Psalm 8: Declaring The Glory Of God's Son, Jesus Christ!

Psalm 8:1  To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 

This is another Messianic Psalm, meaning that it is applied to Jesus Christ.

King David wrote this Psalm full of worship, praise and adoration of God. 

It richly reflects what David knew to be true of God.

What is a "gittith"? It has two meanings. First, it can refer to a harp and that would certainly be fitting to include it in the title of this Psalm.

The other meaning of this word is a winepress, which generally represents God's blessing on the harvest such that it yields an abundance of good wine.

Thus, a "gittith" represents an instrument used to worship God and it reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes to us from our Father in heaven.

King David ascribed excellence to the name of God as a reflection upon the very perfect and unchanging character of our LORD.

The word translated "excellent" also has the idea of standing on the seashore and taking in the vastness of an ocean. 

The ocean fills our horizon as far as we can see with movement of waves that constantly change what our eyes observe. 

It's steady, rhythmic and ceaseless sounds bring a calming and soothing cadence to our ears.

Thus, the title of this Psalm reminds us that God is to be worshiped and it reminds us of how vast God truly is.

King David starts by telling us that Jehovah Adon Himself, is excellent in the earth and that His glory is a canopy over all the heavens.

God puts His glory on display on earth and in the heavens each and every day.

His glory is seen in the changing seasons, the beautiful sunrises or sunsets that we observe and in the weather that He sends to us.

David used the name Jehovah Adon which highlights God as the great "I Am" (See Exodus 3:14). 

As such, Jehovah is the unchanging God who dwells in eternity, and whose very being is lovingkindness, holiness, righteousness and truth.

"Adon" means Lord, Master, King, the One, True God who intends to govern our lives.

The phrase "O LORD our Lord" means that Jehovah is also Lord. 

We must affirm that He is our LORD by confessing our faith in Him because He loves us, protects us, provides for us and saves us from eternal condemnation.

As our King, Master and Creator, we are bound to obey Him and to commit our lives to living for His glory and seeking to do His will.

How brightly God's glory shines even in this lower world. 

How excellent is his name in all the earth! 

God's creation works and His providential supply to all creatures bears witness that He is an infinite God.

God is the fountain of all life, the sustainer of all life and the God who rules over all His creation. 

Thus, King David could shout out "How great, how magnificent, is His name in all the earth!" 

Psalm 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, applied this text to the children who showered praises upon Him

We have studied how our Lord applied this passage to the Jewish children who saw His miracles, and cried out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (See Matthew 21:16). 

In the gospel account, we saw how the enemy and the avenger, who were the chief priests and scribes - were offended because of these things. 

Thus, Jesus applied this Psalm to Himself and the praise He received from children, as a literal fulfillment of David's prophecy.

Rather than recognize Christ their Messiah, they ignored the scriptures and were carried away in their madness.

Psalm 8:3-4  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

David's heart overflowed with praise for God when he said "When I consider thy heavens."

Heaven is where God dwells, and which He has made.

Genesis 1:14-14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 

He created the sun, moon, stars and all the constellations to give order and regulation for our lives.

Each season brings special blessings to us and reminds of of the particular work we must be engaged in completing.

This connects well with Jesus' Parable of the Seed and the Sower, and of the Wheat and Tares in Matthew 13.

During winter months, farmers will often spread manure on their fields, so that when the spring thaw arrives, the soil will receive good nourishment.

In spring, farmers will plow and till their fields to prepare them for planting crops. 

When summer comes, seed sown by the farmers are beginning to grow and they will keep an eye out for disease or insect damage.

By later summer, the crops are nearing harvest time and farmers have a good idea of how large their harvest may be.

In early fall the crops are taken in and the fields are barren until the next season arrives.

David certainly knew that God sent necessary sunshine and rains upon both good and bad people. 

As he thought about these things, the King was rightly overwhelmed and wondered how such an infinite God could be concerned with feeble creatures like us.

Why would holy God even bother with weak, sinful creatures like us?

Because of His great love for us that compels Him to meet our needs by providing food, clothing, shelter and protection.

The idea of visiting is as one friend who visits another friend. Remember, Abraham is called the friend of God and God spoke to Moses face to face. 

God was going to send His only begotten Son into the world, and this is the ultimate beauty of God visiting mankind.

Jesus came to live a perfect, sinless life and to suffer, die and be buried for us. He rose from the grave and returned to His Father for us!

Psalm 8:4-6  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 

Hebrews 2:5-9  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 

The writer of Hebrews applied these texts to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Son of God who visited us on this earth for 33 1/2 years.

He was born of a virgin, ensuring that God was His Father. 

He was made temporarily lower than the angels.

After Jesus' sufferings, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, He was crowned with all glory and honor (See Philippians 2:5-11).

The Father committed all judgment to His Son, whom He made ruler over all things.

1 Corinthians 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

The apostle Paul applied Psalm 2:8 to Jesus.

Psalm 8:6-8  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7  All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8  The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 

Jesus Christ is the Word of God which was with God and is God.

Jesus is the Word who made all things and gave life to all living things. (See John 1:1-4).

The Father has put all things under the authority of His Son.

All creatures including mankind, are subject to Christ and He upholds all things by the Word of His power (See Hebrews 1:1-3).

Psalm 8:9  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! 

As King David contemplated these things, he ended as he began this Psalm, by giving all glory and honor to God.

With good reason therefore does the psalmist conclude as he began. "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" 

We have been honored by the presence of mankind's Redeemer, and the world is still enlightened by His gospel and governed by His wisdom and power!

May these glorious truths of God and Jesus Christ settle our hearts and give us renewed strength to love and serve God as our highest priority.

Bob

Below is a link to YouTube containing Ron Hamilton's performance of a hymn he wrote based upon this Psalm.

https://youtu.be/RaXs7i3zcyg?si=AGFRAnbx0Km8eBn5