The Sun God

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84: 11 NIV)

The anti Christian writer, Thomas Paine, wrote:

"The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the Sun, in which they put a man whom they call Christ, in the place of the Sun, and pay him the same adoration which was originally paid to the Sun."

One wonders why Thomas Paine excluded other religions, like the Hebrew or the Pagan? Could he not also argue that these "religions" were also "parodies" of the Christian religion?

A "parody" is defined as "A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule" or as "The practice of reworking an already established composition."

Of course, it is not a "reworking" of a "literary work," or "established composition," per se, that Paine advocates as having occurred between the Christian religion and the religion of the various Pagan "sun worshippering" cults, but a "reworking" of a religion. The Christian religion, he advocated, was a renovation of Pagan religion.

But, perhaps it is the other way around, and the Pagan religions or myths are but "parodies" or "counterfeits" of the true Christian religion? Rather than the case being that the Christian religion mimics or apes other false religions, it is the other way around. Truth is older than error, as the original is older than the counterfeit.

This has been demonstrated by those who promote what is called the "mono-myth" hypothesis. The Christian version of this says that all false religions are but a corruption of the one original true religion, the Christian, and it is a false conclusion to think that the original religion is parodying or mimicking these newer false religions.

Sun worship is but a corruption of the truth. Lord God is not the sun, although it was made chiefly to be an emblem of him. The Psalmist was no "sun worshipper" as were his neighbors, such as the Egyptians. He taught that the "sun" was but a creation of Lord God, one of his "servants" doing his will. He also recognized that the sun was a fitting emblem of Lord God. Recognizing the sun as a symbol of Lord God is quite different from recognizing the sun AS God.

"The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon." (Psalm 74: 16 NIV)

"...who made the great lights—His love endures forever. The sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever." (Psalm 136: 7-9 NIV)

"Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars." (Psalm 148: 3 NIV)

We generally do not think of the "sun" as a "shield," believing rather that the earth needs to be "shielded FROM the sun." Modern science has shown this to be true as respects many of the "influences" of the sun. Some of those "influences" demand some kind of "shield" while others do not, perhaps. The Psalmist knew that he needed the sun to live but he also knew that he needed to be shielded from it at the same time.

Lord God is both a "sun" and a "shield." Notice that he is not said to be "THE Sun," but "A sun," meaning he is to us what the sun is to us and to our world, the sun being emblematic of Lord God in multitudinous ways. He is using metaphor, not speaking literally. All the verses above praise God for his creating the sun, nor for him being the sun. They also view the sun as a symbol of deity.

"The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah..." He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. (II Kings 23: 4-7, 10, 11 NIV)

Thus was how the godly king Josiah dealt with "sun worshippers." Yet, he was what we call a Christian, for he believed in a coming Messiah, and also believed that Jehovah was "a sun and shield." Notice how Christmas (An ancient Pagan celebration of "Baal") and Easter (An ancient Pagan celebration of "Asherah"). The "asherah pole" corresponds to what we call today the "May Pole," which was a phallic symbol.

" 'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground. Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.'" (Jeremiah 8: 1-3 NIV)

Sun worship and the worshipping of the heavenly "bodies" as "gods" at times became prevalent in Israel and Lord God always promised and brought severe judgment upon these wicked idolatrous Pagans. He has also promised to do so again.

"He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd wraps his garment around him, so will he wrap Egypt around himself and depart from there unscathed. There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.' " (Jeremiah 43: 12, 13 NIV)

Pagans who worship the sun and other created things will suffer an awful fate, one of the greatest doom and gloom.

"If I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high." (Job 31: 26-28 NIV)

This was said by Job, who like the Psalmist, also believed that the sun was a fitting emblem of Lord God, and yet who recognized sun worship as a heinous sin, marking unfaithfulness to "God on high."

"In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19: 4-6 NIV)

Notice again how the Psalmist is clearly no "sun worshipper." He looks at the sun and sees in it something that will tell him about his God and Creator, however. What an inspired poet was the Psalmist!

The "heavens" or "outer space" is like a "tent" in which the "sun" is to "dwell." The "rising" of the "sun" is like a person "awaking" from sleeping "in his tent," to become visible, and his rising is further like the rising of a bridegroom on the day of his wedding, when he rises with great beaming joy. He also compares the "circuit" course of the sun to a "runner" who is running a race.

The sun "rising" and "shining" is connected with its "rejoicing" and with its "glory" and "strength."

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37: 6 NIV)

The sun is an emblem of the glory of Lord God's holiness, righteousness, justice, and perfection. When he "makes it to shine (or dawn) on" someone, that person is spiritually renewed and blessed.

"He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations..."May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. (Psalm 72: 5, 17 NIV)

"...his throne endure before me like the sun." (Psalm 89: 36 NIV)

In the Old Testament the "sun" was a symbol of many aspects of Lord God. The sun was a symbol of light and knowledge, of life itself. It was viewed as a sign of God's working providence and government of the world. It was a symbol of stability, of what is permanent, of what is eternal.

Throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes King Solomon used the term "under the sun" frequently as synoymous with "under the eye of God."

Not only is the sun a symbol of God, of his eternity, of his glorious brightness, of his wisdom and power, but also of his supreme importance to our world. Man cannot live without the sun and no man can live except the Lord give him life, breath, and all things. (See Acts 17: 25)

"This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night..." (Jeremiah 31: 35 NIV)

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5: 45 NIV)

The sun is a great blessing to our world! Lord God has created such a magnificent thing when he made the sun! He made it to be just what it is, both a real blessing to our world and a fitting symbol of God in his relation to his creation.

"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."" (Hosea 6: 3 NIV)

"God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden." (Habakkuk 3: 3, 4 NIV)

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." (Malachi 4: 2 NIV)

The coming of Jesus is the coming of God, the coming of "the sun of righteousness." This verse truly identifies the sun as an emblem of God and of Christ his Son. It clearly puts the coming of Christ and the rising of the Sun as divinely intended likenesses. He arises "with healing in his wings." More fitting metaphor and symbolism for the work of Christ!

When the earthly sun "rises," the plant life is "revived" and "healed," and in the Old Testament there is frequent mention of the "wings of the morning" and the "wings of the wind."

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (Luke 1: 76-79 NIV)

Surely the prophecy of Malachi is what Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, had in mind when he, by the Holy Spirit, uttered his oracle. When he says "the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine," the allusion is quite striking.

"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:2 NIV)

"His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." (Revelation 1: 16 NIV)

"He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars." (Revelation 10: 1 NIV)

"About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions." (Acts 26: 13 NIV)

The glorious brilliance of Christ, the "Light of the world"! He outshines the sun! All suns! He is the glorious being of which all other suns are but pictures!

"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13: 43 NIV

"The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead." (I Corinthians 15: 41, 42 NIV)

The believer in Jesus will shine like Jesus, with glorious brilliance of beaming glory, and that throughout the ages of eternity!

"Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean." (Job 37: 21 NIV)

Yes, and no one can look upon God in his full glory and live, no more than he can stare at the sun without burning out his eyes. (See Exodus 33: 20) But, one day the eyes of the believer in Jesus will be improved and able to see the light without being "blinded by it," as some are.

"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end." (Isaiah 60: 19, 20 NIV)

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." (Revelation 21: 23 NIV)

"There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22: 5 NIV)

If the sun be God, then God will exist no more one day. The sun and the moon, though appointed to "govern" the "day" and the "night," will be of no use in the world to come, for the world will be then enlightened by another light and power source that will supercede and do more for our world than has ever our present sun. The sun is the present "light of the world," but Christ is the true "light of the world." (John 8: 12)

Friend, are you ready for that day of days? Has Christ risen in your heart to give light and understanding of these things?