Let us worship our God this morning through the preaching and hearing of His Word. And so I invite you to look with me at Psalm 8 this morning. Psalm 8. Technically speaking, we're about 30 weeks in advance here with Psalm 8. Our intention in our series through the Psalms is to take one psalm every six weeks. And so far we've only made it through Psalm 3. So we're skipping ahead a bit, but I think that given that tomorrow Christians around the world and in our culture even at large will be marking the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we're going to jump ahead and look at Psalm 8. I think this psalm provides particular insight into the incarnation and the Father's eternal purpose in sending Jesus Christ and Christ taking flesh and our nature upon Him for us and our salvation. And so Psalm 8 will be our passage this morning. Let us then look at it and let us give our ear to the voice of God speaking in the Scriptures. Psalm 8, to the choir master, according to the Gethse, a Psalm of David. Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have sent your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at 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? And the son of man that you care for him? yet You have made Him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned Him with glory and honor. You have given Him dominion over the works of Your hands, and have put all things under His feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. Amen. This is the Word of God and may God through His Spirit reveal His majestic name to us this hour. Well, as we come to Psalm 8 this morning, we come to a hymn of praise. Language here is beautiful, it's poetic, it's orderly in its arrangement, and it begins and ends with this same line, Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. This serves as kind of a chorus or a refrain in the hymn. Considering that, again, tomorrow We will remember the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think this psalm should remind us of the angelic host in Luke 2, when they sing to the shepherds. They appear and they praise God, saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. And they do this at the birth of Jesus Christ. This is a praise, a glorious pronouncement, a hymn, as it were, to the glory of God. However, at first glance, you might be wondering, what does this psalm have to do with Jesus Christ? Clearly, on the surface, this is a psalm of creation, right? Here, David talks about the great expanse of the heavens as the work of God's hands. and the prominent role that God has given man in creation, one who has dominion over the created realm and the animal kingdom. Most specifically, I think, we must say, this is a psalm about Adam, right? About the special role that God has given Adam in his creation. But also, when we look at it, we're gonna see that this is a psalm that doesn't just speak about creation, but David is reflecting on creation in order to build confidence in God's care for him. The center of this psalm is verse four. What is man that you are mindful of him? And the implication is, you are mindful of me. You do care for me. And so this psalm recounts the majestic glory of God revealed in creation, and it does so that we might be assured of God's fatherly care for us as well, as the Lord of His creation. However, at the same time, I want to urge you, we must not stop here. There's so much more to David's words here, so much more that we learn when we look at this psalm through the lens of the New Testament. Specifically speaking, this is a psalm that declares the glories of Jesus Christ. Here, we're going to see this psalm as a revelation of Christ as the God-Man. As the God who took on flesh and dwelt among us. As the Head and Ruler of all creation. As the One who has ultimate dominion over all things. And as the One whose name is majestic in all the earth. So with this in mind, I want us to look at this psalm from these two perspectives. First, we're going to look at this psalm and consider God's care for us in creation. But then secondly, we're going to look at this psalm and consider God's care for us in redemption. Those are our two points. God's care for us in creation. God's care for us in redemption. So first, then, let's dive into this and let's consider what does this psalm teach us about God's care for us in creation? Well, notice the structure of the psalm. The structure of the psalm itself tells us its main point. I mentioned this earlier. The first and the last line is the same. Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. This line serves as sort of a refrain or a chorus in the hymn. And every other verse in between this line, verse 1 and verse 9, every other verse is kind of expounding upon this one central theme. For example, think of some of our modern hymns. Think of the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. It has a chorus, right? And the lines expound upon the chorus, which is the main thought of the hymn. That's what's going on here in Psalm 8. Verse 1 and verse 9 are its main point, and everything in between is expanding upon what that means. So if we want to understand what is the point of this psalm, we must first determine what does verse 1 and verse 9 mean. So to answer this, what does this verse mean? Well, I want you to note that God's name is something that is uniquely His. How majestic is your name is what the verse sings or praises God with. And God's name is something that is uniquely His. Think about when God revealed his name to Moses in the burning bush. He revealed himself to Moses as saying, you know, I'm not like the gods of Egypt. I am the I am. I am Yahweh. This is God's revelation of Himself. And subsequently, all throughout the Old Testament, God's name is described as holy, right? As distinct, as set apart. And Israel is called to honor and revere that name. And of course, not to take the Lord's name in vain. And so, the name of God refers to God's revelation of Himself. Again, thinking back to Moses. The I AM is a revelation of His self-existence, of His aseity, of His independence, of His eternality. I AM the I AM. And so the name of God is synonymous with who He is in His might, in His power, in His eternality, in all of His attributes as the God over all. And