solar activity. Diseases are also mentioned, and instead of repenting from sin, people blaspheme God. Think about it. Do we live in a time where there is concern over the fragility of life in the oceans, where there are concerns about climate change, and diseases which impact huge swaths of humanity? And do we as a planet repent?

Revelation 16:1-12
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

In yet another place in Revelation, we have incredible storms, and tsunamis mentioned. Chances are you have seen images of tsunamis and their damage. Imagine more frequent and severe tsunamis. Imagine being hit on the head by anything weighing one hundred pounds. If a one hundred pound block of ice fell from the sky, it would probably crash through the roof of your house, if it did not totally destroy your house in the process. Storms will become even more intense, and the prognosticators of climate change would not disagree.

Revelation 16:17-21
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

If, when we look at the beautiful wonder of nature and the awesome sights of the universe we see the glory of God proclaimed in His creation, when see the fierceness of nature, we also see the glory of God. God is not limited by physical life as mankind is, and can use any situation, whether looked on a good or bad by mankind to benefit His people, those who are called, those who are led by the Holy Spirit. Even when a bad situation, a natural disaster, results in the physical death of a righteous person, for God, Jesus Christ, and the angels, that becomes a reason for celebration, because in a way mankind limited by physical life cannot understand, victory over death for that person has occurred and eternal life is guaranteed.

The Bible shows God will use the fierceness of nature to bring His Kingdom to this planet, and with climate change, we see the ferocity of nature increasing with storms and weather systems becoming even more intense and savage than what has been seen before. When we consider the many who suffer at the hand of fierce weather and climate change we need to consider that acts of fierce nature are not indictments of sin against any person. In as much as God brings sunlight and rain to the just and unjust God allows fierce weather to come to the just and unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Each time we see the beauty of nature we should be inspired to see the glory of God proclaimed in His creation. With each act of fierce weather, we see incredible power that seems to come from nowhere, and this also shows the glory of God.

When fierce weather comes to visit and there is death, there will be emptiness and loss for those who remain, knowing that God allowed this weather to come to both the righteous and unrighteous. We can’t go back in time and only can move forward in time. If we know God brings fierce weather to the righteous and unrighteous, it becomes so incredibly important for us to be considered by God, Jesus Christ, and the angels to be righteous, to choose life and good over death and evil.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Each day we find ourselves at the crossroads of life, where the streets of life and death intersect. God implores us to walk down the street of life, and Satan implores us to walk down the street of death. We live in a world where we all come to that crossroad in our life, and some follow one street and others the other street. We live in a world where we know we will see the glory of God proclaimed in the beauty of the world around us and in the universe we see by night. We also see God’s glory proclaimed to us in nature, even in acts of fierce weather.

We know the Bible shows acts of fierce weather and other types of natural disasters will intensify as we near the return of Jesus Christ. What should we do as an individual, a family, a group, a community, a nation? We should humble ourselves before God knowing that acts of extreme weather and other natural disasters are just the tip of the iceberg of how God will use nature during the end times. God promised Solomon and God will do the same for us today, that if we humble ourselves before God, God will end drought, God will end insect and disease problems on crops, God will abate pandemics, and God will heal our land.

2 Chronicles 7:12-16
And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

The heavens do declare the glory of God. Nature declares the glory of God. Even fierce weather declares the glory of God. Knowing that God will use fierce weather during the end times, and knowing we all stand on the crossroads of life at the intersection of life and death, we all need to choose life.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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