Renew Us - Week 3 (Psalm 8)
Psalm 8:1-9
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God's Majesty
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Psalm 8:1-9 〰️ God's Majesty 〰️
"LORD, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!"
These are the opening and closing words of this week's passage, Psalm 8:1-9. In traditional Hebrew, repetition was a literary tool meant to stress importance and catch the attention of the reader or hearer (see also Jesus in John 5:24, 14:12). So, the repetition of this phrase in v1 and v9 is intended to close this poem by displaying us just how meaningful it is for us to understand God's glory.
When reading Psalm 8, something specific might come to mind. A sunrise or sunset on the beach, looking up at the stars on a clear night, or even a quiet hour in the hammock in the woods. For me, it's a song that comes to mind. I remember hearing this song over and over on the way to church in my mom's Dodge minivan.
All of creation declares God's greatness, and the more time we spend with God in prayer, worship, and reading His Word, the more our eyes are opened to His goodness and presence. There is evidence all around us of God's majesty and glory if only we open our eyes to the intentional design of creation. This is what the author of this psalm, king David, is trying to convey. Similar to how we worship on Sundays corporately, this psalm was written as a reminder to self and others of God's goodness and glory.
In this psalm, David repeatedly declares God's magnificent name, that even children and the complexities of human life serve as a testimony of His glory (and intelligent design) (v2). David continues, saying that as we gaze at God's intricate work and design of this world, it serves as a reminder that being made in the Creator's image is such a high honor and a humbling privilege. "when I observe your heavens...what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?" (v3-4). How often do we approach the Lord in such a way? I frequently find myself asking things of God as an entitled and spoiled child would demand dessert from his parents, but here, David recognizes the significance of God's mercy in creating us in His image and "crowning [us] with glory and honor" (v5). David was routinely in awe of God's kindness in creating mankind with such a high purpose. "Crowning [man] with glory and honor" is David praising and thanking God for creating people in His image and giving us such a great purpose: to be His representatives on earth, cultivating and caring for creation. In Genesis, we read:
'Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth...God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it."' (Genesis 1:26, 28a)
Being so far removed from the creation of this world and so focused on our rhythms and routines, we can lose sight of the creation mandate from the Lord. We were created and commissioned to rule over this world, caring for creation as God's representatives, looking after nature and one another.
As we enter discussion, we'll touch on the ways in which we get glimpses of God's glory: for some, it's through a beautiful sunset or a melody that sticks in your head or even a quiet moment on your back patio before leaving for work. The wonder of our Lord is all around us if only we pause to listen.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
King David is the author of this psalm. What is he trying to teach us in this passage?
Where do you notice glimpses of God's glory in the world around you? Is it something you often recognize?
What does it mean for us to be "crowned with glory and honor"? (v5)
What is David trying to convey in v3-8?
What does it mean to you personally that the One who made the galaxies also made you in His image, with intention and care?
In light of that truth, how might it transform the way we view ourselves and live our daily lives?
Close by reading Psalm 139:13-14. Take a moment to consider God's intentional design in creating you.