The passage was taken from Psalm 8 - A psalm of David
"O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider 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,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
The quality of this psalm has been observed by many- it's all about the praise and glory of God. For our purpose we shall consider it as a hymn of praise and, more particularly, a hymn of creation praise. The Lord is the object of praise (vv 1, 9). therefore the praise is not an expression of joy in creation apart from the Creator but looks at God as the good Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer of the world.
I. When We Pray we must ASCRIBE PRAISE to God (8:1a)
The name "our Lord addresses God as king (cf. 97:5)
The title LORD is important to the Hebrews and to Christians because it denotes a relationship (Ex 6:2-3, Ps 23)
the Redeemer-King of Israel is the Creator! His "name" ("LORD") is glorious over all the earth by virtue of his creative activities (Gen 1:1-31)
The word "majestic" is royal attribute denoting:
a. His victories (Ex 15:6), The idea of "King of kings"... Illustration, Troy (Agamemnon)
b. His might in judgement (1 Sa 4:8,Ps 76:4)
c. His law (Isa 42:21), and
d. His rule over creation (Ps 8:1, 9; 93:4)
All creation reveals the power and glory of God's name (Rom 1:20, Psalm 19)
II. When We Pray we ACKNOWLEDGE God's GLORY (8:1b-2)
Regardless of how the wicked assert themselves, they cannot outdo the evidence of God's glory on earth and in heaven.
a. God wants us to glorify Him.
- No matter what we're going through.
- In spite of our physical or emotional condition
b. God has ordained praise to prevail.
- People who know and have experienced God will never be silenced
- Even though the world will is of scandal, problems and bad news
- At the end of time, His praise will prevail.
III. When We Pray we must SEEK to UNDERSTAND His mind and will (8:3-4)
The verbs "mindful" and "care for" convey the care of God, who remembers positively by acting on behalf of the human race. Instead of "visiting" persons with judgement, as their sins deserve, God's goodness extends to all creatures in his care (Mt 5:45).
a. God wants us to enjoy all the good things in store for us (Ps 84:11, Ps 85:12, Ps 103:1-4)
b. God's attention is on us (Jn 3:16)
c. God wants to reveal Himself
IV. When We Pray we must RECOGNIZE who we are (8:5-8)
a. We are CARED for God Himself (v. 4)
b. We are CROWNED with God's glory and honor (v. 5)
c. We are GRANTED authority over all things (v. 6-8)
V. Our days must begin with praise, end in praise, and filled with praise in between (8:9)
APPLICATION:
1. Our lives (spirit, soul and body) must be filled with His praise.
2. God's glory is central to who we are as His creatures.
3. We must embrace our destiny as God's special and loved people of authority.
No comments:
Post a Comment