Psalm 8 “The Excellent Name of Jesus”

“Truth for Truckers” *February 8, 2014*  Psalm 8  “The Excellent Name of Jesus”

      Although David did not know the name of the Lord Jesus Christ this Psalm rings with and underlines the wonderful name of the Savior of the world. His glory has been set above the heavens which we view in the evening. The beauty of the visible heavens is outweighed in glory by the actual abode of God where His Throne and heavenly host abide: “Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5, 11). His great glory is indescribable by the limits of the mind of man, but a comparable illustration is the star-filled heaven which we are able to view in the dark night sky when the sun is no longer visible.

      Jesus also utilized this Psalm as He refuted the chief priests and scribes when He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem: “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto Him, Hear Thou what these say? And Jesus said unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou has perfected praise?”(Matthew 21:15, 16).The Lord Jesus Christ used this verse to silence “The enemy and the avenger” (v.2) who came against Him the day when He fulfilled prophecy as the King of the Jews.

     In (v.3-8) David in his consideration of the heavens and the creative works of the Lord asks two questions that compare these marvelous heavenly creations of the moon and stars with man: “What is man, that Thou are mindful of him? And the son of man that thou visits him? David’s view of man vs. his view of the heavenly creation causes him to say: Lord, why do you even consider man when you have this great creative power to make such spectacular things like the stars and the moon? Man seems to be nothing in the eyes of David, but the writer to the Hebrews fills in the blanks as is seen in the next few paragraphs for it is through man, the God-man, the Son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ that salvation of the human race was wrought.

     And even though David’s view of man vs. the heavens was somewhat limited because the Son of man we  know is God in the flesh, this obviously was not in the mind of David as he wrote this Psalm. His view of man was not taking into account the Son of man our Savior who came to rescue mankind from their bondage to sin. He was speaking about man as God’s creation compared with His heavenly creation:

Thou made him a little lower than the angels; and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thou made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: Thou has put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas.” (v.5-8)

     The book of Hebrews continues after quoting this same passage in Psalm 2:3-8 by explaining: “But now we see not all things put under him[man]. But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”(Hebrews 2:8c-10) Although some may argue that the Lord died for a select number the Scripture clearly teaches that He died for all men as this verse in Hebrews states. John also wrote confirming this fact: “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2) 

     God when creating Adam and all of the animals etc. listed above gave him dominion over His creation: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). However, through the fall not all things are under the dominion of man at the moment. But one day: “All things shall be subdued unto Him.” [The Lord Jesus Christ I Corinthians 15:28].

     Then in (v.9) the grand conclusion to the Psalm: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth.” David once again proclaims the excellence of the name of the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. This brief but powerful Psalm exalts the name of the Lord and His marvelous creation. Our application, Drivers, is rejoice and praise His wonderful name by which we receive the blessings!

Chaplain L.E.Wolfe  www.btmi.org   I-85 Exit 35 SC  McPilot   Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!