Eclipsing The Word of God

Written by: Dr. Glenn Jago

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible across sections of North America. Some claim that this will be known as the Great North American Eclipse. The moon will obscure the image of the Sun, making it appear that the Sun has gone dark. Those informed know that looking at the eclipse through the naked eye can cause irreparable damage. It would be best if you had special glasses to protect your eyes.

There is an eclipse that is far more perilous than any solar event—the eclipse of truth. The prophet Amos warns, “And on that day, declares the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight” (Amos 8:9). This is not merely a solar eclipse, but a day of divine judgment. The Lord declares, “Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (8:11). The destruction of His people is foretold, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me” (Hosea 4:6). The lack of knowledge is not due to the lack of God’s revelation. Moses wrote, “But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it” (Deut. 30:14). We must urgently safeguard our souls from this total eclipse of truth.

How can we protect ourselves from the eclipse of truth? The first and most crucial step is a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. This commitment is not just a statement but a way of life. As you love the Lord, walk in His ways, and keep His commandments, you will no longer be in the eclipse's shadow. Instead, you will bask in “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” As Paul reminds us, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Therefore, let us prioritize God's robust and vibrant Word in our lives today and every day.

We spend an overwhelming amount of time and energy looking for confirmation of faith rather than believing the One who secured our relationship with Jesus.  

Here is a brief word for those looking for signs in the sky to attempt to make sense of our present crisis worldwide rather than living by faith. Jesus was approached by the seasoned religious elite of the day. After Jesus secured His position against those accusing Him of casting out demons by Beelzebul (Matt. 12:22-32), a group of scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you” (Matt. 12:38). Does their question sound familiar? We spend an overwhelming amount of time and energy looking for confirmation of faith rather than believing the One who secured our relationship with Jesus.

I wonder what Jesus thought of in their craving for signs. Watch out; His words might sound rather harsh: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (12:39). Jesus did not feed their demand from unbelief by giving a sign other than one that would be very familiar to the group, the sign of Jonah. Jonah ran from the Lord, and the Lord caught up with him on a cruise vessel bound opposite from the direction the Lord called him to go. Jonah, in frustration, knew God was the cause of the terrific storm, so he told the sea masters to throw him overboard. Jonah was swallowed by a large fish and spent three days inside the belly of the fish. The last statement of Jonah was important, “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (Jonah 2:9). So here is the sign Jesus gives: “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). The focus of Jesus toward those skeptics and deniers was to warn them that when they crucified Jesus, watch out because in three days He will resurrect from the dead as Jonah came up from the deep in the depth of the sea inside the belly of the great fish.

 We must resist making the supplement the central message. The scribes and Pharisees missed the central and supplemental message. As believers in Jesus, we need to focus on the central truth of all Christianity as described by Paul

We must resist making the supplement the central message. The scribes and Pharisees missed the central and supplemental message. As believers in Jesus, we need to focus on the central truth of all Christianity as described by Paul: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:3-4, 14).   

Our message is clear; there are no theories or speculation about it, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). The command of making disciples is not eclipsed by the steps of how to make disciples—going, baptizing, and teaching. The promise is also clear: Jesus is with us always.