What does the Bible say about the number of stars? Jeremiah writes: ‘As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant’ (Jeremiah 33:22). At that time, when men of learning were convinced that there were only about 3,000 stars, Jeremiah wrote that nobody would be able to count the stars. Let us consider an imaginary dialogue between Jeremiah (J) and a well known astronomer (A) of that day, about 600 years before Christ:
A: Jeremiah, you write about the number of stars as if you knew what you were saying. My colleagues and I have studied astronomy for a long time and daily concern ourselves with the stars. Our researches have made astronomy the most advanced science. Even kings appreciate and respect our findings.
J: You may have discovered many things, but you are mistaken about the number of stars.
A: How do you know that? You have not studied astronomy, not even for a single semester. So do not speak about matters which you do not understand!
J: Yes, of course my studies were in a totally different field. But I still maintain that nobody is able to count the stars, because they total such a large number, similar to the number of grains of sand on the beach.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
Messier 81 galaxy
A: We have recently completed a survey of the number of stars in the sky, employing our younger colleagues whose vision is sharp and unimpaired. They did not miss any stars, and their count was 3,000. Revise your biblical text; it has been disproved by our scientific findings.
J: I still maintain that I have written the truth. I am no expert, but I know Him Who created the stars. He has told me and I believe Him.
We are not cosmic outcasts, as the 19th century atheistic philosopher Nietzsche claimed, neither are we ‘gypsies at the edge of the universe’ as the 20th century French atheist biologist Jacques Monod maintained. On the contrary, we are beloved by our Father in heaven, through Jesus Christ, if we have accepted His salvation by grace through faith.
Heinz Kaminski, who was for many years director of the Bochum observatory, was once asked what his thoughts were when he first pointed his telescope at the heavens. He replied in part:4
.‘Astronomers have reduced man to an atomic nothing; he was continuously dragged out and left to stand alone like a worm at 17,000 million light-years. He is overwhelmed by the enormous stars and vast distances. To himself he appears tiny and insignificant. Clever people have forgotten that this puny human being occupies an important place in the eye of the Creator, as can be read in the Bible. When God had created the earth … he then created man and gave him some crumbs of the greatness of his own Spirit. And these crumbs enable us to grasp something of the logistics of the entire system. If we did not carry this creative spark, we would not have been able to analyze the laws of the universe nor understand their effects.’The universe in its immensity was especially created for us humans so that we could see and appreciate the glory and the power of God. He is so great that it required no more effort to create ten stars than one, or one thousand, or even 1025. He did not exert Himself, neither did He perspire. His creative words were sufficient: ‘For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast’ (Psalm 33:9).SEE HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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