so the point of this opening and closing refrain is essentially this. God has revealed himself in all the earth. He's revealed his character, his love, his care for mankind, his might. And all of this is revealed in creation. The created world manifests the majestic name of God. That is the... No, not the fire alarm. You need to turn the heat off. Hopefully everyone's comfortable in here. Sorry. The point of the psalm is that the created world manifests the majestic name of God. the splendid character, the might of God, the attributes of the living and true God resonate in the things that have been made throughout all the earth. Think of course of Romans chapter 1 where the Apostle Paul says this very same thing. He says in Romans 1 verse 20, God's invisible attributes, His eternal power, His divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. God's invisible attributes. Think about that. Think about that phrase. His invisible attributes have been clearly seen. It's kind of a paradox, right? Something invisible is clear to all. That's because His name, His glory, His majesty, His power is revealed in the created things in this world. The theological term for this is general or natural revelation. This is God's world. The universe bears the mark of its creator. And it reveals something to us about who He is. And all human beings know something about this God. All human beings instinctively know His existence, His character, His power, through the things that have been made. So this is what that opening and closing line is recounting. The fact that the majesty of God reverberates throughout all the earth in the things that have been made. But again, why does David say this? Why does he recount this? As I said before, he recalls God's general revelation of himself specifically in order to remind himself of God's special care for him. We see this, for example, right away in verse 2. It's a verse that we're going to come back to here in a few moments. But for now, notice that David is assured of God's protection to still or put an end to the enemy and the avenger. And he knows that. He's assured of that because of God's majestic name that's revealed in creation. God is just. He will put an end to evil. And thus, David finds strength. living in the midst of enemies, that God's name is majestic, and that He will still the enemy and the avenger. He will put an end to evil. Furthermore, we see this ratcheted up a little bit in verse 3. Again, recounting God's revelation and through creation as a means to give him confidence that God cares for him. Here he says, when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place. What's beautiful about this verse is that God's greatness is depicted as using his fingers to form the greatest thing in all creation. In other words, God doesn't have to even use his muscles. He doesn't have to use his shoulders for heavy lifting. The imagery here is of a potter with clay, with his fingers. Forming out of, you know, clay in a sense, like the work of a potter. Forming the stars. He's contemplating the vastness of the universe. He's saying he made these with your fingers? How big must you might be then? Must you be? He's awed and amazed. at God's greatness by looking at the vastness of the universe and the created realm. And so this leads to that question then, what is man? If the stars are small to him, if he doesn't even have to exert himself to create them, just has to use his fingers, right? What must we be then? How insignificant are we? But he doesn't ask, what is man that you are mindful of him with doubt or reservation. He asks this rhetorically in wonder and in amazement. What is man? Oh my goodness. And you care for him. Immediately here in verse 5, he answers his rhetorical question. He speaks of how man is the crown and center of God's creation. You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. In fact, the literal translation here is, you have made him a little lower than God. word here that the ESV translates as heavenly beings is actually Elohim, which is a generic name for God. Such an astounding statement that the Jews, when they translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, they translated it as angels or heavenly beings because they're like, this can't be right. But this communicates, brethren, just how lofty of a position that man was created to hold in God's creation. God created man in the image of God, thus crowning him with glory and honor, the image of his creator, unlike the animals. God gave men dominion over the entire created order. The animals of land and sea and air. Thus, man is God's vice-regent. The ruler that God set in place over His creation. And thus, given all of this, the psalmist here, David, he's in utter amazement. He's struck dumb, as it were, with God's infinite love and care for man. And he's singing these truths, not only to praise God, but to build up his own confidence and to remind himself that God cares for me. God cares for me. Soaking in the wonders of creation can go a long way towards encouraging us in times of difficulty. It's one reason why sometimes we just need to get away, right? We need to get out of the city. We need to go to a place of isolation and beauty like a forest or the ocean, the Grand Canyon. the glory and grandeur of God is displayed in such and we get our eyes off of ourselves and in our own little worlds and our perspective has changed we understand a little bit more about who God is we understand a little bit more about who we are we understand a little bit more about his fatherly care for us and for all of creation And so let us be reminded this morning of the majestic glory of God that is revealed in all the earth and so that we might too be assured of God's love for us as a Father and His care for us as well. But at this point in the psalm, you might begin to scratch your head a little bit. And rightfully so. We ought to begin to feel a little bit of tension here. with what's said, you might wonder where exactly is this glory and honor that man is crowned with? If we know the heart of man, if we know the evil that saturates our world, this really seems like kind of a stretch, doesn't it? even when thinking about this idea of dominion. I mean, yeah, we do exercise a measure of dominion over the