This
Psalm is a hymn of praise. It proclaims the glory of the Lord in His
creation. The focus is not so much on the glories of nature. The great
theme is the glory of Him who created nature. The Psalm begins and ends
with the praise of God – “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in
all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (v. 1); “O
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (v. 9). The
whole Psalm is filled with the fear of God and joy in God. The words of
verse 2 – “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained
praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” –
are quoted in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – “Do you hear
what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus,
“have you never read, ” ‘From the lips of children and infants you have
ordained praise’?” (Matthew 21:16). The reference to “children and
infants” refers also to those who are without spiritual learning since
they have not received spiritual instruction. How are we to receive real
spiritual understanding? Each of us must become a babe in Christ by
being humble before God, our Creator and Redeemer. The way of humility
is the way in which we come to a proper understanding of God and
ourselves – “When I consider 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, the son of man that you care for him?” (vs. 3-4). In
verse 3, the emphasis is upon God rather than nature. This leads us on,
in verse 4, to the question, “What is man?” This question is grounded
in the question, “Who is God?” – ” Who is a God like you, who pardons
sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again
have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all
our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19). How are we
to come to a right understanding of ourselves? We must not come to God
as know-it- alls. We are to come to Him as worshippers. We learn, from
this Psalm, that God’s revelation and our self-understanding are
intimately related. The revelation of God enlightens our
self-understanding. A true understanding of ourselves cannot be achieved
if God is disregarded. By faith, we see ourselves from God’s
perspective. He is our Creator. We are His creatures. We learn, from
this Psalm, that God is midful of us. He cares for us. He is gracious
towards us. He loves us. How are we to respond to God, our Creator? – We
come, with awe, before His majesty. We come, with joy, because of His
love. From verses 5-8, we learn that human dignity is a gift of God.
This isn’t a song of praise to man. It’s a song of praise to God – “Let
him who boasts, boast of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). May God help us
to worship Him with both awe and joy. As we rejoice in the Lord, let us
not forget that He is the awesome God. As we bow before His majesty,
let us not forget His love. Remembering how much He loves us, our hearts
will be filled with true and lasting joy.
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