The Majesty of God

Introduction

Today, we are going to continue our study of Psalms, and particularly the psalms of David. Today we are going to be looking at Psalm 8, which is described as a “gittith” (geeteeth) which we believe is some kind of musical term or some kind of musical instrument.

This psalm focuses on the crowned jewel of God’s creation, and how that jewel enhances the majesty of God’s name, and ultimately the majesty of God’s character!

If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to Psalm 8, and we’ll begin looking at verse 1.

Psalm 8:1 NIV

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

God’s Majesty!

Our English translation doesn’t translate this very well, and we miss some of the thought here.

Lord (Hebrew Yahweh) our Lord (Hebrew adoni. Meanings: lord, master, owner, sovereign, controller) (v. 1a).

David acknowledges that Yahweh is our master, ruler, owner! Or to put it another way, Yahweh is the sovereign over ALL of His creation.

His name is majestic (mighty, magnificent, large, very great, powerful, splendid, beautiful, or excellent), and his name is the most majestic name in all the earth! (v. 1b). God is not in His creation (i.e. pantheism—where God is in everything, so that everything is a part of God), but rather God is distinct from His creation, yet all of creation acknowledges His very name.

God set up his glory (or showed His glory) in the heavens (v. 1c). This is a parallel passage that expresses how the glory of God is revealed.

Psalm 8:2 NIV

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Even the unsophisticated—little children and infants—recognize and praise God (v. 2a).

The idea here is that rational thinking adults often deny Him, but the unsophisticated children recognize and praise God without reservation.

This makes the children and infants a fortress against God’s enemies (cf. Matt. 21:15-16) (v. 2b).

Matthew 21:15–16 NIV

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

These children will ultimately silence those who are God’s enemies and those how seek vengeance (v. 2c).

God uses the weak, uneducated to confound the wise. Paul argued this fact in 1 Corinthians 1:27.

1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Reminds me of the question an atheist’s child once ask his atheist father, “Do you think God knows we don’t believe in Him?”

Man’s Place in God’s Creation

Psalm 8:3 NIV

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

David begins by looking at all that God has created:

— He considers the heavens (v. 3a).

— He looks at the works that God’s fingers created (v. 3b). This phrase stresses the care, skill, and craftsmanship of God.

— David then becomes more specific, because he looks the moon and the stars, and specifically where God carefully placed each one of them (v. 3c).

Psalm 8:4 NIV

what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

With all that David looked at, he is shocked that mankind is so important to God.

His conclusion about humanity is how amazing it is that God thinks about mankind (v. 4a).

David goes a step farther by saying that it is crazy that God cares for humanity (v. 4b).

Psalm 8:5 NIV

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

To reinforce this point, David points to mankind’s position in creation (v. 5a).

Textual Issues

The first thing we note is that text actually says “Mankind was made a little lower than ‘elohim.’” This Hebrew word is usually translated “God.” However, here a number of translations (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NET, TNIV, ESV, etc.) translate this as heavenly beings or angels.

Other translations (most notably the NASB and the NLT) actually translate this as, “Mankind was made to be a little lower than God.” I believe this is the better translation for a couple of reasons:

Because humanity is the only part of creation that was made in God’s image.

And the context seems to suggest this idea.

God crowned humanity with two things (v. 5b):

— Glory (Hebrew: presence, honor, power, wealth, honor, nobility).

— Honor (Hebrew: majesty, splendor, dignity, nobility, adornment).

Psalm 8:6 NIV

You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:

God made humanity the rulers over the creation of God here on this earth (v. 6a).

Emphasis—God put all of His earthly creation under the feet of humanity (v. 6b).

Examples of this:

Psalm 8:7 NIV

all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild,

— All the flocks and herds are under humanity’s control (v. 7a).

— All the animals, including the wild ones, are under humanity’s control (v. 7b).

Psalm 8:8 NIV

the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

— The birds of the sky are ruled by mankind (v. 8a).

— So are the fish of the sea (v. 8b).

— And anything else that swim in the seas (v. 8c).

Psalm 8:9 NIV

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

God’s Majesty Revisited

After all that David explored about God’s view of humanity, he returns to the majesty of God.

God’s very name—the name that the Hebrews would not say—is majestic (mighty, magnificent, large, very great, powerful, splendid, beautiful, or excellent).

And there is no place on earth that God’s name does not have majesty!

One of the ways that we see the majesty of God is by looking at His crowning creation, which is humanity.

So when humanity speaks the name of God mankind is speaking with power, splendor, and magnificence!

The Magnificence of God’s Name

I said earlier, that God’s proper name, Yahweh (often rendered Lord in the translated text) was so revered by the Jews that they refused to speak it.

The name of one part of God is Jesus. In Philippians 2 we are told that the name of Jesus is above every name that at the name of Jesus ever knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—master, ruler, owner—and doing this will ascribe glory to God the Father!

Conclusion

This psalm says a lot about God! But it also says a lot about God’s crowned jewel of creation, mankind!

I talk to so many people who profess to be Christians, yet they have a poor image of themselves.

Here are some “take-a-ways” from this passage.

First, we are the crowned jewel of God’s magnificent creation. That’s right. You are a magnificent creation, uniquely created by God for His purpose!

Second, to prove that we are God’s magnificent creation, God gave us a unique position! It is right below Him!

Third, God has given each of His children glory and honor! And we are to take that glory and that honor and point it right back to Him!

Fourth, God made us rulers under His authority. We are rulers over:

—The works of His hands!

—Over the flocks and herds!

—Over the animals of the wild!

—Over the birds in the sky!

—Over the fish in the sea!

—And over whatever else swims in the seas!

Finally, we need to always remember how majestic the name of God is, and we need to proclaim it throughout the entire earth!

Today I want to challenge each of us to see ourselves the way God sees us! We are His deeply valued creation.

And He wants each of us to proclaim how GREAT He is to everyone around us!

For His name is Majestic!

His name is Powerful!

His name is Beautiful!

His name is Wonderful!

“Yahweh our Lord, how majestic is your name in ALL the earth!”