Topical Bible: The Moon: Appointed by an Ordinance for Ever

◄ The Moon: Appointed by an Ordinance for Ever ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The moon, as described in the Holy Scriptures, holds a significant place in the created order, serving as a testament to God's divine ordinance and sovereignty over the cosmos. It is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, often symbolizing God's faithfulness and the regularity of His creation.

Creation and Purpose

The moon was created by God on the fourth day of creation, as recorded in Genesis 1:14-18 : "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.' And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good."

The moon, referred to as the "lesser light," was appointed to govern the night, providing light and marking the passage of time. It serves as a celestial body that helps to delineate the seasons, days, and years, playing a crucial role in the natural order established by God.

Symbol of Faithfulness and Stability

The moon is often used in Scripture as a symbol of God's enduring faithfulness and the stability of His covenant with creation. In Psalm 89:37 , the moon is described as a faithful witness in the sky: "like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky." This verse underscores the moon's role as a constant and reliable presence, reflecting the unchanging nature of God's promises.

Ordinance for Ever

The moon's enduring presence is further emphasized in Jeremiah 31:35-36 : "Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name: 'Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel’s descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me.'"

Here, the moon is part of the "fixed order" established by God, an ordinance that will not depart. This passage highlights the moon's role as a perpetual sign of God's covenant with His people, illustrating the enduring nature of His promises.

Prophetic and Eschatological Significance

The moon also holds prophetic and eschatological significance in the Bible. In Joel 2:31 , the prophet speaks of a time when "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." This imagery is echoed in the New Testament, in Revelation 6:12 , where the opening of the sixth seal results in cosmic disturbances: "I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red."

These passages indicate that the moon will play a role in the unfolding of God's ultimate plan for the world, serving as a sign of the times and the fulfillment of divine prophecy.

Cultural and Religious Observances

In ancient Israel, the moon was integral to the religious calendar, marking the beginning of months and the timing of festivals. The new moon was a time of special observance, as seen in passages like Numbers 10:10 : "Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God."

The moon's phases were thus closely tied to the rhythm of worship and the communal life of God's people, underscoring its importance in the religious practices of Israel.

In summary, the moon in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol of God's creative power, faithfulness, and the divine order of the universe. It serves as a constant reminder of His eternal covenant and plays a significant role in both the natural and spiritual realms.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 72:5,7
They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 89:37
It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 31:36
If those ordinances depart from before me, said the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

How the Abbot Ceolfrid Sent Master-Builders to the King of the ...
... day in your generations by an ordinance for ever ... not keep pace exactly with the moon,
the Apostolic ... by Mark the Evangelist, his interpreter, appointed that when ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxi how the abbot.htm

The Doxology
... And you!"They keep God's ordinance, and you have broken it ... the sight of God than
sun, and moon, and stars ... to the glory and honour which God appointed for men ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon x the doxology.htm

Chastity the Chief Ornament of the True Tabernacle; Seven
... to God, and acceptable to Him, is this ordinance of virginity ... to rule the day, and
the moon the night ... Then, when the appointed times shall have been accomplished ...
/.../chapter i chastity the chief ornament.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... his twenty-second year at the full moon of the ... Mosaic Law, offering sacrifice of
the appointed animals, and ... of Tabernacles, and made it an ordinance for ever ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

The Formation and Order of the Primitive Church.
... by whom this ordinance was appointed; and, lastly ... consequently, are entitled to that
ordinance which represents ... be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iii the formation and.htm

Psalm CIV.
... "He appointed the Moon for certain ... end of waxing and waning; it is appointed for
certain ... for word, every ordained creation, running by ordinance, beautiful by ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm civ.htm

The Falsity of the General Opinion Respecting Fate is Proved by ...
... And what shall we say of the moon, which when most ... to the self-same place at their
appointed times: are ... a divine law, evident proofs of the ordinance [3402] of ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter vi the falsity of the.htm

The Excellencies of the Saints' Rest.
... hearing, reading, and conference, or neglect any ordinance of God ... of the sun, neither
of the moon to shine ... in its season, and reserveth the appointed weeks of ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter iii the excellencies of.htm

A Short Essay Toward the Improvement of Psalmody:
... in its Original Beauty, and one that believes not this Ordinance, or is ... the Psaltery,
blow up the Trumpet in the New Moon, in the Time appointed on our ...
/.../a short essay toward the improvement of psalmody/a short essay toward the.htm

Conclusion
... Now, it is not the word or ordinance of a prince ... the fourteenth day of the first
full moon in the ... and necessity, bound to no place or appointed time; although ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/conclusion.htm