created order, but this really is very limited dominion. The created order resists us. And ultimately, at the end of the day, the created world order ends up having dominion over us instead. We were created to conquer the dust, but instead, the dust conquers us. From dust you came, and to dust you shall return. Brethren, the reason why you ought to feel this tension with this wording here is because the psalmist isn't just looking back at creation. But he's longingly looking forward to redemption as well. And he's anticipating another Adam, another man who would come and accomplish where that first Adam had failed. And so in this respect, secondly then, let's consider that this psalm also teaches us declares to us God's care for us in redemption. God's care for us in redemption. Now, in order to see this, we're going to have to flip around a little bit. So, if you're able, I encourage you to take a Bible and follow along with me. I'm going to read the text, but it might be helpful for you to see them in their own context. But the first thing we ought to note just on the surface of this psalm is here in the refrain, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Again, just on the surface, we should notice that Lord, our Lord, if you're looking at the translation, the first Lord is capitalized while the second one isn't. And that's because there's two Hebrew words used here. There are two different Hebrew words. The first Lord here in Psalm 8-1 is Yahweh, God's covenantal name. While the second Lord, Lord our Lord, is Adonai, which is more of a title, like master, or proprietor, or sustainer, or giver. And so, of course, a very basic, fundamental fact when we look at the New Testament is that this is a title that is given to Jesus Christ. He is repeatedly called in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ. But even more so when we think about how the psalmist is using it. He's recalling what? God's lordship over His creation, as the one who cares for His creation. Well, again, our minds ought to run to Jesus Christ when we think about this. What do we read in John 1-2? Jesus, the Word, was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. If all things were made through Jesus Christ, then we must rightly say that Jesus Christ is Lord of all creation. Furthermore, if you have your Bibles, turn to Colossians 1, verse 16. Here the Apostle Paul again speaks in this language of creation, applying it to Jesus Christ, and of lordship of creation. He says in verse Colossians 1, for by Him, Jesus Christ, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Everything that was created began in Jesus Christ. Everything that exists is held together in Him. Everything that is created ends in Him as well. He is the fountain. He is the center. He is the cornerstone. He is the purpose. He is the end. He is the majestic beauty of all creation. He is the Lord of the created realm. Furthermore, think about in the New Testament how this name of the Lord Jesus Christ is often emphasized. Turn one book over to Philippians, one book back I should say, to Philippians chapter 2 verse 9. Again, we're thinking about, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name, your name in all the earth. And he says here in Philippians 2.9, therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. to the glory of God the Father. This is why in the book of Acts, the apostles, when they preached the Gospel, they said, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It's no accident that they're taking that phrase upon their lips for what it would have meant to a Jew familiar with the Old Testament and the reverence in the holy name of God They stand up and declare there is no salvation in no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Jesus Christ is the Lord of creation. He is sovereign over it. He Himself is God Most High and is the Head of creation. And because He is the name of God, the light of the world, the revelation of the fullness of God to man, because of this, Lord our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, speaks of Jesus Christ. And there's one more passage here in the New Testament. that nails this down with absolute certainty. Turn back to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 21. Here Jesus is in the temple after the triumphal entry. Palm Sunday and He's healing the blind. And in verse 15 we read this, When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were indignant and said to him, Do you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them, Yes, have you never read out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies? You have prepared praise. Brethren, as we read in Psalm 8, God has enemies even in the midst of His splendid creation. And the essence of what makes these people, these enemies, God's enemies, is the fact that they do not recognize the name of God. They do not recognize the revelation of Him. And we see then that here in Matthew 21, the enemies of Psalm 8 actually are identified as being those who oppose and reject Jesus Christ. They reject the revelation of God in the face of Christ. They reject the person and work of Jesus Christ as the light of the world and the sovereign over all. But yet, Jesus declares, what is it that silences them? What is it that stills the enemy, stops the enemy dead in his tracks? Well, it's not God coming in judgment on a white horse with a sword in His hand to slay the wicked. They are silenced by infants and babes, the weakest of God's agents. Those who take the name of God on their lips. And because of that, they have a strength greater than all of their enemies. Brethren, this is the beauty and simplicity of the preaching of the Gospel. The fact that the spoken Word of God is the majestic revelation of God in all the earth. should remind us that we ought to take the sword of the Spirit, the name of God on our lips, for it's through this proclamation of the name of God in the gospel that the realm of evil and Satan is conquered. The kingdom of God is built. It's in the spoken Word of God by the weak, by the lowly, by the ordinary, by the child of God. It's through this that kingdoms are conquered. And thus, the praise of the babes and infants in Psalm 8 is directed at the Lord Jesus Christ as He is the One. that Psalm 