This evening I was fortunate to see a rare stellar event – the conjunction between Jupiter and Venus, a phenomenon that many scholars and Christian astronomers believe comprised the same star that led the Magi to Bethlehem when Jesus was a small child. I have heard some pretty compelling arguments to this effect, though biblically God need not have worked in such a way when He guided the Wise Men to the Messiah in Matthew 2. In his commentary on Matthew, Dr. John MacArthur notes, “This could not have been a supernova or a conjunction of planets, as some modern theories suggest, because of the way the star moved and settled over one place. It is more likely a supernatural reality similar to the Shekinah that guided the Israelites in the days of Moses” (1362). Regardless of one’s personal beliefs about the nature of the Star of Bethlehem, this truth is undeniable:
“The heavens tell of the glory of God;
Psalm 19:1-4a – NASB
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world…”
The next time you admire the stars, give a thought to the One that put them there. For He is far more glorious than any night sky and able to bring about anything and everything that His heart wills.
References
MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB). Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.
Scriptures have been taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ® Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2015 David Scott Fields II. All Rights Reserved.
