He who made the Pleiades and Orion

He who made the Pleiades and Orion

Scripture:  He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the LORD is his name. Amos 5:8

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:14-15

Observation: The first portion of scripture talks of three aspects of God. Firstly, He is creator of Pleiades and Orion. The Pleiades, also known as the seven sisters are among the nearest clusters of stars to earth and is said to be the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. Different cultures all over the world have each given special significance towards this cluster of stars. Orion, also known as the hunter is one of the most recognizable constellation of stars in the night sky, visible throughout the world. In Job 38:31, the Lord says “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt? Just by looking at the stars, one just can’t help but acknowledge the smallness of men in contrast to the greatness of God in Heaven. The Psalmist writes “When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4.

The second aspect talks of God turning night to day and day to night. This reminds us of the faithfulness of God. As God promised Noah, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22.

The third aspect tells us that God calls for the water of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land. Comparing this description to the mighty Tsunami that crashed over Japan just earlier this year, we can only be reminded of the great power of God.

In the second portion of Scripture, the prophet exhorts the people to seek good not evil. Since the fall in the garden of Eden, the weight of choice has always been with men. Do good or do evil. The word “seek” tells us which direction we are facing. If we seek righteousness, we are facing towards righteousness. Our desire and attention is to be righteous and we seek the Holy Spirit who helps us walk in righteousness.  Romans 8:5-8 says: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” Seeking has to do with where we set our mind. There are many distractions in the world. We have to wrestle to bring back our minds to be set upon what the Spirit desires, which is righteousness.

We are called to hate evil, to hate sin. Yet these days, we are so drawn towards sorcery, the occult, horror, and Hollywood makes it so interesting. Likewise, sexual immorality is made to be heroic, even “praiseworthy” by the media. Again the mind is the key, and we must strive each day to decide whether to follow the Spirit or follow our fleshly desires.

If we seek good, and love good, the Lord will be with us. Justice in the courts is also so important to the Lord. Our God is a just God, and we must be just and fair in our dealings.

Application: Look at the stars and praise God’s greatness. Praise God for His faithfulness, for His mercies that are new every morning. Praise God for His great power. Renew our minds by reading the Word of God and seeking the Holy Spirit. Train our hearts to always seek the Spirit, and not be easily led by our flesh. Pray for justice to prevail, and endeavor to be fair and just in all our dealings.

Prayer: How great are the stars in Heaven which You have created O Lord. I praise You for Your faithfulness, Your great mercy day by day. Indeed, O Lord, You have all the power, and even the seas and the winds obey You. Strengthen my mind O Lord, to be disciplined to seek Your Spirit. Led me not be easily led by the flesh, but to seek Your will. Let justice prevail in this land O Lord. Help me too practice fairness and justice in my life. Blessed be Your name always I pray. In Jesus name, Amen.