Read Psalm 8 again.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8 ESV
Today, I want to look at the first two verses.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
God's glory is marvelous.
The
Psalm begins and ends with the same verse: O
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! The first “Lord”
is actually the special name of God by Israel, Yahweh, and the second is Adonai, which means "Lord." Since the Psalmist is praising the
very name of the Lord, Yahweh – let’s look at it for a moment. Yahweh comes from the meaning “I AM
WHO I AM.” One other translation could be “He who causes to be” (Ex 3:15-16).
He spoke into existence all of creation and He spoke to Moses out of the burning bush. His name is not to be used lightly or
wrongly (Exodus 20:7) and represents all that is Divine.
God’s name is for all.
This Name is the Personal God of Israel. He is Lord, Supreme and also Personal. The same God who rules over all creation is the same God who is personally interested in your life.
God's name is above all.
The double name emphasizes that God created and gives order to everything. He brought into existence the original creation and He returns into harmony the fallen creation. For Christians this carries the idea of
God as Creator and Redeemer.
God’s name is regal and majestic.
The
word “majesty” carries the idea of power demonstrated in a public fashion. It was used of a king and of pomp and circumstance. It reinforces the idea of God as Sovereign.
God’s glory is complete.
The psalm elaborates on God’s majesty set in the heavens above. Yet, the word “glory,” used to describe that heavenly majesty is a word that describes the inward, defining essence of an
individual more than external magnificence. This conveys the idea that to
see God’s glory is to know him personally. As wonderful as the heavens are,
His glory is in another realm, even greater than the night sky and yet it is
personal.
God’s glory is ultimate.
God’s majesty
is further illustrated by the phrase “mouths of babes and infants.”
Children are innocent and will only be able to communicate out of that
innocence. Many parents have been embarrassed in such scenarios because a child will simply say what is true. So any declaration attributed to a child is understood to be inherently true and uncluttered.
God’s glory is victorious.
to still the enemy and the avenger.
This phrase may seem harsh to 21st century ears, so its context is required. It was a phrase that was regularly invoked in war literature in the ancient Near East when
speaking of the destructive, awesome power of an army or a ruler. In this case, David has turned the anthem away from human destructive power to cause it to focus on the awesome, infinity power of God. In that latter capacity, David
declares that Yahweh has established strength against “his foes…the enemy and the
avenger.” The terms “enemy” and “avenger”
were common names of Satan. The enemy of God is obviously Satan.
His name is above all.
His gaze is fixed on you.
His gaze is fixed on you.
His name is glorious and yet personal.
He knows you and your situation.
He knows you and your situation.
His name is victorious.
He will lead you through today's difficulties.
He will lead you through today's difficulties.
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