The sun, as the central celestial body in our solar system, holds significant importance in the biblical narrative, symbolizing God's creative power, authority, and provision. Throughout Scripture, the sun is depicted as an instrument under God's sovereign control, demonstrating His supremacy over creation and His ability to use it for His divine purposes.

Creation and Sustenance

The sun's creation is recorded in Genesis 1:16, where it is described as the "greater light" to govern the day. This act of creation underscores God's authority over the cosmos: "God made two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars" (Genesis 1:16). The sun's role in marking time and seasons is further emphasized in Genesis 1:14, highlighting its function in God's orderly design.

God's Control Over the Sun

Scripture provides numerous instances where God exercises direct control over the sun, demonstrating His power over nature. In Joshua 10:12-13, God responds to Joshua's prayer by halting the sun's movement: "So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies... The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day" . This miraculous event illustrates God's ability to intervene in the natural order for the sake of His people.

Similarly, in 2 Kings 20:9-11, God provides a sign to King Hezekiah by causing the sun's shadow to move backward: "So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten steps back, the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz" . This reversal of the sun's course serves as a testament to God's dominion over time and space.

The Sun as a Symbol of God's Provision and Judgment

The sun is also a symbol of God's provision and blessing. In Psalm 84:11, the psalmist declares, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly" . Here, the sun represents God's sustaining presence and His generous provision for the righteous.

Conversely, the sun can be an instrument of God's judgment. In Revelation 16:8-9, during the pouring out of the fourth bowl of wrath, the sun is given power to scorch people with fire: "The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues" . This passage highlights the sun's role in executing divine judgment upon the earth.

The Sun in Eschatological Context

In eschatological passages, the sun is often associated with the end times and the return of Christ. In Matthew 24:29-30, Jesus describes cosmic disturbances preceding His second coming: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven" . The darkening of the sun signifies a dramatic shift in the created order, heralding the culmination of God's redemptive plan.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, the sun serves as a powerful symbol of God's sovereign authority over creation. Whether as a source of light and life, a tool for miraculous intervention, or an agent of judgment, the sun consistently points to the Creator's ultimate control and purpose in the universe.Job 9:7
Which commands the sun, and it rises not; and seals up the stars.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Of the Sovereign Praise which God Gives unto Himself, and How we ...
... BOOK V. OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE ... If a man were praising the sun
for its light ... desires to behold the infinite wonders of God's goodness, yet ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xii of the sovereign.htm

God in the Covenant
... them, while he exercises the same sovereignty, he exercises it in ... If then God be
so specially your God, let your ... Be clothed with the sun; put on the Lord Jesus ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/god in the covenant.htm

True Prayer --True Power!
... this time forth you may come to look at prayer as your element, as one of the most
delightful exercises of your ... Oh God, thou givest light to the sun and he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/true prayertrue power.htm

Divine Sovereignty
... Why did the sun of heaven shine upon them while all around the ... Grace is a thing which
comes and exercises an influence on us. "The sovereign will of God alone. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/divine sovereignty.htm

This ChapterSpeaks of the Manner in which God Communicates with ...
... infused light like that of the sun covered with ... conscious of having received, because
he exercises no such ... benefit you instead: believing that God has granted ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter ix this chapter speaks.htm

The Lord Reigneth
... Great and marvellous is this L ORD God Omnipotent in ... mist, or like snow before the
sun, and leave ... He possesses and exercises unlimited authority as a sovereign ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxvi the lord reigneth.htm

The Wilderness State
... or any avocation whatever, to prevent these secret exercises of the ... the earth, on
any person or thing under the sun; if we desire anything but God, and what ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 46 the wilderness state.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... Babylon Asari or Merodach was already a god who, through ... The sun and moon and stars
were fixed in their ... One of the exercises of the Sumerian schoolboy bids him ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
... But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness ... is indissolubly connected
with the purpose of God, and the believer's exercises of adhering ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter viii covenanting according to.htm

Of the Sacred Complacency of Love; and First of what it Consists.
... BOOK V. OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE WHICH CONSIST IN ... O God! ... as the
air takes light, not lessening the original brightness of the sun, and the ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i of the sacred.htm

What does the Bible say about sun worship? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that there is nothing new under the sun? | GotQuestions.org

Is it true that the sun stood still? | GotQuestions.org

Sun: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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