Psalm 8: "O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory isA few thoughts from Psalm 8...
higher than the heavens. You have taught the children and infants to tells of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers -- the moon and the stars you set in place -- What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority - the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
God is indeed sovereign.
This is what the text pronounces clearly about God. There is nothing in heaven or on the earth that can compete with the majesty of God. God is the Holy One over all things visible and invisible.
This is what the text pronounces clearly about God. There is nothing in heaven or on the earth that can compete with the majesty of God. God is the Holy One over all things visible and invisible.
Man is powerless to achieve any dominion over creation of his own resources.
David clearly expresses, that in the light of creation he is merely a blip on the radar. With the knowledge that David has nothing to offer, he asks the question "what is man to God?"
David clearly expresses, that in the light of creation he is merely a blip on the radar. With the knowledge that David has nothing to offer, he asks the question "what is man to God?"
The cry of every man’s heart is to be known by God.
David’s reaction to his reflection which seemed to diminish him in the fact of God’s majesty is “who am I to God? Does God care for me?” Somewhere in every person, this cry goes out. This is because of my next point…
David’s reaction to his reflection which seemed to diminish him in the fact of God’s majesty is “who am I to God? Does God care for me?” Somewhere in every person, this cry goes out. This is because of my next point…
We were created in the image of God, to know God and to be known by Him.
This point instantiates our existence. David is overwhelmed with the idea that God would have made him "just a little lower than the angels." The vastness of the universe was quite small in the light of this colossal truth. It introduces an aura of intimacy which fills the air. God cares for you and me, he thinks of us. We are unique over all creation.
This point instantiates our existence. David is overwhelmed with the idea that God would have made him "just a little lower than the angels." The vastness of the universe was quite small in the light of this colossal truth. It introduces an aura of intimacy which fills the air. God cares for you and me, he thinks of us. We are unique over all creation.
We are to be responsible caretakers of all God has entrusted to us.
This is the zenith of the entire message of the Bible. In Eden, Adam was instructed to care for the garden and the animals. God has given us all the works of his hands, but we can abuse and waste them. However this kind go behavior would strike against the very chords of humanity as God intended. We are to be responsible for what God has given us.
This is the zenith of the entire message of the Bible. In Eden, Adam was instructed to care for the garden and the animals. God has given us all the works of his hands, but we can abuse and waste them. However this kind go behavior would strike against the very chords of humanity as God intended. We are to be responsible for what God has given us.
God is the source of all things, there is not reality without Him.
The verbs used of God in this Psalm are active and aggressive. He causes things to come into being, man to come into power, enemies to be disposed. We must never mistake God’s multiple blessings, with his good works. This in no way negates that we do not cooperate and participate in the working of God, but it does suggest that at the end of the day, it will always be us thanking God, not God thanking us.
We are invited to participate in what God is doing in the world and cooperate with God’s ordering of the world.
God did not need you and me to have dominion over the world. We were not the only option, we do have God over a barrel. God has willingly, graciously, and lovingly allowed us to participate with him. In other words, while God is sovereign, he is as sovereign as he wants to be. He can do what he wants to do, but what he does will always be holy. God does not have to hold dominion over all the world as some sort of powerplay against humanity. He does not have to micro-manage the world, subjecting us to a pawn-like existence. No, God offers himself and his works to each one of us. God offers his life to us and allows each one to participate in his self giving ordering of society, so that we might know the fullness of the blessings of his love. Loving like God loves, having dominion like God has dominion, etc… is not merely the right thing to do, it is the human thing to do. This is what it means to be a little lower than God. To do anything contrary would be to deny the basis of what it means to be a person.
The verbs used of God in this Psalm are active and aggressive. He causes things to come into being, man to come into power, enemies to be disposed. We must never mistake God’s multiple blessings, with his good works. This in no way negates that we do not cooperate and participate in the working of God, but it does suggest that at the end of the day, it will always be us thanking God, not God thanking us.
We are invited to participate in what God is doing in the world and cooperate with God’s ordering of the world.
God did not need you and me to have dominion over the world. We were not the only option, we do have God over a barrel. God has willingly, graciously, and lovingly allowed us to participate with him. In other words, while God is sovereign, he is as sovereign as he wants to be. He can do what he wants to do, but what he does will always be holy. God does not have to hold dominion over all the world as some sort of powerplay against humanity. He does not have to micro-manage the world, subjecting us to a pawn-like existence. No, God offers himself and his works to each one of us. God offers his life to us and allows each one to participate in his self giving ordering of society, so that we might know the fullness of the blessings of his love. Loving like God loves, having dominion like God has dominion, etc… is not merely the right thing to do, it is the human thing to do. This is what it means to be a little lower than God. To do anything contrary would be to deny the basis of what it means to be a person.
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