When Apollo 8 was launched in December 1968 it was the very first ever manned flight to reach the moon and they orbited the moon on that mission. They did not land on the moon (that was Apollo 11 in July 1969). But it was the first ever to have flown out of earth’s low orbit and circle the moon, which they did 10 times and were within 60 miles of its surface! This mission set the stage for the moon landing to come just 7 months later.
These three astronauts on Apollo 8 (Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders) made history in many ways, but they saw things with their own eyes that NO ONE in all human history had ever seen before. Estimates tell us that by the year 1969 there were about 3 billion alive on the earth at that time. But since the beginning of all humanity there had been about 108 billion people who had ever lived on the planet earth. Out of those 108 billion people, these three astronauts were the very first ones to ever catch this sight. They saw the heavens displayed on the back side – the dark side – of the moon. No sun at their back. No earth in view. Only the darkness of the heavens in front of them. In a documentary I recently saw, Frank Borman, the captain of that mission, said that all three of them were unexpectedly caught off guard. When the dark side came, the heavens lit up with an uncountable number of stars that were as bright as they could be. All three of them were totally awestruck. These men were astronauts – pilots – scientist — astrophysicist — brilliant and brave men with little fear and had studied the heavens. Yet they were humbled beyond measure. On a clear night we can certainly see plenty of stars from the earth. But they were seeing stars multiplied by thousands and brighter than anything imaginable.
Beginning this coming Sunday we are venturing into a few weeks of Romans chapters 9, 10, & 11. It is a challenging study, but it is God allowing us to take a peek into the mystery of God in a way that we could never know before. Mankind has known of God from the beginning. Romans 1:20 even says that we are without excuse to know at least something of Him. But Romans 9, 10, and 11 lay out for us a glimpse of His incredible plan.
This week we will focus on Romans 9. Undeniably this section of Romans has baffled and sometimes confused us. Some of us have never known what to do with it so we just skip over it. There are words, phrases, and truths that are laid out that we just don’t know what to do with: Election; Predestination, Rejection; Remnant; Selection to name a few. We have become confused and sometimes even angry about what we read. But I hope my illustration of Apollo 8 helps set the stage for seeing something that we cannot see by just looking at it all from the earth. If I looked at the stars from the earth, I MIGHT begin to see and understand a few things. But Romans 9, 10, 11 take us to the back side of the moon to and allows us to take a peek at the awesome mind and plan of God.
As you prepare for our time of worship and study this coming Sunday, read slowly through Romans 9, our focus chapter this week. I would ask that you make Romans 9, 10 & 11 a part of your slow reading and re-reading again and again over the next few weeks. It goes without saying that Romans 9 sets the stage for Romans 10! Wait just a little bit for that, but it’s coming.
By the way… to add to the amazing history lesson of Apollo 8, it was on that journey that they first saw the “Earth Rise” over the moon and were awestruck with the blue planet. But on Christmas Eve 1968 a TV broadcast went out to America and all the earth and was the most watched televised broadcast to date at that time. The three astronauts wrestled with what to say on this Christmas Eve from the moon. They selected a reading that Frank Borman the commander would read on behalf of the other two crew members. From 239,000 miles from earth they delivered a Christmas Eve greeting and reading. They decided that the most appropriate reading would be Genesis 1:1-10, all ten verses. From the heavens above surrounded by the billions of stars, they read… “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth…. And God saw that it was good!”
Wow. I remember it as a kid. You can stream it now. It still brings chills.
I am anxious to see you Sunday morning.
