September 7 – The Purpose of Galaxies

Why would God make galaxies? We live in the Milky Way galaxy, which contains over 100 billion stars. Our galaxy is disk-shaped with a bulge in the middle. The Earth is located on one of the arms of this spiral galaxy. About 30 of our closest galaxies are grouped into a cluster called “The Local Group.” Another cluster is called the “Virgo cluster,” which has about 2,000 galaxies. Between these clusters of galaxies are voids. It is estimated that there are 100 billion galaxies. But why aren’t stars just randomly dispersed across the universe?

Galaxies have a special purpose. Galaxies are visible from greater distances than a single star could ever be. It is much easier to see a group of stars in a galaxy than one lone star! Take a piece of paper, and draw one star on it. Take another paper, and draw many stars on it. Now walk to the other side of the room. Which is easier to see, one star or a large group of stars? Galaxies allow us to understand the enormous size of the universe and the power of God in a way that single stars evenly dispersed around the universe could not. The heavens do declare the glory of God, but we could never know the vastness and the quantity of the stars in the universe if they were not grouped into galaxies.

Isaiah 40:26

KJV: Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

NIV: Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Reference

Henry, Dr. Jonathan. 1999. The Astronomy Book. Master Books: Green Forest, AR. p.54.

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