When is the last time that you had the chance to sit and watch a beautiful sunset?  What amazing beauty is  seen during that sunset, especially if the clouds are aligned perfectly or perhaps just after a storm.  One has to know that there is a creator and that his beautiful creation far surpasses what any man could create, regardless of his skill at artistry.

Last week, we continued in our study of Psalm 8 during our mid-week Bible study.  This Psalm focuses on the majesty of God and his a song of praise to the creator God for his work and for the privileged place of God’s people in that created order.  There are a number of wonderful things in this Psalm, but there are three main points that describe or tell us why our God is glorious and full of majesty.

First, God’s Majesty is grounded in His Character.  David writes, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”  (v. 1-2 ESV)  The Psalm begins and ends in the very same way and that is in praising the majestic name of God.  The focus of God’s revealed majesty of character is seen is his treatment of mankind, and even more specifically, His people.  His revealed character carries over to stilling of His enemies and those that would seek to dishonor Him.  No matter how hard man may try, they will never silence God, for He speaks in every part of his creation and man therefore is without any excuse regardless of whether they choose to acknowledge Him or not.  Romans 1 is proof of this and of the dyer consequences that face those who take that road.

Second, God’s Majesty is shown by His Care.  The psalmist continues, “When I look at 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, and the son of man that you care for him?” (v. 3-4 ESV)  David is amazed here!  He asks the question in no uncertain terms, “God you have created everything, including man.  Why do you even care about us?  Why are you mindful of us?”  There is nothing in man that requires God to focus and be mindful of us.  All that he gives us and does for us is of, through, and by His wonderful grace!  Even though God is the creator of the world, he is still mindful of man and that is an amazing truth!  God is mindful of and cares for man.  He allows the rain to fall on the both the just and the unjust.  He cares for man as His creation.  An even greater truth is that the average person can’t pick up the phone and call the president of the United States whenever he wants to do so.  But those that know Christ as their Savior and can truly and rightfully call God their Father, can to to Him in prayer boldly (Hebrews 4:16) and we can bring our needs before Him at any time (Matthew 7:7-11).  What an awesome and majestic God!

Third, God’s Majesty is revealed in Christ.  The psalm closes, “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (v. 5-8 ESV)  There is an interesting change of focus here.  A double meaning of sorts.  In describing man in these verses, the psalmist prophetically describes Christ as well.  These verses are quoted by Paul in the New Testament to describe Christ (1 Cor. 15:25–27; Eph. 1:22), as does the writer of Hebrews. (Heb. 2:6–9). How interesting to think of the fact that man, as God’s crown of creation, is nothing in comparison to Himself and yet, the Lord Jesus Christ, also the creator, came to earth and became man!  What paradox!  I believe Paul said it best when he wrote under inspiration,

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

Therefore, we close as the David closed this great song of praise to our God, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9 ESV)