Stars, the.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 12

Infinite in number. Gen. 15:5⁵And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (Genesis 15:5). Jer. 33:22²²As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. (Jeremiah 33:22).

GOD

Created. Gen. 1:16¹⁶And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (Genesis 1:16). Psa. 8:3³When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; (Psalm 8:3). Psa. 148:5⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. (Psalm 148:5).

Set, in the firmament of heaven. Gen. 1:17¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (Genesis 1:17).

Appointed to give light by night. Gen. 1:16¹⁶And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (Genesis 1:16), with 14 v. Psa. 136:9⁹The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:9). Jer. 31:35³⁵Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: (Jeremiah 31:35).

Numbers and names. Psa. 147:4⁴He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. (Psalm 147:4).

Established, forever. Psa. 148:3, 6³Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. (Psalm 148:3)
⁶He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. (Psalm 148:6). Jer. 31:36³⁶If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. (Jeremiah 31:36).

Obscures. Job 9:7⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. (Job 9:7).

Revolve in fixed orbits. Judg. 5:20²⁰They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. (Judges 5:20).

Shine in the firmament of heaven. Dan. 12:3³And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3).

Appear of different magnitudes. 1 Cor. 15:41⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. (1 Corinthians 15:41).

Appear after sunset. Neh. 4:21²¹So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. (Nehemiah 4:21), with Job 3:9⁹Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: (Job 3:9).

CALLED

The host of heaven. Deut. 17:3³And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; (Deuteronomy 17:3). Jer. 33:22²²As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. (Jeremiah 33:22).

Stars of light. Psa. 148:3³Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. (Psalm 148:3).

Stars of heaven. Isa. 13:10¹⁰For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10).

When grouped together called constellations. 2 Kin. 23:5. (marg.) Isa. 13:10¹⁰For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10).

Exhibit the greatness of God's power. Psa. 8:3³When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; (Psalm 8:3), with Isa. 40:26²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. (Isaiah 40:26).

Made to praise God. Psa. 148:3³Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. (Psalm 148:3).

Impure in the sight of God. Job 25:5⁵Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. (Job 25:5).

MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE;

Morning star. Rev. 2:28²⁸And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:28).

Arcturus. Job 9:9⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. (Job 9:9). Job 38:32³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? (Job 38:32).

Pleiades. Job 9:9⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. (Job 9:9). Job 38:31³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? (Job 38:31). Amos 5:8⁸Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name: (Amos 5:8).

Orion. Job 9:9⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. (Job 9:9). Job 38:31³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? (Job 38:31). Amos 5:8⁸Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name: (Amos 5:8).

Mazzaroth. Job 38:32³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? (Job 38:32).

One of extraordinary brightness (a meteor) appeared at Christ's birth. Matt. 2:2, 9²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:2)
⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. (Matthew 2:9).

Idolaters worshipped. Jer. 8:2²And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. (Jeremiah 8:2). Jer. 19:13¹³And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. (Jeremiah 19:13).

The Israelites forbidden to worship. Deut. 4:19¹⁹And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. (Deuteronomy 4:19). Deut. 17:2-4²If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, ³And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; ⁴And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: (Deuteronomy 17:2‑4).

Punishment for worshipping. Deu. 17:5-7.

False gods frequently worshipped under the representation of. Amos 5:26²⁶But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. (Amos 5:26). Acts 7:43⁴³Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. (Acts 7:43).

Astrology and star-gazing practiced by the Babylonians, &c. Isa. 47:13¹³Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. (Isaiah 47:13).

Use of, in navigation alluded to. Acts 27:20²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. (Acts 27:20).

ILLUSTRATIVE

Of Christ. Num. 24:17¹⁷I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17).

Of angels. Job 38:7⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7).

Of ministers. Rev. 1:16, 20¹⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (Revelation 1:16)
²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20). Rev. 2:1¹Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; (Revelation 2:1).

Of princes and subordinate governors. Dan. 8:10¹⁰And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. (Daniel 8:10). Rev. 8:12¹²And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (Revelation 8:12).

(Bright and morning star,) of Christ. Rev. 22:16¹⁶I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16).

(Morning star,) of glory to be given to faithful saints. Rev. 2:28²⁸And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:28).

(Shining of,) of the reward of faithful ministers. Dan. 12:3³And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3).

(Withdrawing their light,) of severe judgments. Isa. 13:10¹⁰For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10). Ezek. 32:7⁷And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. (Ezekiel 32:7). Joel 2:10¹⁰The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: (Joel 2:10). Joel 3:15¹⁵The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. (Joel 3:15).

(Setting the nest amongst,) of pride and carnal security. Oba. 4 v.

(Wandering,) of false teachers. Jude 13¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13) v.

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The New Topical Textbook

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