Reference to “the planetary system” means the nine heavenly bodies (including our earth) that are grouped around the sun and held in their individual orbits by its great gravitational pull. The sun maintains this control because it is 700 times more massive than all the planets and their moons put together. But it is, of course, the Creator who has arranged this grouping and has kept its force operating since they were first created -“upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)).
In outer space there are many, many unidentified moons, but it is only those of our planetary system that are familiar to astronomers. In the language of these experts, planets are satellites of the sun, and moons are satellites of the planets.
There are 46 named moons, including the moon that is so familiar to us. Every planet does not have a moon, but some have two or more circling around them. Mars and Neptune each have 2, Uranus has 5, Jupiter has 15 and Saturn has a total of 21. Earth’s moon is just average in size. Some are smaller than Earth’s, and some are almost twice as large. Many, like ours, are covered with mountains, plains and valleys. Some look like huge snowballs with icy coverings, while others have volcanoes erupting on them. They are all interesting examples of the wonders of God’s creation.
Each moon follows its own orbit, century after century, keeping its exact position over its planet, never crashing into the planet or other moons. But the most extraordinary thing is that some moons circle their planets clockwise and others circle their planets counterclockwise! Only one of the nine planets, Venus (which, incidentally, does not have a moon), orbits around the sun in a clockwise direction. The other eight all travel counterclockwise. It would almost seem that Venus would interfere with the others, but the Creator does not allow that to happen.
Most moons travel the same direction as the eight planets, but not all. Neroid - one of Neptune’s moons -travels counterclockwise, but its companion, Triton, travels the opposite way. The five moons of Uranus all circle it in “reverse” direction. But strangest of all are the moons of Jupiter - eleven move around it in counterclockwise motion, but the other four travel the opposite direction! Did the Creator make a mistake? No. If it had been a mistake they would have crashed into each other long ago. We do not know why He made this interesting arrangement, but we do know He took pleasure in doing so and that He has each of them under His control. “His work is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:44He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)).
These marvelous wonders of the heavens should certainly cause the serious thinker to conclude that there is a Master Designer. Are you letting Him be the Guide and Protector of your present life? Have you made Him your Saviour to take care of you eternally? He is worthy of your trust.
OCTOBER 5, 1997
ML-10/05/1997