| Modern scholars, even those who claim to be Bible-believers, say that this is simply the ordinary use of "phenomenological language", also known as the language of appearance. Our weather forecasters believe that the earth is spinning, but they still refer to "sunrise" and "sunset". Can we dismiss the inspired Word of God so quickly? |
Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the
day when the LORD delivered up the
Amorites before the children of Israel,
and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun,
stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou,
Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon
stayed, until the people had avenged
themselves upon their enemies. Is not this
written in the book of Jasher? So the sun
stood still in the midst of heaven, and
hasted not to go down about a whole day.
And there was no day like that before it
or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto
the voice of a man: for the LORD fought
for Israel.
Joshua 11:12-14
day when the LORD delivered up the
Amorites before the children of Israel,
and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun,
stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou,
Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon
stayed, until the people had avenged
themselves upon their enemies. Is not this
written in the book of Jasher? So the sun
stood still in the midst of heaven, and
hasted not to go down about a whole day.
And there was no day like that before it
or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto
the voice of a man: for the LORD fought
for Israel.
Joshua 11:12-14
| Solomon sees the movements of the sun as a natural cycle, just like the jet stream and the water cycle. Would anyone say that the wisest man really meant that the earth moves under the winds? Or that the land runs under the rivers? Similarly, he obviously did not believe that the earth was spinning or circling the sun. |
| METAPHOR METAPHOR METAPHOR |
| Solomon describes the circuit of the sun as one of the repeating cycles of creation. |
| The BIBLE repeats this three times: The SUN moved backwards to make the shadow retreat for HEZEKIAH'S SUNDIAL |
One generation passeth away,
and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth
for ever.
The sun also ariseth, and the
sun goeth down, and hasteth
to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the
south, and turneth about unto
the north; it whirleth about
continually, and the wind
returneth again according to
his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea;
yet the sea is not full; unto the
place from whence the rivers
come, thither they return
again.
Ecclesiastes 1:4-7
and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth
for ever.
The sun also ariseth, and the
sun goeth down, and hasteth
to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the
south, and turneth about unto
the north; it whirleth about
continually, and the wind
returneth again according to
his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea;
yet the sea is not full; unto the
place from whence the rivers
come, thither they return
again.
Ecclesiastes 1:4-7
| King David tells us in Psalm 19:4-6 that the sun is like a runner racing around the earth on a course set by God: In them [the heavens] hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. |
The clearest of the three passages is Isaiah 38:8
Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone
down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun
returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Notice - the text is precise about the fact that the shadow went back
because the sun went back.
Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone
down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun
returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Notice - the text is precise about the fact that the shadow went back
because the sun went back.
| God made the sun stand still for Joshua's army |
| Joshua was winning and needed more time to finish the battle. |
Silly tutorial, the Psalms are just poetry and
the racing sun is just a metaphor. Right?
Actually, wrong. We can't just whip out words
like "poetry" and "metaphor" each time we decide
to disregard something in the Bible that we don't
like.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that
compares one thing to another. When Robert
Burns wrote, "O my love is a red, red rose" he
knew that she wasn't a flower at all. But she was
like a rose to him because they are both beautiful,
intricate, fragile, etc.
The sun isn't a groom - of course - but it is
like a groom because it runs like one to get
around the Earth once a day.
To say that "the sun runs like a man" is a
metaphor for the sun standing still is ridiculous.
the racing sun is just a metaphor. Right?
Actually, wrong. We can't just whip out words
like "poetry" and "metaphor" each time we decide
to disregard something in the Bible that we don't
like.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that
compares one thing to another. When Robert
Burns wrote, "O my love is a red, red rose" he
knew that she wasn't a flower at all. But she was
like a rose to him because they are both beautiful,
intricate, fragile, etc.
The sun isn't a groom - of course - but it is
like a groom because it runs like one to get
around the Earth once a day.
To say that "the sun runs like a man" is a
metaphor for the sun standing still is ridiculous.
| The sun is actually a Scripture metaphor for Jesus, the Light of the World. We have seen from Psalm 19 that nothing can hide from the heat of the sun. So it is with God the Son, who shines His light throughout the earth. Some men are made healthy by His warmth. Others are burned up by His wrath. |
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;
and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor
branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings...
Malachi 1:1&2a
This is, of course, a prophetic description of Christ, who is the living
and active Creator-Redeemer. He doesn't wait for us to move toward
Him, but seeks and saves His elect.
and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor
branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings...
Malachi 1:1&2a
This is, of course, a prophetic description of Christ, who is the living
and active Creator-Redeemer. He doesn't wait for us to move toward
Him, but seeks and saves His elect.
| As it circles the earth, the moon moves through our shadow. |