Psalms 8:1

The Bible says in Psalms 8:1, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth: who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” This Psalm is a great Psalm of praise. If you think the right thoughts about God and about the Savior, then your life will be a life of praise. Evidently, King David was a person who thought a lot about God, and David thought the right thoughts: thoughts that led him to praise, to hope about the future, and to faith in God’s power and love. First David said, “O LORD our Lord.” David had a personal relationship with God. For David God’s existence and Being was personalized. David knew God. That is the number one requirement of being a true believer. Jesus said concerning when He will judge every individual at the final judgment in Matthew 7:23, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

David said in Psalms 8:1, “how excellent is thy name in all the earth.” David learned to praise God just because of God’s name. In the Old Testament God’s name was revealed as “Jehovah.” That is the Hebrew word that is translated “LORD” in the Old Testament. Notice the caps. The KJV translators evidently did not want to write the word “Jehovah” to make sure that they were properly showing respect for the name of God. Of course, there are many names for God in the Bible in addition to Jehovah: “the I AM,” “Jealous,” “the Lord of hosts,” “the Almighty,” “the Force,” “the King of kings,” “the Lord of lords,” “Wonderful Counsellor,” “the Prince of Peace,” “the Everlasting Father,” “the Master,” “the Teacher,” “the Lily of the Valley,” “the Bright and Morning Star,” “the Light of the World,” “the Rose of Sharon,” “the Lion of Judah,” “the Savior,” “Christ,” “Jesus,” “Lord,” “the Lamb,” as well as may other names. But perhaps the name for which God is most revealed in the Old Testament is “Jehovah.” The name “Jehovah” means “the eternally existent One.” That name was a great contrast to the images and idols of the heathen people. In effect the heathen made their own gods, and so their gods had a beginning, and thus their gods were not eternal. The point is that because God is eternal life, we gain eternal life from Him by being associated with Him in a right relationship. That relationship comes through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The name Jehovah is a wonderful name because it means “the eternally existent One.” Because we live under the shadow of death, it is wonderful to always have the promise of eternal life. The name of Jesus is also a wonderful name. It means “Savior.” We gave eternal life by coming to the Savior.

The Bible says in Psalms 8:2, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” God loves to turn the tables. God loves to take the weak things of the world and make them powerful. Yes, God has enemies: Satan and the demons are the enemies of God. People who have knowingly rejected Christ are the enemies of God. Of course, God will easily defeat His enemies because God is all-powerful. God has a plan for that defeat of the enemies. His truth is marching on. Who would think that little children would be used to accomplish the great things of God? But that is what happens. God has spoken through little children many times. Many times a big tough man has had his heart melted by a little child and been brought to see his need of trusting in God. Why shouldn’t God use children? Children have not yet been overcome by the attraction of the world, or the pride of life, or fallen into the lusts of the flesh. Children are innocent and pure. Children are closer to God in many ways because of what God made them to be. Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” It is not surprising that God would take little children to show forth His “strength” and to defeat His “enemies.” God will get it done His way.

The Bible says in Psalms 8:3-8, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;[4] What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?[5] For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.[6] Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:[7] All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;[8] The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” King David looked at the heavens, and the moon, and the stars. And David looked at man and man’s position on the earth. And David thought about the origin of all these things he could see. David knew that everything that he could see and think about came from God. God is the Creator. God designed all these things. We can read about it in the book of Genesis. For example, it says in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” It is no wonder that the devil made such a concerted attack on the truth of the Creation. The devil does not want human beings to look at the world around them and to think of praising God for all that God has done. That is what David did, but the devil is trying to keep that same kind of praise from happening as much as possible. The Theory of Evolution is the devil’s attempt to do just that. Yes, study true science as much as you can; but do not ever depart from the truth of Genesis chapter one. And remember that evolutionists have set aside God’s revelation of truth, and the evolutionists in effect are stating that they are smarter and better than the Word of God. It says about such humanistic ideas of the world in First Corinthians 1:26-31, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:[27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;[28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:[29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.[30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:[31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Look at the creation that is all around you, and praise God, and say with David as he said in Psalms 8:9, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”

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