Two Bookends (Psalm 8)
This Psalm is one with two bookends (vs1&9) that hold within them some reflection as the content held within those bookends of praise and exaltation of God.
Bookend #1:
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
King David here addresses God as Yahweh, the eternal self-existent and only God of all who is also ‘our God’, the One who made a covenant with His people and established a unique relationship based love and commitment with us.
King David breaks out in praise and worship delighting in how majestic God is in all the earth! When king David says; ‘how majestic is your name’ he is referring to God’s character, God’s attributes that are known to His people and in fact are known not just to His people, but known to the whole earth, all the nations because of the way God has intervened for His people and judged the nations of the earth!
The content between the bookends (vs2-8)
‘Out of the mouth of babies’ – the ESV commentators think that this phrase probably refers to God’s people who seem like little and insignificant babies compared to some of the impressive nations around them.
(vs2) David is reflecting on how God is His wisdom uses weak, small and seemingly insignificant people on the planet to make Himself known as the strong and mighty One, through His interactions with them and through their actions and history.
(vs3-4) David considers all the magnificent things God has made in creation, and finds it astounding that God has set His attention and affection on us, on human beings.
(vs5-8) And yet David knows that God’s given us as little human beings a position, a place, a role as His agents having authority & responsibility for everything on the planet, and that is just an amazing thing to think about, to ponder and to praise God for and a responsibility to take seriously.
Bookend #2:
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
At the end it all, Yahweh, our Yahweh we praise You for who You are and for what You’ve chosen to do, how You have set up the planet and how You have intervened for Your people, even for little me. I praise You, we praise You.
Reflection:
•Write down the names of God you know and what they say about WHO God is WHAT God has done and then praise God for those things.
•Do you feel week, think of the church as weak and insignificant? Can you see how God’s people have always felt like ‘babies’ compared to the nations? How does this encourage you to think differently?
•Consider the role God has entrusted to us within creation, are you taking that role seriously? What might need to change?
Two words that matter 