These opening phrases of Psalm 8 are like a breath of fresh air – a shaft of bright light – fresh reassurance after all we have been through in the past year – and a word of profound comfort, which only the Scriptures can give. They speak specifically to the people of God – to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Verse 1. When we have not been able to sing corporately, the Psalms remind us to worship praise and express thanks to God.
O Lord Jesus, our Saviour, and our Lord and King – Your Name is precious to us.
There is power in the Name of Jesus – Mark 16 verses 17 and 18 – and in the Name of Jesus we can pray and ask and receive – John 14 verses 13 and 14.
In Acts Chapter 3 we read of Peter and John meeting that lame man, and Peter says to him – “Silver and gold I do not have, but what have I give you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
The Name of God is excellent – in the Name of Jesus there is healing and wholeness – access to God – and authority.
The first and last verses constitute the framework of the Psalm – indicating something of the whole character of God – every aspect and facet of His nature.
Verses 1 to 3 – God matters more than anything else – and in verses 4 to 9, we learn of just how much we matter to God.
You matter – we all matter – most relevant in these present days.
When people realise and know this, they will bend both knees.
“Our Lord” – This is not a god who is a stranger – this is our God – “Our Lord”.
Remember too these words in Acts 4 verse 12 – “Salvation is found in no-one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
David knew the importance of the name of God and he respected that holy name.
David the king comes to the Lord, and says – How majestic – “Your Majesty”.
God was not a stranger to David – he could say “our Lord” – and so can we through Jesus Christ.
This great and majestic God is not only interested in man – He is interested in you and me – in a particular sense. It is this that encourages David to worship.
Two different Hebrew words are used – the first use of “Lord” is “Jahweh” – Almighty God – out there – then, “Adonai” – “Master of everything” – our mighty Lord – Who draws near and comes close.
Glory means ‘heavy’ – God is weighty and awesome – and not to be treated lightly, but with respect.
He is our King, and we celebrate His Majesty.
We are reading here of Who God is and what HE has done.
The second verse of Psalm 8 was on the lips of Jesus after He rode down the Mount of Olives to enter the Temple area in Jerusalem. Jesus threw out all the things that should have no place in the House of Prayer – Matthew 21 verses 12 to 16 – and the blind and the lame came to him and he healed them.
When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did and when they heard the children praising Him – they were displeased – and Jesus quotes from Psalm 8.
Praise can deal with enemies and foes and those who would seek to avenge us.
This is how we can sometimes deal with our enemies.
There is power in praise to silence and disarm and conquer critics.
Verse 3 – David then begins to think of the vastness of Creation – the work of the fingers of God.
“Fingers” was used for an embroiderer – we speak of someone having nimble fingers or being clever with their hands. God knits everything together in Creation.
As a shepherd, David would look up and see the sky and the stars – and he had received this insight as to how it all came about – and it is in very simple language.
Verse 4 – What is man that You are mindful of him – the son of man that You care for him? God cares immensely for man – the word ‘care’ refers to one who is – ‘mortal, weak, or frail’. God cares for such people.
David does not ask – do you care about us – he knows.
Man is insignificant in one sense – on the massive scale of creation we are so small.
Yet – God cares for us – and God loves us. – and His Love was not just words – it was ACTION and He visited us when Jesus Christ came to rescue us and save us.
Jesus came to seek for us and look for us. We were lost – but Jesus came searching – Where are you? Do not hide from Me.
Come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
I have come to save you and help you and restore what was broken.
Remember that – how God thinks of you, and what God thinks of you.
The Bible asks that question – “What is life?” – James 4 and 14. It is a vapour – there for a little while – and then it vanishes away. A man without Christ is like a puff of smoke – it is there for a while and then it disappears.
God loves those whom He has created.
He has made us just a little lower than the angels – above the animals, but lower than the angels.
We are the glory of His Creation – we have a very special place in the world.
We are created under His Authority, to RULE the world. He has placed us in charge of His Creation. He has delegated this job to us – to take care of the world.
Many would say we have been most irresponsible – and that we have made a mess of what HE CREATED. In a way that is true – we have polluted the waters and the earth – poisoned the atmosphere – destroyed each other by war.
Caring for the ecology – is really a matter of morality – and faith – and flows from belonging to God – and the further we slide away from God the more serious the situation in the world becomes.
Our sin and disobedience has ruined what HE CREATED. He wants to help us – by removing the pollution from our minds – flushing out any poisonous thought from our minds and hearts – as Jesus deals with the greatest of all heart diseases – SIN.
David marvels at how God chooses to use man – and he returns to consider again the majestic Name of God – the powerful name of God.
What would we do without a real living faith in Christ?
“O Lord my God, how great thou art” – then sings my soul – how great Thou art!
Verse 9 is really the only thing that really matters – knowing God – knowing Jesus as Saviour and King and Lord.
Down through the ages, Almighty God has looked after His people – He will continue so to do.
This Psalm is all about knowing God and trusting God and serving God.
The ‘old children’s hymn’ expresses truth in a simple but profound way –
“God who made the earth,
The air, the sky, the sea,
Who gave the light its birth,
Careth for me.”
“God, who sent His Son,
To die on Calvary,
He, if I lean on Him,
Will care for me.”