“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.” Genesis 1:16

Just over six thousand years ago, the Lord God made the Moon. He made it on Day Four of Creation Week. It was given to man to “rule the night,” and to “divide the light from the darkness.” This and numerous other topics will be examined in my Sunday Sermon “The Lesser Light: A Theology of the Moon,” which is sermon number five in my study of Genesis Chapter One. The theological, historical, and scientific significance of the Moon is far-reaching, and given all that is said in Scripture about the cosmos, it is unfortunate that so little attention is given the study of the heavens “which declare the glory of God.”

The best book on the subject of the moon was written in the 1970’s by a man I consider to be one of the most important mentors in my life, Dr. John C. Whitcomb. Co-authored with Donald B. DeYoung, The Moon: Its Creation, Form and Significance is a sound presuppositionalist and historical treatise, which incorporates critical scientific data to give the reader a panoramic perspective on the theology of the Moon.

In the providence of God, my Sunday message will come on the heels of the most important lunar event of the year—a full eclipse of the Moon to occur tonight. Those of you reading this blog who live in the Western Hemisphere who can enjoy the eclipse will be able to see the “lesser light” turn an eerie shade of red.

Here is how the phenomenon works: The Sun, Moon, and Earth will become directly aligned. Because the Moon is in the cone of the shadow cast by earth it ceases to reflect the direct light of the Sun. But the Moon does not go dark. Instead, residual light which falls into the red spectrum is reflected off the Moon, giving it a copper and orange hue.

Make sure to take advantage of this special astronomical event. It would serve as a great springboard for a home school science research project. Your next opportunity to see this kind of eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010.