Eclipse Devotional

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice b  goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. (Psalm 19:1-6) Thoughts: The course and circuit of the sun was interrupted where I lived today with a total solar eclipse.  It lasted about three hours in partiality and two and a half minutes in totality.  But the heavens poured forth speech.  This is what they said, God is amazing.  He is creative yet purposeful.  He says the sun may be covered up for a tim...

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, (Rev. 6:12)  ECLIPSE TRIVIA 1) Interesting things that happen during an eclipse:     A. There is a sunset glow on every horizon.     B. Look for the diamond ring glow right when the sun disappears or appears.     C. Animals may go to sleep.  The rooster may crow when the sun comes back.     D. It gets cooler- about 20 degrees cooler in some places (from day to night temperatures).     E. You should be able to see stars and planets in midday.     F. Right before a total eclipse you should be able to see shadow bands- snake like figures- especially         on white concrete or sheets.    G. Weird projections on the ground from leaves- the leaves serve as pin-hole project...

DEVOTION 17- The Biggest Prediction of an Eclipse- from Jesus 27- Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes into the west; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ’ b 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth c  will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. d   31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31) Thoughts: Jesus quotes from Isaiah 13's passage about an eclipse.  He speaks of the sun being darkened and the moon turning black- just like an eclipse.  Then He speaks of the sign of the Son of Man appearing in heaven...

DEVOTION 16- Jesus Death and Mid-day Darkness 33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon .  34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,  “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”  (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Mark 15:33) 45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.  46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,  “Eli, Eli, c   lema sabachthani?”  (which means  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ) 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split  52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and e  went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw...

DEVOTION 15- The Prophets Vision is Blocked- Symbolized by an Eclipse “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. 6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination.  The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.  7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced.  They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.”  8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.  (Micah 3:5-8- especially 6) Thoughts: Micah's eclipse occurred on June 5, 716.  Micah calls for people to see God's power in the eclipse as a reminder that He is still around.  We may think God disappears  (as the sun disappears behind the moon).  The darkness at ...

DEVOTION 14- Earthquakes and Eclipses   4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.  5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake a  in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.  6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness.  7 It will be a unique day— a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.  8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.  9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one...

DEVOTION 13  A Call to Turn from Darkness to Light in the Light of an Eclipse 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.  It is close at hand— 2 a day of darkness and gloom,  a day of clouds and blackness.  Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes,  such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.  10 Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.  12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will b...

6 You have rejected me,” declares the  Lord . “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back. 7 I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways. 8 I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror. 9 The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies,” (Jeremiah 15:6-9) Thoughts:  There was an eclipse in Jeremiah's day- September 30, 610 BC.  After this very visible sign disaster after disaster came on the land and people. The next year (609), the good King Josiah died when he fought agains...

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12) Thoughts: What does Psalm 139 say about the eclipse- nothing but then everything.  It does not mention an eclipse per se, but it does mention God's reaction to light and darkness.  We are limited in what we see.  He is unlimited.  We are limited to see in the light- or with some light producing goggles (that use infrared or other light).  God was before light and sees beyond it.  The darkness does not hold se...

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the  Lord  and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.  4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”  5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.  7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not peri...

9 “In that day,” declares the Sovereign  Lord , “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. 11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign  Lord , “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the  Lord . 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the  Lord , but they will not find it.  (Amos 8:9) Thoughts: Amos prophesied between 840-800 BC and the eclipse he foretold came about 763 BC.  The eclipse was prophesied as a wake up sign.  It was a sign that people don't need more parties, but need and hunger for real mea...

7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. 8 All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, (Ezekiel 32:7,8) Thoughts: Ezekiel is prophesying against Egypt to say that it will fall, and when it falls the sun, moon, and stars will grow dark.  This is in part because the King of Judah had made alliances with Egypt and against Babylon, but the Egyptians did not come to rescue the people of Israel when they were invaded.  Just as darkness came over the whole land during the plagues, so the Lord brings darkness again at this point of Egypt's weakness.  Darkness on the land when there should not be darkness (midday), is sometimes a sign of God's displeasure.     Matthew Henry wisely says of this passage- "great oppressors are, in God's account no better than birds of prey.  Those who admire t...

  2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  (Malachi 4:2) 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) Thoughts: "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" quotes Malachi 4:2 when he calls Jesus the "sun of righteousness." For those who revere God and his holy name the sun of righteousness will rise, bringing healing and causing the darkness to flee. The sun rising on the darkness shows what is right and true- whereas darkness represents groping around with no meaning, stumbling and lostness.  But when dawn comes, there is hope, healing, and strength.  The rising sun gives hope to those who are living in darkness.  Jesus is the rising sun here.  He gives hope and life to us.      The eclipse is a mid-day symbol that d...

5 Commit your way to the  Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the  Lord and wait patiently for him; (Psalm 37:5-7) Thoughts: When you are in darkness and cannot see your way, commit your way to the Lord.  It is okay to not see  how  the sun will shine again.  But believe  that  it will because you have committed your way to the Lord, and God will make you shine like the sun coming up out of the darkness.  Your reward is coming- believe it.  Believe that God can bless- turning the darkness back into light. God vindicates us.  This is the story of Jesus.  He was crucified on the cross unjustly, but God vindicated his teaching, his power, his being in the resurrection.  God vindicates us as well if we commit our way to the Lord.     An eclipse is a reminder that God can bri...

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome a  it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.  8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John 1:1-9) Thoughts: The incarnation is described as light coming down and piercing the darkness.  The light of all humans shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. The eclipse is another image of this.  The dark of the moon does not overcome the bright light of the sun.  Dark...

21 Then the  Lord  said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.”  22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.  23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the  Lord . Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” (Exodus 10:21-24) Thoughts: This was not an eclipse, but it shows the power of God to use darkness to affect life.  Some say the darkness was caused by volcanic ash from an eruption as it was so long.  But this was a real humbling thing for Pharaoh.  One of the gods that the Egyptians worshiped was Re, the sun god.  So for Moses to stretch out his hand at the same time that the darkness came was a symbol that the Lord was ...

A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw...See the day of the Lord is coming... For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.  11 I will punish the world for its evil,   the wicked for their sins.  I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty  and will humble the pride of the ruthless.  12 I will make people scarcer than pure gold,   more rare than the gold of Ophir.  13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;   and the earth will shake from its place  at the wrath of the   Lord   Almighty,   in the day of his burning anger. (Isaiah 13) Thoughts: Isaiah and Amos lived at the same time and likely spoke of the same eclipse in different ways.  The Babylonians were fascinated with the heavens and the stars.  Isaiah was saying that God would black out the sun and stars so that the Babylonians...