The Stars Can’t Tell You Who You Are: Yahweh’s Astronomy and the Lure of Astrology
At night, the heavens hang above us like a pitch black ocean abyss.
Stars glisten like sparkling spheres of fire stitched into the dark tapestry of the sky.
Glowing streetlights and skylines diminish this reality for most of us.
Growing up in Boston, I only got glimpses of the stars. It wasn’t until I traveled to Maine and New Hampshire as a teenager, far away from the city, that I began to grasp how awesome God’s handiwork is and how small we are.
The night sky offers no guidance. No explanation of its magnitude.
The stars blaze, distant and indifferent, burning in silence while we stand underneath them hoping they might say something.
They do not.
Astronomy begins here, with observation.
We try to make sense of a universe that existed long before the first civilization on earth and will go on until the heavens pass away.
No thoughtful person will deny the magnificence of the heavens.
The sun being too bright to even stare at. The moon, reflecting its glory yet having a glory of its own that is easier to behold.
Anyone who has stood beneath the night sky far away enough from a city knows at once that he is small.
This is a humbling yet healthy discovery.
Scripture never forbids the study of the stars. Jesus wants us to put our trust in Him as Creator rather than in the things He created.
A clock may tell us the time of day, but it would be odd to ask your watch for life advice. In the same way, the movements of the stars may assist us in measuring time, yet they should not be used to influence our behavior and life decisions.
From the beginning, the heavens were created to declare the glory of God, not to define the destiny of man.
The stars were made, not to instruct us, but to point beyond themselves and back to God.
If they provoke awe, they have done their duty. If they provoke dependence, that is Lucifer’s distortion attempting to steal the glory of Jesus, the true bright Morningstar (Revelation 22:16).
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!” Revelation 22:16 NET
The real danger is not that men will bow down to the stars as gods. Most are too sophisticated for that.
The danger is that they will use astrology to excuse them from the more difficult task of trusting in Jesus alone. Because Jesus wants all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, not just our admiration.
Astrology is what happens when Man can’t hear the voice of God yet demands an answer from the heavens instead of waiting for the King of Heaven to speak.
Idolatry is what happens when the stars, which refuse to speak, are made to talk.
We draw lines between them, name them, assign personalities and intentions, and suddenly the vastness feels friendlier. Smaller.
“This constellation is me.”
“This one explains my grief.”
“This one promises tomorrow will be easier.”
This is where astrology lures its user like wandering stars into the gloom of blackest darkness.
Scripture calls this divination, and it does so without apology.
Not because the stars are dangerous, but because we are.
We cannot stand silence for long. We would rather hear a lie from the host of heaven than wait for the Holy Spirit to speak.