Psalm 8

Like Psalm 1 described the ideal person, so Psalm 8 returns to the world of ideal.  We leave betrayal, injustice, depression and longing for the majesty of the creator.

Verse 1. majestic - could be translated ‘wonderful’, also meaning lofty, high, noble or splendid.   name - as usual in the Bible, this does not just mean the actual word we call the Lord, but his character, his nature. We could read it, ‘Oh Lord, our Lord, how wonderful you are’. 

Verse 2. While the Hebrew is translated ‘strength’, the Septuagint translates this word ‘praise’.  The general idea here is this: God works through things that appear to be weak and insufficient (Ross). As children are weak and small, but have intimate access to their more powerful and resourceful parents, so the weak and marginalized of this world cry out to their all powerful God, who does what he pleases. One commentator suggested that the very sound of children’s voices is evidence of God’s reign on earth.  The human race continues, no matter what the enemies of God do.  “The sound of opposition is silenced by the babbling and chatter of children” (Ross).  

Verses 3-4. Out of the entirety of creation, only man can stand back and actually look at the scene and ask this question. The word ‘man’ here is used in a poetic sense, emphasizing the frail existence of humans. 

mindful - This is not just implying fond thoughts, but movement toward the man he is thinking of, action.  In the Bible, God’s remembering always leads to God’s acting on behalf of those he remembers. The word here is used in the imperfect tense, which implies not just a one time action, but a continuing action.  God doesn’t just think of mankind once or twice, but continually moves toward and remembers him, acting on his behalf.

David must have sat some nights, gazing at the stars without our modern city lights, overwhelmed by the detail and design of what he saw.  In Psalm 19 he says, ‘the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” In the middle of this beauty we can almost see David shaking his head and quietly asking, “why in the world would you choose to direct all your power and focus on man, so frail and small in this amazing universe?”

Verses 5-6. Though we are not God, or angels, though we are now so clearly not wonderful or majestic, we are still ‘crowned’ with glory - dignity and importance, and honor - external splendor.  This is the way we were created by our God, important, with a place in the world, magnificent, weighty in our value. So much so that the great king put us in charge of all things listed in verses 7 and 8: animals, birds, marine life.  All creatures are subject to human authority.  

Somehow this strikes me as similar to creating a beautiful, precious, fragile piece of art and handing it to my 2 year old to oversee.  What honor has God given us in freely entrusting such and intricately designed, unbelievably beautiful, ordered world to us. What a vote of confidence, what an act of belief in us to create such beauty and unreservedly hand it over. 

Verses 8-9.  Again the refrain is sung, now with fresh understanding. 

God uses the weak things of this world to show his strength. We, the seemingly small and powerless, have been put in charge of this vast world and all it contains.  We are weak but have access to the one who is not. This is the way that God has ordered creation. 

Food for thought:

1. Over what or whom specifically has God given you dominion? With what has he entrusted you? It may be helpful to even make a list, naming children, objects, areas of responsibility.  Do you see these as God’s vote of confidence, his entrusting you with a portion of his amazing creation? Are they burdens? Annoyances? Privileges? 

2. Where in creation do you experience God’s ‘majesty’ or ‘wonderfulness’?