"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"
Psalm 8:9
Part 6 – verse 9.
Yesterday: The Lord’s Creation (8:6-8),
God Gave Man Dominion over the Creation
8:1 “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”
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.”
8:3-4 “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
8:5 “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.”
8:6-8 “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.”
Today: The Lord’s Majesty (8:9).
“LORD our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9, HSB[1]).
Now we come to the end of this majestic Psalm where David ends it as he began it. After meditating on the other 8 verses, we now have a greater understanding of our great God and His place as our gracious Creator. And our position before Him as His redeemed human creatures who are waiting to dwell with Him in glory is clear to us.
“O LORD our Lord.”
“The psalmist concludes as he began. Jehovah, our prop and support! His name is excellent in all the earth”[2] (Clarke).
“He has now demonstrated what he expressed in Psalm 8:2, that the name of [Jehovah] whose glory is reflected by the heavens, is also glorious on earth”[3] (K&D).
“How excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Our Lord’s name is known all around the circumference of this earth. However, it is not known by every person in the world at this time. Believers, our goal in life is to make our God famous over this entire planet. We want everyone to know Him.
“The name of Jesus is celebrated in almost every part of the habitable globe; for his, Gospel has been preached, or is in the progress of being preached, through the whole world. Bibles and missionaries are now carrying his name and proclaiming his fame, to the utmost nations of the earth”[4] (Clarke).
Interestingly, David’s Psalm is used several times in the New Testament to teach us the truth about the Messiah. Jesus, the Son of God, often called himself the “Son of man,” His favorite name for Himself. This name goes way back into the Old Testament Scriptures.
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:4).
“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself” (Psalm 80:17).
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him” (Daniel 7:13).
Let His excellent name be praised!
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all![5]
Jesus’ name, the Son of Man, is ancient, and yet it gives us wonderful truth as we see Him in the Bible. He is the Son of God, and the Son of Man has come to earth to save sinners. He is our Creator, Redeemer, and King. He is our Savior from sin and the Lord of our lives. When we see the glory of His creation, we need to remember all that He has done for us. The Son of Man has a beautiful name indeed.
Quote:
“There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the name divine,
The precious, precious name of Jesus.
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.” [6]
[1] HSB is the Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[2] Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 8:9.
The emphasis is mine.
[3] Keil & Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 8:9.
[4] Adam Clarke, ibid.
[5] This is the first verse of “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name” by Edward Perronet (1780). Tune: CORONATION (Holden). Copyright status: Public Domain.
[6] This is the first verse and chorus of the Gospel song, “Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know,” by Lela B. Long. Tune: LOVELY NAME. Copyright status: Public Domain.