Psalm 8

This Psalm is considered a Praise Psalm created by David.

Sermon Main point: Worship God because You are Created with Care and Purpose.

Sermon Outline: A Life of Worship

I. Submit to the greatness of God (vv.1-2)

The Psalm opens with a declaration of the majesty of God’s name. God is addressed here by using the covenantal name “LORD”. The word ‘LORD’ is God's personal and covenantal name, emphasizing His Lordship and authority. In the context of Psalm 8, the LORD is the sovereign creator of heaven and earth who is lord over His creation, including humans and animals.

- In vv.1-2 The Psalmist gives praise and adoration to God, and he describes God as “majestic”.

God is majestic. The word “majestic” indicates superiority and greatness. David is simply praising God because He is powerful and superior. How did David know that? In v.1, it says that God displayed his glory and power through His creation (moon, stars, cosmos). These heavenly objects could not have existed on their own nor a product of chance. A powerful and superior being created them– the LORD (Jehovah).

In verse 2, David declared that God displayed his superiority by silencing His rivals (v.2). David says, “God has no rival, and He put an end to His enemies.”

David can definitely say this with confidence. Why? You see, David was a teenager and an inexperienced warrior when God used him to slay a veteran and feared warrior, a boastful blasphemer Philistine named Goliath. Despite being much weaker than Goliath, David won because God was on his side! And David was dependent upon the superior God!

Remember, Israel, upon exiting Egypt, Israel was a small nation made up of mostly slaves with no army and no fighting experience. Yet, it defeated the surrounding established nations with armies (Jericho and others). Why? Because the superior God was on their side. Notice this: they are victorious as they submit to God, but as they rebel against God, they are defeated by their enemies.

This teaches us to acknowledge that God is superior to other so-called gods that people worship today. There is no other god but the LORD - Jehovah.

Application:

1. To worship God is to have a heart of submissionto God. To believe that since God is the superior being who created you with a plan and purpose, you must submit to His plan and purpose for your life.

Transition: God deserves to be worshipped not just because he is superior and majestic but also because He CARES. This leads me to the second point.

II. Smile in the care of God (vv.3-4)

In verses 3-4, the Psalmist contrasted - God’s greatness and Man’s smallness. He looks at the heavens, and then he looks at man – big vs small. And so, He asked this question in v.4, “What is man that you take thoughtof him and the son of man that you care for him?”

The Psalmist somewhat finds it hard and difficult to believe! A superior God cares and thinks of small insignificant creatures like man. Why? I don’t understand it as well. My closest answer is this: “God cares because that is who He is”. He is a loving and caring God! It is His character to care!

In this passage, we learn a few important things about God:

A. God cares for His creation, including man and animals.

The word ‘care’ means to visit, to look upon in order to help or benefit. When I say I care for my children, it means that I would look at their needs and listen to their concerns in order to help them (health concerns, school concerns. Etc…)

I am reminded of theses verses that shows God’s cares for his creation:

Psalm 104:14 (NASB95)

14He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth,

Psalm 104:27–28 (NASB95)

27They all wait for You To give them their food in due season.

28You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.

Matthew 6:26 (NASB95)

26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

1 Peter 5:7 (NASB95)

7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

B. God determines the value/dignity of man, not man. The bible is clear that man’s value is intrinsic, it is God-given when God created man in His image.

This reminds us as well that man’s VALUE is not earned. It was given by God to all humans and therefore we must value one another regardless.

I don’t know about you, but this truth puts a smile on my face. I can’t help but be grateful for God’s care for undeserving creatures like me.

Application:

1. Cultivate a heart of gratitude to God for his care – worship!

2. Honor God by giving value to self. Ex. Treat your body right by feeding it well, exercising, resting.

3. Honor God by giving value to others. Ex. Treat other people with respect – we don’t lie to one another, we don’t steal, kill, and destroy others. Being a good employee/employer.

Transition: We worship God because he is superior, secondly because He cares for us, and gave us the dignity and authority to rule over His creation. Because we have been given authority to rule over His creation, it implies purpose and responsibility. That leads me to the 3rd point.

III. Steward the creation of God (vv.5-9)

In vv.5-9 we see that the LORD, the sovereign creator of heaven and earth, looked upon man and decided to bestow dignity (crown him with glory and majesty) and authority(you make him to rule) over other created beings.

The LORD has decided to give man a special place of high status over other creatures and to be stewards of His creation.

In v.5 we see that man is created as a being that is lower than the angels. This should make us humble.

In vv.6-8 we see that God gave man special attention and the role of honor as overseerand ruler of His creation. This is a reminder that we are not the owner, God is. We are just stewards/managers.

God gave a command for man to rule God’s creation and care for it.

Genesis 1:28 (NASB95) 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God commanded Adam to cultivate God’s creation.

Genesis 2:15 (NASB95) 15Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

God gave man a purpose and duty to be a steward – to cultivate the garden – to labor, to toil.

Reflection: How are you taking care of God’s creation?

Are you responsible or wasteful in using the resources that God has given you?

Application:

- Steward God’s creation as your worship and service to God.

- Care for your family - God created your children and gave them to you to steward well.

Care for the environment – clean and do not throw thrash everywhere.

- Responsible living – not excessive and wasteful of food, clothing, material things.

Gospel:

God cares for His creation. He showed his care and love for His creation by redeeming the fallen humanity through the self-giving sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8 NASB95

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Despite our sinfulness and unworthiness, God’s love is greater still.

I reflected upon the power and greatness of God, and as I was reflecting, I could not help but worship Him for who He is. I reflected upon the love and care of God in creating me and giving me honor as His special and honored creation. I realized that I am loved and cared for and that I must praise God and use my life to glorify God by being a good steward of His creation as my proper response.

I asked the Lord to help me honor Him and His creation and be grateful to Him all the days of my life. I also prayed to God to help me communicate these wonderful and timeless truths to my congregation.