8 ultimately is referring to. But you know there's one last bit of tension here in this passage that we've got to address. If you've been paying attention you've probably noted that earlier I said that the Psalm speaks of Jesus as the second Adam. Right? As the man spoken of down in verse 4. But clearly the man in verse 4 here in Psalm 8 is set in contrast with who? The Lord of creation in verse 1. So if the Lord, our Lord, whose name is majestic in all the earth, whose glory is above the heavens, who has established strength through the babes of God taking the name upon their lips, then who is this man here in verse 4? That's what we have to answer. Well, brethren, that's the wonder and the beauty, the amazement. of the Incarnation. And it's a mystery that comes together in this psalm in a way that even David doesn't fully grasp. But this is the key to what this psalm is talking about. Turn with me one last time to Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2 5-9 where again the psalm is applied to Jesus Christ. There we read, Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, what is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him? You have made him for a little while lower than the angels. You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet. In putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him, but we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely, Jesus. crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone." And what we see here is that Jesus Christ is the true human being of God's creation. Jesus Christ is the true and final Adam. Jesus Christ is the Man who fulfills what Adam was originally created to be. Jesus Christ, because of His suffering, because of His death, because of His obedience, because of His resurrection, was crowned with glory and honor as spoken of here in Psalm 8. Jesus Christ is the one who fulfills our destiny. The destiny for which we were created, the destiny by which Adam failed to obtain because of his sin. This is why Colossians 1.15 speaks of Jesus saying that He is truly the firstborn of God's creation. Firstborn as in place of prominence. Head over all the created realm. Thus, this is a psalm about the glory that man was created for, but that because Adam failed, was only fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This, then, is how mindful God is of man, that the Lord of creation would lower Himself. And He would take on that very creation in flesh and blood, and not only this, but being found in the form of a man, He would humble Himself to obedience to the point of death, even on a cross. And it's because of this that God has exalted Jesus Christ and bestowed upon Him the name that is above every name. Jesus Christ is the One who has been given, as He said in the Great Commission, all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus Christ is the Head and Rule of all authority. Jesus Christ has been given dominion over all things. God has put all things under His feet and left nothing outside of His control. That's why I mentioned earlier in the hymn, Joy to the World, it speaks of all the creation being redeemed one day. The same thing that Paul speaks of in Romans 8, because although Jesus Christ has conquered spiritually, The full redemption, the redemption of our bodies and the full redemption of this created order still remains. And this is what this psalm anticipates and speaks of when it talks about even the animals being under His dominion. Brethren, let us see this morning that the ultimate purpose of Psalm 8 was to point us forward to the One who would come in fulfillment of what's spoken of here. The One who is both fully God, Lord our Lord, whose name is majestic in all the earth, but also One who is fully man as well. Let us look to creation and be reminded of God's power and wisdom and care for us. But even more so, let us look to Jesus Christ and His incarnation, to His life and His death and His resurrection. And looking to Him, let us be reminded of God's infinite love and care for our eternal salvation as well. We read it earlier in 1 John 4, 9. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This morning then, let us stand in awe and in wonder that God is so mindful of us, that He'd sent His own Son for us and for our salvation. You know, when you think about it, the Incarnation sets Christianity apart from every other religion. In no other religion does God do anything more than just tell His subjects what to do or what to become to earn His favor or to appease His wrath. In no other religion. Does the Creator God actually become a part of His creation in order to save His creation and to do what His creation failed and lost the ability to do, could not do, cannot do in and of Himself? That's what's so amazing about this passage. So amazing about the incarnation. It's not so much that God was made small, that is amazing, but also is the fact that humanity is made big. What is man that you are mindful of him? That you would take on his flesh and blood and his nature. Jesus Christ did not just become a man for 33 years. He is still a man right now at the right hand of God. He is a human being who lives in God's presence and who intercedes for us. And He will forever be a man. That's what's so amazing about the Incarnation. that the eternal God forever wed Himself to human nature for us and for our salvation. This morning, then, let us adore Him. Let us stand in amazement at the accomplishment of Jesus Christ, His status as the crown of God's creation, as the true man who sits at God's right hand, and let us to take this majestic name upon our lips, knowing that it's through our praise, through our proclamation of His Word, through singing the Word of Christ dwelling in us, that it's through this that He is glorified, that He is honored, that He is magnified, And through this that the enemy is conquered, including the enemy of our own sin that declines to us. And it's through this the kingdom, the kingdom of God is built and Satan's kingdom is abolished. This is a song about Jesus Christ. Let us love and sing and wonder at the glory of the God-man who is revealed here in this passage. By the grace of God, may He give us the grace in His Spirit to honor Him and to glorify Him as such today. Let's pray.