notes
Main point summary
Meditating on the glory of God does not lead to pride and boasting but humility and praise.
Notes
This psalm is an unsurpassed example of what a hymn should be, celebrating as it does the glory and grace of God, rehearsing who he is and what he has done, and relating us and our world to him; -Derek Kidner 1. He praises God for his majestic name and awesome glory (1) 2. He praises God for his power and might (2) 3. He praises God for his gracious care toward mankind (3-8)
Arc
editing
OT
Psalms 8:1-9
esv
mine
O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your q name in all the earth!
O YHWH our ruler and master, the majesty and excellence of who you are is revealed throughout the whole earth.
You have set your r glory above the heavens.
You have placed your glory higher than the sky/heaven; earth cannot contain it.
s Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established t strength
You have founded and ordained strength from the mouths of babies and infants
because of your foes,
because of the rejection and opposition of your enemies
ground
to still u the enemy and the avenger.
You do this to silence the voices of your enemies and those who oppose you and seek vengeance against you.
actionpurpose
When I v look at your heavens,
When I look up at the night sky,
the work of your w fingers,
and when I see what you have created, that is what you made with your own fingers (Is this just an expression? Gen. 1:14-17 says God SPOKE them into existence but SET them in place)
ideaexplanation
the moon and the stars, x which you have set in place,
when I see the moon and stars in the sky each of which you have set in their place,
y what is man that you are z mindful of him,
I must ask the question: who is man that you should give any thought to him (remember him)?
and a the son of man that you b care for him?
That is, why do you care so much for man, the son of Adam, and just another part of your creation?
temporal
Yet you have made him a little lower than c the heavenly beings 1
Yet you have elevated him to a position just a little lower than the heavenly beings as an image bearer of yourself (GOD? Gen 1:26)
and crowned him with d glory and honor.
AND you have given him glory and honor as a crown on his head.
series
You have given him e dominion over the works of your hands;
You have given him dominion/rule/authority over all your creation
f you have put all things under his feet,
that is, you have put everything under his rule:
all sheep and oxen,
including gentle sheep and powerful oxen
and also the beasts of the field,
and every animal in between,
the birds of the heavens,
from the birds in the sky
and the fish of the sea,
to the fish in the sea
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
and anything and everything else that moves through the sea.
concessive
O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
O God, our Lord, your name is majestic and excellent throughout the whole earth!
bilateral
synonymous parallelism - intensifying the description
how does infant praise silence God's enemies?
Psa 48:14 ...this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. (aso Isa 25:9)
‘God’s remembering always implies his movement toward the object of his memory’ (Brevard Childs)
Praise to God for "out of this world" overwhelming glory
He has ordained strength from weakness to silence his enemies.
He has given man dominion over all creation. Jesus -see Heb. 2:1-10
Repeated praise to God for "out of this world" overwhelming glory
His glory is higher than the heavens
discourse