Enticed by the sun

(new article tomorrow for certain)

NBC News last week: "Scientists say the sun has entered a busy phase of its natural 11-year cycle. The period of increased activity, known as solar maximum, is likely to continue through this year, which means more solar storms could be in store in the coming months."

*****

Eliza Jane Hewitt (1851-1920) was working as a young Philadelphia school teacher when a spinal malady forced her to become a shut-in for many years. During her convalescence, she studied English literature and wrote poems turned to song, eventually becoming a well-recognized American hymn-writer. One of her simple song-poems begins,

1 There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

Refrain:
O there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,
When the peaceful happy moments roll:
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

*****

Job 31:26: [26] If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

[27] And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
[28] This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

"What's Job talking about? Job, the oldest book in the Bible, and he already knows the power and the influence--how insidious, how cunning the satanic policy of evil . . .

"Where's Job from? The Land of Shinar and in his day he sees the prevailing system of sun and moon worship.

"Obviously he can see the sun shining and the moon walking in brightness, a full moon, and 'my heart hath been secretly enticed.' Enticed to do what? To worship that. You see the power of this system in that region?" says Alex Kurz.

"People say, 'Well, who today worships the sun and the moon and the star?' You better believe this worship goes on. It may not be a direct act before the sun god, but there are subtle ways of worshipping that ultimately is directed to Baal.

"We won't call it the s-u-n. We won't call it the moon. What if we just switch names? By the way, at the Tower of Babel all the languages were confounded. Just because over here they call it the sun and the moon--well, over here they call it something else but it's still the principal deity. You see the corrupted master genius of this creature, Mystery Babylon? 

II Kings 23:5: [5] And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

"By the way, when you study Baal worship there's always the issue of the high places. What did we read in Genesis 11? A tower whose top may reach unto heaven. This fascination with the high places.

"How often, over and over, does God warn Israel and you know what the sad part is? Israel falls victim to all of this.

Jeremiah 8: [1] At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
[2] And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
[3] And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 10: [1] Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

"If you're involved in the astrological, astronomical movements and activities, what would cause a heathen to be dismayed? In the Babylonian tradition--heathenism, paganism--why did they worship the sun, the moon and all?

"What type of season might cause a heathen to be dismayed at the sign up there in heaven? Historically, guess what happens when the days are getting shorter and shorter? The heathen says, 'Wait a minute, we can't let the sun god die!' 

"So how do you appease the sun god? Wow, you should learn some things about the Aztecs. Do you know how they would appease the sun god? They would sacrifice their enemies. They would take the heart of the victim and give it to god. Have you ever heard anybody say, 'Give your heart to Jesus.' Don't give your heart to Jesus; that's what the pagans did.

"The pagans will rip your heart out and offer it up to the sun god because 'Hey, we want the days to get long again.'

"Now, how will the heathen react to the shortening of days? Verses 3-5: [3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.