Our dependable North Star ∙∙

Our dependable North Star ∙∙

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. – James 1:17

Psalms 136:3-9

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.
4 Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.
5 Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights – His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.

For millennia, people looked to the heavens quite literally for “guidance.” From the perspective of being planted firmly on the earth, the sun, moon, and stars have “moved” through the heavens in an orderly and predictable pattern. Based upon these observations, ancient civilizations often ordered their lives and religious practices. The silent presence of iconic ancient architectural structures like Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid, Machu Picchu, and the Temple of Kukulcán is a testament to the importance of the stars.

In the northern hemisphere, a captivating celestial dance unfolds. Stars near the Earth’s celestial North “move” in a methodical counterclockwise circle, moving from left to right around a central point. The Earth is tilted. As it rotates, it rotates around the center of this tilt. If you were to draw a line from the South Pole, the southernmost point of tilt, to the North Pole, the northernmost point of the tilt, it would point directly at celestial North. In the center of the orderly procession is the “North Star.” Remarkably stationary in appearance, this star appears not to move at all, and therefore, people deduced that they would always know where “North” was by finding this star in the night sky.

In the sky of the 21st century A.D., at just about the center of celestial North, we find the North Star. But the North Star has not always been Polaris. Over time, the Earth’s rotational axis undergoes a shift known as “precession.” To picture this, imagine a bull’s-eye target projected onto the night sky. Over millennia, different stars in the Northern Hemisphere take turns occupying this central spot. Currently, Polaris holds this position. However, back in 2700 BC, it was Thuban that marked true north. If this cycle continues, by 14,000 AD, Vega will assume the role of the North Star.

This long-exposure photo shows how the North Star,
Polaris. It stays fixed in the night sky as other stars appear
to move during the night due to the rotation of the Earth.

A bit of clarification is required here. First, the stars do not “move.” Instead, the earth itself rotates on its axis and provides the appearance of stellar motion. The stars are so far away from Earth that, for all practical purposes, they do not “move” over short periods.

However, in the 21st century, it’s understood that all stars and galaxies are in motion. Yet, these movements are so minute from our perspective that they go unnoticed.

The only motion of heavenly bodies that we are capable of observing with our naked eye is the movement of the moon, the sun, planets, meteors, and comets. The word planet comes from the Greek word planetes, which means wanderer. To ancient man, the planets, such as Mars, Venus, and Saturn, seem to wander, even stagger, through the skies among the ordered and predictable movements of the stars.

In the ancient world, the most permanent and reliable things known to mankind were found in the signs of heaven. Nola Taylor Redd, SPACE.com Contributor, “The North Star has remained an eternal reassurance for northern travelers over the centuries.”

The movement of the sun, the moon, and the stars allowed ancient man to navigate his way through his world. While the stars do not appear to move over short periods of time, they do, in fact, move over long periods.

What then remains constant and certain?

REFLECT & PRAY

“The lights change, but the one who created them never changes” (Barclay).

Father, You are absolutely dependable. Encourage me to trust You more fully every day.

INSIGHT

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, neither shadow of turning.

Notice that the word lights is plural. It does not refer to light itself but rather the lights in the sky: the sun, the moon, and the stars. Modern translations use “heavenly luminaries” or “the lights in the heavens.” The Father is the giver of every good and perfect gift. An alternative translation would be, “It is God who [has] created the lights in the sky [or, heaven], from where he sends down every good and perfect gift” (UBS).
The Father is the source and creator of both light and the lights.

The phrase “shadow of turning” or “shifting shadow” conveys the idea of change or inconsistency. This imagery stems from the natural world, where shadows shift and change as celestial bodies like the sun and moon move across the sky.

Unlike the “shifting shadows” created by the sun, moon, and stars, the Father “does not change.” With Him, there is no variation at all. The shadows cast by the sun are minimal at noon, but just before sunset, they stretch for yards across the landscape (Burdick). God is not like that; He remains constant. In His unchanging nature, there is no variation or turning. He provides steadfast illumination amidst the ever-changing twilight of the world.

James emphasizes the Father’s steadfast and certain Snature and reliability because He alone never alters. In a constantly fluctuating world, the pace of variation seems to be increasing and becoming more and more volatile. The Father, who created everything, is the one constant: the firm foundation, the rock upon which we stand, and our infinite reference point. Everything changes except Him. He alone is absolutely trustworthy and dependable.

Before I knew the Father, I had nothing permanent and lasting to trust in. I wandered in darkness. Indeed, heaven came down, and I met Jesus, my Savior. He became my anchor, my tender, compassionate friend. He met the need of my heart and dispelled the darkness and shadows.

Heaven came down – John W. Peterson

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, he met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, he made all the darkness depart.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul
When at the cross, the Savior made me whole
My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.

¯_(ツ)_/¯6-7-1

© Dr. H 2024