Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Contextual: Psalms

Today we are in our second week of our Psalms Series.

The Psalms are collection of poetry and songs that were written by the people of God in the Old Testament days.

Like modern songs, the Psalms explore the full range of human emotion & experience.

Unlike modern songs, the ancient Psalms of the Bible are theocentric, they revolve around the God of Covenant, the God of the Bible.

The Psalms teach us how to lay down every thought and every desire and every emotion at the feet of God, in order that those emotions and motivations might be properly applied.

The Goal of reading the Psalms is not simply didactic.

It’s not just about knowing what the Psalmist said.

That would be to only interact with the Psalm in your head.

But the Psalms are experiential.

The idea is to embrace the Psalm and reflect on the Psalm, and pray the Psalm in such a way that the Psalmist’s words become your own words.

Contextual: Psalm 8

Today, we encounter Psalm 8.

I cannot stress how beautiful this Psalm is.

All week I have struggled to put to words what I want to say about this Psalm.

At the heart of it is the discovery of man’s place underneath of majesty of God.

This Psalm is designed to help you see and interpret reality.

It is supposed to form a wonder in you that leaves you breathless, and worshipful.

If you understand this Psalm and internalize this Psalm, and learn to joyfully pray this Psalm, you will be protected against any number of hardships of the heart throughout your life.

The title of this sermon is Man’s Place Under the Majesty of God.

Psalm 8 “To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.

A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

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

This Psalm reveals man’s place under the authority of God.

And it so with three main ideas.

Idea 1: We Must Be Awakened to the Majesty of God

We read in verses 1-2:

Psalm 8:1-3 “1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,”

“Oh Lord” — This is Personal

The Psalm opens wiht the covenant name of God that was given to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai, Yhwh Adonia.

This is a personal name of God that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

This is so important.

This Psalm begins personally.

This is not an abstract discussion about what a distant God is like.

This is not a philosophical lesson on the necessity of God.

This is Holy Love Song to a personal God that is known, that is cherished.

How Majestic Is Your Name

"How majestic is your name”.

That word is a bit of a royal word.

It’s a word that attempts to ascribes excellence to God.

Splendor.

Glory.

Majesty.

In other words Psalmist opens this Psalm by elevating us to think rightly about God.

“His glory is over the heavens.”

The heavens there is a reference to the stars in the sky, a theme which he picks up again in verse 3 when he says, “When I look at hte heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.”

Likely this Psalm was written by David as he walked underneath a starry night sky, looking up at the artistry of God.

The God who spun a billion billion galaxies into existence.

He’s looking up at it all and he’s saying, “As a human, I can’t help but be overwhelmed at the greatness and the majest of my God.

He’s over it all.”

Our galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy is a relatively small galaxy with 400 billion stars.

God knows every grain of sand on the furthest of the furthest planet of the furthest sun of this galaxy.

Our galaxy is only one of possibly 2 trillion galaxies.

God knows and governs how the wind is blowing right in the deepest corner of the most remote planet of a star that no human will ever see.

At the deepest levels of our own ocean floors lie creatures that have never been discovered by any human, and likely will never be discovered.

And each of those creatures floats across the sandy darkness invisibly proclaiming God’s glory.

He is supremely in charge.

How Majestic Is Your Name.

Illustration: See Something in Nature

Have you been overwhelmed by something that is far beyond you?

I heard someone once say, “Make sure that every day of your life, you pause and slow down, and find something in nature.

Take thirty seconds to look at the intricate details of it.

As Christians we must train our hearts to consantly be amazed at the glory and the creativity and the majesty and the artistry of the God.”

When I practice this habit, I tend to walk more slowly.

One learns to listen to the sound of bird’s calls and smile at God’s creativity.

One learns to discover an army of ants marching in unison up a tree trunk and wonder at God’s order.

How Majestic Is Your Name.

Mouths of Babies

Verse 2, I struggled to understand what this was saying.

But it is so poignant.

He says,

Psalm 8:2 “2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”

Jesus actually quoted from this verse in Matthew 21 when he cleared away the money changers from the temple courts and children began singing his praises to the dismay of the religous leaders.

What this verse communicates is that any force, whether it be a so called religious leader, or a demonic power, or a government, that ridiculoulsy attempts to stand against God’s might and majesty, will be put to shame by something as simple and beautiful as the voice of singing children.

God is so full of authority, so far above every other claim of power, so much greater than every president and every King and every leader, and every demonic force.

He is so grand, that he can and does use the whisper of a child to defeat His greatest enemy.

At the whimper of an infant he can crush rebellions.

How Majestic Is Your Name.

Illustration: John Piper Quote

John Piper says the challenge before us so well:

“If you don't see the greatness of God then all the things that money can buy become very exciting.

If you can't see the sun you will be impressed with a street light.

If you've never felt thunder and lightning you'll be impressed with fireworks.

And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God you'll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures.”

— John Piper

Everyone in this room will find something or someone in their life to worship.

Will look for glory and majest somewhere.

Look up to God on His terms.

Permit your heart to be overwhelmed by the reality of His majesty.

We Must Be Awakened to the Majesty of God.

Idea 2: We Must Be Honest About the Lowliness of Man

Insight 2: We must be honest about the lowliness of man.

The very next phrase in this Psalm is this: