Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars Psalm 148:3

for His name alone is exalted, His glory above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13

For months Monday’s upcoming solar eclipse has captured the quirky imagination of the nation and the media’s momentary attention. It’s estimated that countless thousands of people are on the road in Idaho to camp out in places like Weiser, Council, Smith’s Ferry and Riggins, small towns which are in the eclipse’s totality – and therefore prime eclipse viewing country. It seems that “fly over country” needed a little cosmic drama to be put on the map. People have gone gaga about the eclipse, become moonstruck so to speak. Although traffic promises to be snarled for hundreds of miles and hyper cell phone usage threatens to shut down services, people want to be part of this and to party. So, the partyers and weirdos will party on and be weird, all for a celestial show of less than five minutes.

The moon will overshadow the sun around 10:00AM above my home – and I do want to see it in this lifetime. Dan and I’ll relax on two chairs on the driveway and we will watch from an almost perfect viewing spot. I want to see what God has wrought. I expect to be awed. I don’t believe the eclipse is, as some folks are saying , an apocalyptic sign and wonder or dire prophetic warning about coming cataclysms. Certainly, we don’t know the day or the hour for God’s Judgment. It is His timetable to fulfill.

I want to see the eclipse because the God of Creation is showing off His handiwork. What a marvelous opportunity to give Him praise, for in the beginning it is God who set the sun and the moon in place and ordained their positions and paths toward earth and then said “It is good.”

God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. Genesis 1:16-18

The cosmic order was set into place from the very beginning of time. I think God would like us to see the eclipse with joyful wonder. It is an awesome occurrence in the true sense of the word: “overcome with awe”. May it stir us into restlessness for something, for Someone greater than ourselves. Looking upward into the sky, we see a natural phenomena but sense mystery. An indescribable longing begins as God draws us toward Himself. And then the conversations begin. As the psalmist wrote,

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3

As the moon covers the sun, day becomes like night and the stars suddenly sparkle in the heavens, might not God’s still small Voice whisper? “It’s not an eclipse party you’re heart is chasing. It is God who is chasing after you.” The God who created the heavens and the earth, who formed you in your mother’s womb is Love. His desire is to eclipse you with His glory.” And that glory? It is not the sun or the moon. It’s Jesus, the Messiah prophesied by Malachi.

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. Malachi 4:3

Anything less than the Son of God’s eternal, righteous glory is a five minute shadow show, like the moon passing in front of a star.