Psalm 8 – Praise God’s Name

Reading Time: 6 Minutes

Psalm 8 is the first hymn of praise in all of the Psalms. It follows five Psalms where the speaker appeals to God for help. It follows the last verse of Psalm 7 and gives us confidence in the God to whom we pray.

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. (Psalm 7.17)

One thing we can gain by praying slowly through the Bible is the ability to notice words. Psalm 7 ends in praise to the NAME of the Lord.

Psalm 8 begins by praising the majestic NAME of God.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8.1)

A name is more than a label to describe someone. It represents the person’s character. God’s name is displayed by his creative words and his works.

The Bible is a masterpiece of unity. In this instance Psalm 8 is a song of praise that corresponds to the story of creation in the first chapter of Genesis.

Who is the One to whom we pray? He is the One who spoke and the universe came into being. We can be filled with confidence when we pray to God in the face of trials and difficulties.

Who Are We?

Jesus knew the reality of who we are. He said we are “poor in spirit,” “in need of comfort,” and “vulnerable” (Matthew 5.2-5).

Psalm 8 pictures our weakness as that of an infant, but tells us that God will use our prayers to form a bulwark or fortress of protection.

Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8.2)

God’s NAME or character is demonstrated by his care for his children, who call out to him for help.

Jesus told a parable to encourage people to keep on praying. He described a widow who kept coming to a judge for justice and finally prevailed. He interpreted the parable like this, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them” (Luke 18.7-8).

Trusted Representatives

Psalm 8 marvels at the role God assigns to people like you and me.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8.3-8)

Do you remember the last time when you gazed into the night sky? Marvel at the fact that God created the entire universe. Then, realize that human beings have a status that is a little lower than God.

Who are we?

We are officials in the administration of God’s kingdom. We are under God’s dominion, but are given a place in his rule. The sheep, oxen, beasts, birds and more are simply a roll call of the responsibility God has given to us.

Ruling involves responsibility. Glory belongs to the ruler, but ruling is for the benefit of the ruled.

A Frame of Praise

The praise of God is like a frame of a beautiful picture. Just as the Psalm began in praise, it ends in the worship of our majestic God.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8.9)

We find ourselves within the frame. We are weak, vulnerable, and needy in comparison with the universe and before the problems we face. Yet, our prayers are powerful. They connect with our mighty God, who uses them to defend us and to lead us in our service.

Praying Psalm 8

As I have been using the Psalms in my daily prayer time, I have been challenged by my lack of faith. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I am telling the truth.

For example, Psalm 3.2 says this:

Many are saying to me,
“There is no help for you in God.”

There are some people and issues that seem beyond help. I have to challenge myself to believe that my prayers will make a difference in their lives.

Psalm 8 reminds me of two things. First, I am one of God’s representatives on earth. Even though I may be weak in faith, God can and will use my weakness to bring about protection and benefit to the world.

Second, this Psalm reminds me that I am speaking of the Lord of all creation. I may be small, but so are my issues when they are compared to all that God has created. As I bring them to God, he is perfectly able to super and abundant beyond all I may ask or think.

For a final thought, let’s remember that human ruling is only appropriate when we are connected to God through worship.

May We Pray For You

Please email me at bsprad49@gmail.com or private message me on Facebook. Maywood Baptist Church has a prayer team that would be honored to receive your prayer requests. I will pray for you and send your requests to the team.