Being a Silent Witness

#3 – The Heavens are a Silent Witness

Previous studies on what it means to be a silent witness showed that a witness may be a person or a thing that “confirms a fact which may be in doubt” or “reminds or points to another thing or truth.” A biblical witness is “a person or thing that points others to God.” God’s vast celestial realm is just such a witness.

God’s work on the fourth day of His good Creation is a silent witness on several levels of truth. The heavens (sun, moon, stars) were created for the specific purpose of being sources of light on the earth. (Genesis 1:15-18) But the Immutable and Eternal God also made them to function as reliable chronometers, marking the passage of time in seasons, days, and years so His creatures could live their temporal lives on earth. (Genesis 1:14) The same verse says that the celestial objects were also given to us for signs.

The word sign in this context means a representation of something else which cannot be seen. An object that is a silent witness points to a truth, in this case about God, that cannot be seen directly. What do the sun, moon, and stars say about God as witnesses to truth?

A universal truth about God is given eloquently by David in Psalm 19:1-3:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.

Day unto day uttereth speech,

and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

The vast, complex, and enduring precision of the heavens are a silent witness to God’s manifold characteristics which are summed up by the psalmist in the word glory. God’s heavenly creation “speaks” in a language understood by all mankind about who God is and what He is like. (Romans 1:20)

Besides His glory, what are some other characteristics we can learn about God by observing the heavens? God uses the heavens as object lessons to show what He is like:

- God is infinite because the One who created the stars, which appear innumerable to us, has numbered and named each of them. (Psalm 147:4)

- For His reliability and faithfulness, God pointed to the stars in the heavens as His witnesses when He made his covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4; Exodus 32:13) He repeated this illustration for the Davidic covenant by calling the sun and the moon as His witnesses. (Psalm 89:34-37)

- Not only is God faithful to perform what He has said, He also has the power to make good on His promises no matter what circumstances or difficulties develop on earth. This was evident when He changed the course of the heavens. (Joshua 10:13; Isaiah 38:7-8)

- God promised that the heavens would be witnesses to His judgment if Israel did not obey Him. (Deuteronomy 4:26) He would further demonstrate His wrath in the heavens in the latter days when the sun, moon, and stars would be darkened at His command. (Isaiah 13:9-10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:31, 3:15; Habakkuk 3:11)

- Similarly, God will use the brightness of the sun and moon as instruments of His graciousness when His people turn to Him. (Isaiah 30:26, 60:19-20)

In the New Testament we discover that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all the heavens and their continued existence and motion is sustained by His power. (Colossians 1:16; John 1:1, 2, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Ephesians 3:9; Romans 11:36)

We stand in awe and admiration of the sun, moon, and stars – created by God, controlled by God, and pointing to God – as a universal example of a silent witness to God and His attributes. They are truly witnesses to His glory!

Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light.

Psalm 148:3