WHAT ABOUT CONSTELLATIONS?

IOPNA’s conversational series on the CONSTELLATIONS continues with this 2^nd article:

Lockheed Super Constellation

 So how can shiny dots in the night-sky possibly convey a message? 
Are we meant to ‘join the dots’ somehow or follow some sort of line?

 We find in Genesis chapter 11 verse 4, after only 4 generations since the Great Flood, people seem to have neglected God’s instruction to Noah’s family in Genesis 9 verse 1 to ’replenish the earth’ and have now turned to city building like Cain (4:17).  Worse - they have now perverted the ‘signs’ of the stars into an object of idolatry in Babylon:

“…let us build us a city and a tower, whose top [may reach] unto heaven.”

Translators have added ‘may reach’ but it seems that the tower of Babel was not so much a skyscraper but dedicated to the heavenly bodies, with Isaiah 47:13 and references in Daniel confirming that astrology was founded and relied on in Babylon.  Now 4200 years later, astrology’s horoscopes are more popular than ever!

So shouldn’t we leave this star business well alone? Wasn’t Israel warned by Moses not to worship the stars?

Moses did warn them in Deuteronomy 4 verse 19 but he goes on to say: “…them (stars), which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the nations under the whole heaven.”   We’re looking to see what the Word of God says – not what Man imagines or idolizes.                                                  

I can’t see any artwork dividing the stars in the night-sky.                                        

No, unless you’ve had too many drinks or been in a fight - or both!                       

The 12 Zodiac constellations recognised in astrology are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces – in that order, commencing March 21, the vernal equinox (northern hemisphere’s Spring) – but none of these constellation names appear in the Bible!

Does that mean constellations aren’t Biblical? How did the same constellations become recognised world-wide by so many cultures?                                                            

Good question.  First up, let’s see if the Bible gives constellations recognition at all, starting with Job 9 verse 9…

Job has spoken about Arcturus (probably the Great Bear), Orion, the Pleiades and the ‘chambers of the south’ (starry southern hemisphere or maybe Scorpio?) and now, in Job 38 verse 31, God answers him!  

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” where Pleiades comes from (Hebrew) kimah, meaning ‘collection’ and Orion comes from kesil, meaning ‘stout’ or ‘strong’.                                                 

Oh! So God recognises constellations? Don’t stop there - He continues…

“Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?”  Job 38 verse 32                                                              

You’re wondering - who or what is Mazzaroth?...let’s look at that a bit later.
As for Arcturus, the translators have taken this from Hebrew: ash, meaning ‘group’ so it obviously doesn’t refer to the single star Arcturus (in Bootes the guarding shepherd) but to a group, generally accepted to be the Great Bear (Ursu Major as it appears to rotate around Polaris). Also Hydra seems to be referred to as the crooked serpent in Job 26 verse 13.                            

Obviously stars haven’t been scattered randomly in space and groups of stars are recognised here. I wonder why?

Me too. Perhaps the constellations shining in Earth’s ceiling, the ‘firmament’ of Genesis 1 verse 6, might have made the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel look puny?   
Let’s take a look at one of God’s favourites...

NEXT: Seven Stunning Sisters
 http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/stunning-seven-sisters.html