Our Magnificent Lord

Psalm 8 is the first song of praise in the PSALTER. Psalms 1 and 2, which read like wisdom literature, are the double-doors into the psalms. Psalms 3-7 are filled with lament, as David cries to the Lord for deliverance from his troubles. This sense of complaint resumes in Psalm 9 and following. But Psalm 8 is total praise. From start to finish, this psalm celebrates the majesty of God.

This is the message of Psalm 8: All of creation is a call to worship the greatness and goodness of God. Verse 4 asks: “what is man?” This questioned has baffled the greatest scientists, philosophers, and theolo- gians. But the simple truth is that you cannot answer the question “What is man?” until you first answer the question “Who is God?” And to know God is to worship his majesty. We celebrate the majesty of God because God is great and God is good.

GOD IS GREAT

GOD IS GREAT ON THE EARTH

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” In scripture, one’s name is more than a means of identification. The children of Israel avoided using the personal name of God, Yahweh – the self-existent one. So they called God Adonai – the sovereign one. But even that name was treated reverently. But David was so consumed by the greatness of God that he used both names: “O Yahweh, our Adonai.”

The name of the Lord is majestic, excellent, splendorous, brilliant, and magnificent. Majesty and glory are parallel terms with a subtle distinction. Glory is the greatness of God’s essential nature. Majesty is the open display of God’s essential nature. And the open display of God’s glory revealed in his name is so great that is cannot be limited or localized. God’s name is majestic in all the earth.

There is no name on earth greater than God’s name

GOD IS GREAT IN THE HEAVENS

“You have set your glory above the heavens.” Glory is not an attribute of God. Glory is the sum total of all the attributes of God. It is the light of his nature. It is the weight of his character. We ascribe glory to God. But the glory of God is inherent. God is not glorious because you praise him. God is glorious because God is God. And to make sure we don’t confuse human greatness with divine glory, the Lord has set his glory above the heavens.

JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICE wrote: “If God has set his glory above the heavens, it is certain that nothing under the heavens can praise him adequately.” God is worthy of the best you have. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

GOD IS GOOD

God’s goodness in His creation

vs. 3

Genesis 1, everything God created was GOOD

God is good to His children

GOD CREATED MAN WITH DIGNITY

vs. 4-5

GOD CREATED MAN FOR DOMINION

vs 6-8

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Our Lord is Magnificent