Reference to "the planetary system" means the nine heavenly bodies (including our earth) that are grouped around the sun and held in their individual orbits by its great gravitational pull. The sun maintains this control because it is 700 times more massive than all the planets and their moons put together. But it is, of course, the Creator who has arranged this grouping and has kept its force operating since they were first created—"upholding all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)).
In outer space there are many, many unidentified moons, but it is only those of our planetary system that are familiar to astronomers. In the language of these experts, planets are satellites of the sun, and moons are satellites of the planets.
There are more than 200 moons in our solar system alone, including the moon that is so familiar to us. Most planets have their own moons. Mars has 2, Neptune has 14, Uranus has 27, Jupiter has 79 and Saturn has a total of 82. Earth's moon is just average in size. Some planets’ moons are smaller than Earth's, and some are almost twice as large. Many, like ours, are covered with mountains, plains and valleys. Some look like huge snowballs with icy coverings, while others have volcanoes erupting on them. They are all interesting examples of the wonders of God's creation.
Each moon follows its own orbit, century after century, keeping its exact position over its planet, never crashing into the planet or other moons. But the most extraordinary thing is that some moons circle their planets clockwise and others circle their planets counterclockwise! The planets all orbit around the sun in a counterclockwise direction. Seven planets also rotate on their axis in a counterclockwise direction. But Venus (which, incidentally, does not have a moon) and Uranus rotate on their axis in a clockwise direction.
Most moons travel the same direction as their planets, but not all. Triton—one of Neptune's moons—travels clockwise, but its companion moons travel the opposite way. But strangest of all are the many moons of Jupiter—some move around it in counterclockwise motion, but the others travel the opposite direction! Did the Creator make a mistake? No. If it had been a mistake, they would have crashed into each other long ago. We do not know why He made this interesting arrangement, but we do know He took pleasure in doing so, and that He has each of them under His control. "His work is perfect" (Deuteronomy 32:44He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)).
These marvelous wonders of the heavens should certainly cause the serious thinker to conclude that there is a Master Designer. Are you letting Him be the Guide and Protector of your present life? Have you made Him your Savior to take care of your eternal life? He is worthy of your trust.
Messages of God’s Love 11/29/2020