MORE THAN SUPERSTITION
|
There is something in our human nature that has a strong bent toward superstition. It is one of the ways our minds try to make sense of the world around us, to make links between signs or omens in the world around us and what they might mean for our lives or our nations, even when there is no obvious or likely connection. We see this play out in things as trivial as the pre-competition or pregame routines of athletes and their fans—or actors and the traditions that surround their performances. But these become more serious in times of stress or when there are voices who want to exploit an event or occurrence to make some kind of political or religious point. For example, a natural disaster might be identified by an internet preacher as an act of judgment or warning against something he or she is particularly opposed to in society or culture. When Jesus pointed to events in the natural world as “signs of the times,” He did this with a similar message to the one Jeremiah gave to the people of Israel: “Do not be frightened. These things must happen first” (Luke 21:9). These are simply things that will increasingly happen in our world until Jesus’ actual return when there will be “signs in the sun, moon and stars” (Luke 21:25). The focus of those who follow Jesus should always be on Jesus Himself.
Whether this warning from Jeremiah was in response to a specific astronomical event or a more general warning about the astrology that was popular among the Babylonians, his larger message to the people of Israel was to reject superstition and the accompanying fear that was so dominant among the nations and the peoples around them.
The God who made the stars was much more worthy of their attention than the stars themselves.
