FRAMEWORKS:
Psalm 8: A Song of Praise for the Creator
For
the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.
[Preliminary
Notes: In the title, the word ‘gittith' has produced
much speculation with no definite outcome. As already seen with
Psa 4,5 & 6 this is clearly written for musical accompaniment,
a song. It is a remarkably simple and straight forward song of
praise in respect of the Creator of the heavens and earth.]
v.1
The Wonder of Creation reveals God's glory
v.1
Lord,
our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You
have set your glory
in the heavens.
v.2
Even children can see it in their simplicity, a bulwark against
negative comment
v.2 Through
the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against
your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
v.3
The wonder of the stars at night set me wondering
v.3
When
I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
v.4
If God made this immensity, why is He mindful of puny human beings?
v.4
what
is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
v.5
The reality is that they are not as great as angels, but….
v.5
You
have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
v.6-8
..…God has made them rulers over the rest of the earth
v.6
You
made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet
v.7 all
flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
v.8 the
birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
v.9
How great He is when you think on all this
v.9
Lord,
our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
[Additional
Thoughts: The flow or logic of this psalm is beautifully
simple:
-
David the shepherd, watching his flocks at night gazes at the
night sky.
-
He can't help wondering about the vastness of what he sees in
this sky free of light pollution.
-
If God created all of this, He is incredible in might and power,
so why would He want to create puny human beings, less than specks
in the universe?
-
these human beings are not as great, powerful and mighty as the
angels appear to be… so why? And yet these human beings have such
potential to rule over the earth, to do good or bad.
-
this says so much more about God than merely thinking about Him
as One who just moulds atoms and molecules like a Potter. His
greatness isn't just in terms of muscle power!
-
this wonder stirs music and praise in David's soul, there in the
night.]
Continue
to Psa 9