On Monday, 28 September at 04:00 I watched a total eclipse of a ‘blood moon’ – that largest of eclipse sightings of the moon at the perigee (nearest point) of its orbit of the earth. As the last reflected sunlight left the lower left side of the moon, it became a dark brown disc in the western sky. It happened to occur on a Monday which means ‘day of the moon’ and reflects the early attempts of the Anglo-Saxon and Teutonic races to worship the sun, moon and other planets and deities on the various days of the week.
While Paul was in Athens (Acts 17), he noted the Greeks’ diligence in worshipping many deities. He spoke at the Areopagus in Athens about their objects of worship including a shrine he had seen “To an unknown god”. Paul told them of the one true God who made the world and the heavenly bodies. He gives life and breath to all.
What a joy it is for us to be able worship God, the Creator of all things and not the objects of his creation, such as the sun or moon.
More than that, we can have access to God through the sacrifice of our Saviour, Jesus. “We may approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need,” (Heb 4:16). This privilege is through the blood of Jesus. We need never fear a “blood moon”.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by human hands,” (Acts 17:24).
