It begins … In the space of five verses, the second reading for Trinity Sunday mentions God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Amazing! There are many potential sermons on Psalm 8, of course, as with any text. The Pharisees tell Jesus that it’s not right for the children to be calling him the Son of David – the coming king. You have set your glory in the heavens. MARTIN LUTHER’S PSALM Psalm 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 138 – God’s Promise to Honor His Word and to Complete His Work. The problem, as we have heard often, is that one generation’s “dominion” becomes a later generation’s exploitation, and woe to the earth and woe to us if we think the psalms gives us license to do whatever is now in our power to ravish the earth and use up its resources. Daily Bible Reading - Psalm 36. What’s in a name? Commentary & Application for Psalm 30. Related Videos. Commentary, Psalm 85:8-13, W.H. John Trapp Complete Commentary. The psalm paints the picture of a soul searcher standing alone at night, staring up at the vast expanse of the universe and overcome by a haunting question. Now, let me briefly cite the places where this psalm is used in the New Testament. Commentary & Application for Psalm 16. 2Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety — I owe not my safety to my own valour or wisdom, nor to the courage of my followers, but to thee only. . In Psalm 8 it is impossible to tell the exact intention. Psalms 8. What is man, so mean a creature, that he should be thus honoured! The God who made all things is the only one worthy of the name that is majestic in all the earth (vv.1, 9). Lutheran_Commentary Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t75t60z49 Ocr ABBYY FineReader 9.0 Ppi 600 Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.4.2 Year 1895 . He simply begins and ends the psalm by declaring how majestic (kingly) God's name is in all the earth. This second section of the psalm seems to expound on verse 1a, but what exactly does it intend to say? First, it is the first hymn one encounters when reading the Psalms straight through. We may be all the more awed by our expanded sense of universe, giving greater praise to God, or some of us might find the notion of God quaintly irrelevant given our “greater” understanding. In other parts of the Old Testament the Israelite king is described in similar ways. 6:05. Many of my favorite songs are simple melodies that call out the name of Jesus. Now, instead of an isolated “me,” viewing a distant universe in existential anxiety, “I” (C) stand surrounded by the gracious and protecting works of God (B/B’) and the congregation gathered to sing God’s praise (A/A’). From above God subdued chaos and made the world with order and regularity. We're … Psalm 8 is the first psalm of praise in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 8, like Genesis 1:1-2:4a, seems to present all humans in the royal office. Most of us are so used to being more or less well off and more or less comfortable that we have difficulty hearing the text from the margin, from the perspective of the underdog or the endangered. It is a hymn of praise throughout, expressing wonder that Yahweh has made people “a little lower than God” (v. 5) and “ruler over the works of your hands” (v. 6). We have power, to be sure, but God-like power will abuse nothing. Psalm 8 has a rather clear concentric structure: A O Lord, our Sovereign… (verse 1a) B You have set your glory… (verses 1b-2) C When I look… (verses 3-4) B’ Yet, you have made… (verses 5-8) A’ O Lord, our Sovereign (verse 9). More specifically, it is a panegyric on human excellence (Psalm 8:4-6) couched within a pious frame (8:1a, 9). "O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the earth!" It is proposed for proof ( v. By repeating the words at the end the whole psalm is given a structure that calls attention to God’s sovereignty. Psalm 8 is like one of those ornate bridges. The psalms that immediately precede it are prayers spoken by people who are suffering or who are persecuted (Psalms 3-7). Related Videos. The bridge arching across the rough ground is where the glory of God is revealed in time and space. What is the connection between wisdom and joy? It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God’s name. There are many examples of this type of psalm in the book of Psalms (for example, Psalms 93, 136, 150). The dominion of humans extends to all living creatures. That work is worthy of praise! It's something that song. He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of us. 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