Psalm 8

God spoke the world into existence! Genesis repeatedly reminds us of the power of God, the great Creator. The eternal God stepped into time and breathed life into man. God’s crowning creation lives with meaning, purpose, and dignity. In Israel’s book of worship and prayer, King David marvels at how the Creator God notices and interacts with humanity. Today, let’s consider Psalm 8.

Psalm 8:1
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

David starts by using two names to declare God’s sovereignty and majesty: “O LORD, our Lord.” The first name is Yahweh. In our study of Genesis, we learned that Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The LORD God, Yahweh Elohim, “formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7 NIV). Yahweh is God’s personal name, describing him as the one who establishes a covenant with humanity and always keeps his promises. When you see “LORD” in all capital letters in your Bible, this refers to the name Yahweh.

The second name David uses is adon, which means “master.” The Lord, or “master,” David loved and served, was famous throughout the earth. His name, or better yet, his reputation, is magnificent. The word translated as “glory” literally means that God carries weight. Look at the heavens, and you will observe his weight, power, and splendor.

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

David uses the phrase “babies and infants” to represent those who are vulnerable. Despite our weaknesses, God overcomes the enemy. Do you remember the well-known children’s song Jesus Loves Me? One verse says, “Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong.” Jesus affirmed the truth of Psalm 8:2 when children praised him, which led the outraged chief priests and scribes to question, “‘Do you hear what these [children] are saying?’ And Jesus replied, ‘Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (Matt. 21:15-16).

David was astounded that the mighty Creator would have an intimate relationship with humanity. David said in amazement, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:3-5).

The Creator, who hung the moon and stars, cares for humanity and gives his crowning creation a high standing. We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Earlier in our study, we examined what it means to be made in God’s image. There are incommunicable attributes that God does not share and communicable attributes that he does share. To be created in God’s image means we share his communicable attributes, such as:

• Spirituality (John 4:24— “God is spirit.” We are body and spirit).
• Freedom (God gave us the freedom to make choices).
• Knowledge (We can learn and apply his knowledge).
• Moral attributes (e.g., goodness, love, mercy, grace, patience).[1]

We are formed in God’s image and hold authority over his creation.

Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

David reflects this truth in Psalm 8:6-8.

Psalm 8:6-8
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.

David concludes this worship song just as he began it, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:9)

One more thing: the writer of Hebrews used Psalm 8 to refer to Jesus. Some were tempted to worship angels, but the writer made it clear that “it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come” (Heb. 2:5). After quoting Psalm 8:4-6, he states:

Hebrews 2:8-10
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹ But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. ¹⁰ For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

We are made in God’s image, but Jesus is the One who will ultimately be crowned with glory and honor. Because of sin, we deserved death, yet Jesus suffered on our behalf. By God’s grace, he experienced death for everyone. Jesus is the founder of our salvation. And one day, he will reign over all and bring his sons and daughters to eternal glory. What a day that will be!

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Psalm 8. Reflect on the Creator God, Yahweh, who desires a personal relationship with you. For that to happen, he sent Jesus, the founder of our salvation, to die on our behalf. What an amazing God!

Talking to God
Thank God for the worth and dignity that he grants us. Thank him for sending Jesus to taste death for you. 

Have Questions?
It’s amazing how the New Testament writers use the Old Testament. If you have questions, our team would love to discuss them with you. Submit your question below, and they’ll get back to you soon.

Two more things:

1. Go to ronmoore.org/lifemap for an exercise that will help you discover how God is writing his story in you. I have included a life map of Joseph that will serve as an example.
2. On February 25 at 7:00 pm, we will meet on a Zoom call to review what we have learned in Genesis and answer questions. A link to the call will be provided if you wish to participate.

[1] For a deeper study on the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God see Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Zondervan, 1994), 156-225 and Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Moody Publishers, 1999), 39-50.