A Journey Through The Psalms Wisdom From God A Journey Through The Psalms

Psalm 8 – How Majestic! Advertising ploy: “10X better than the leading product.” Favorably comparing the lesser to the greater. Knowing they are NOT the greater. This psalm explores the majesty of God from the perspective of His relationship with man. Who is man? And – Messiah!

Our Majestic Lord This Psalm has a heading: For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. Gittith – LXX says, “on the wine-fats” Some think: to the tune/cadence of the wine presses Others: Upon the harp of David obtained from Gath.

A Psalm Of Praise And Awe O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth…. verse 1a O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Verse 9 Opens and closes with the same praise to God.

How Majestic! Majestic = ADDEER Large, wide, gallant, glorious, noble, mighty This largess is attached to the NAME of God Name is “any and all revelation of Himself that He has given.” (Leupold – Exposition of the Psalms)

Majestic In All the Earth What makes God’s name majestic in this psalm? Psalm 19:1-2 – “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands, Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Job 38:4,7 In God’s own words: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding….When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” sons of God = angels

Isaiah 6:3 “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” The angels are so exalted, yet they are singing the praises of God. The stars, also, are singing the praises of God their creator.

Just How Secure Is God’s Praise? Verse 2 – “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.” Strength = bulwark, stronghold

The praise of infants and babes God’s glory is so thoroughly established that the innocent, barely articulated praise of infants and nursing babes is sufficient to establish that praise. Matthew 21:15-16 -- But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

The Enemy Dismayed With such greatness and security, God’s enemies haven’t a chance. Psalm 76:4, 6-7 – “You are resplendent, more majestic than the mountains of prey….At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep. You, even You, are to be feared; and who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry?”

Condescension Of God Usually considered a negative word. But…with God what else is possible? God IS GREATER than anyone or anything. His condescension is based in love. It is noble and honorable.

The Humble/Exalted Man Considered first from the viewpoint of the rest of the cosmos Verse 3-4 – “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” Ordained= affixed Sun so obviously superior in the cosmos – moon, stars lesser but still great as compared to man’s estimation of himself.

What Is Man? As compared to the grandeur of the universe, what is tiny, insignificant man? Verse 5-6 – “Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”

Man Exalted Because Of God Little lower than angels? Or God? Hebrew: ELOHIM = God LXX: ANGELOS = Angels KJV, Darby, Douay-Rheims = Angels NASB, NIV, ASV, RSV etc. = God Greek in Hebrews 2:6 is ANGELOS.

Man is crowned with glory …and You crown him with glory and majesty! Expositors Bible Concordance uses the word DEIFORM to discuss our relationship of glory and majesty from God. DEIFORM = pertaining to deity, in the image of God.

Psalm 82:6 “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.” John 10:34 – “Jesus answered them, ‘Has it not been written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”?”

Our Exalted Position Verse 6-8 – “You make him to rule 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 through the paths of the seas.” Man is greater than all of these because we are made in God’s image.

The Messianic Message Hebrews 2:6 – “But one has testified somewhere, saying, ‘What is man, that You remember Him? Or the Son of Man, that You are concerned about Him?’” Applied to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:27 “For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.” Ephesians 1:22 – “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.”

How Majestic Is Your Name! God loved man so much He sent His Son to the cross to die for man’s sin. God loves man so much He exalts Him above the highest of all His creations Man should be humbled by the fact that God who made the universe thinks so highly of us.