The Lord’s Name Is Excellent

INTRODUCTION: This psalm closes as it begins with the declaration: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” This statement sets the theme for the entire psalm. God establishes His excellence by His working with and blessings to mankind. Much of this psalm looks back to creation and to man’s original place there.

1. BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS (Psalm 8:1, 9)
1. He Is the Lord O LORD.
1. He is the God of absolute power.
2. He is the God to whom we pray.
2. He Is Our Lord our Lord.
1. He is the God of personal interest.
2. He is the God we claim as our own (Psalm 63:1).
3. The Name of the Lord how excellent is thy name
1. His name is His reputation, and character (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1).
2. His name is excellent: great, honourable (Psalm 148:13).
3. His name fills the earth (1 Kings 8:60; Psalm 48:10; Psalm 72:19).
4. The Glory of the Lord thy glory
1. His glory is His majesty and splendor.
2. Glory refers to:
1. Size: He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10).
2. Rarity: There is none other: I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me (Isaiah 45:5).
3. Beauty: Declared by the heavens (Psalm 19:1)
3. The earth cannot contain His glory; it is above the heavens (Psalm 57:11).
2. BECAUSE HE USES MAN (Psalm 8:2)
1. The Instruments of His Work
1. The weakest beings
1. Babes and sucklings
2. God makes a practice of using the weakest to do the greatest so that His glory may not be stolen (1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
2. The most wicked instrument: the mouth
1. God uses that part of man most prone to disobedience (James 3:2-8) as the instrument of His work on earth (Romans 10:14-15).
2. God does His greatest work with the wordnot with the sword (Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 1:3; Romans 10:8-10).
3. God has ordained strength; that is, He has established that the words of the weak will be used with great power (1 Corinthians 2:3-4).
4. Jesus quoted this passage as Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise (Matthew 21:16).
2. The Reason for This Method because of thine enemies
1. God uses the weak to bring glory to Himself.
2. God uses the weak to still the enemy.
1. To still is to make quiet and motionless; to remove from activity.
2. This points to the Devil (Psalm 44:16).
1. He is the enemy (Matthew 13:39).
2. He is the avenger; that is, he seeks revenge against God because of his loss of position and glory. His vengeance is practiced on man (Genesis 3:1-5; Job 1:9-11; Revelation 12:10).
3. BECAUSE HE CARES FOR MAN (Psalm 8:3-4)
1. Despite the Greatness of God (Psalm 8:3)
1. His greatness should be considered.
2. His work is delicateas done with fingers (compare to a watchmaker).
3. His work shines in the night.
1. The moon (Psalm 89:37)
2. The stars
4. His work is ordained; that is established (Proverbs 3:19; Jeremiah 10:12).
2. Despite the Weakness of Man (Psalm 8:4)
1. What is man?
1. The Bible asks the question six times (Job 7:17; Job 15:14; Psalm 8:4; Psalm 144:3; Ecclesiastes 6:11; Hebrews 2:6).
2. This question points to his weakness, uncleanness, unworthiness, etc.
2. The psalmist is amazed.
1. That God is mindful of worthless man (Psalm 115:12)
2. That God would visit man (Exodus 4:31; Psalm 106:4; Luke 1:68)
3. The son of man points to Jesus Christ.
1. This phrase can refer simply to those born of men (Psalm 146:3).
2. However, it is also a title of Christ (Proverbs 30:4; Matthew 8:20); the title is used 87 times in the New Testament.
4. BECAUSE HE GIVES MAN GLORY (Psalm 8:5)
1. Made a Little Lower than the Angels
1. The angels are Gods special ministers (Psalm 103:20; Hebrews 1:14).
2. Yet man was created to be only slightly below them.
2. Crowned with Glory and Honour (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:14)
1. Crowned by God
2. Crowned with glory (Isaiah 43:7) and honour
5. BECAUSE HE GIVES MAN DOMINION (Psalm 8:6-8)
1. Dominion Is Stewardship (Psalm 8:6).
1. Creation is the work of Gods hands.
2. Man has dominion only by the choice of God.
3. Therefore, man is responsible to God as a steward (Luke 16:2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 4:10).
2. Dominion Is Rulership (Psalm 8:6-8).
1. All things under his feet (Psalm 8:6) - points definitely to Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22)
2. Over all the creatures (Psalm 8:7-8; Genesis 1:26-28)
6. BECAUSE HE SENT HIS SON (Psalm 8:4-6; quoted in Hebrews 2:6-9 where the connection of Christ is unmistakable)
1. Made a Little Lower than the Angels
1. Incarnation (Hebrews 2:7, 16)
2. Crucifixion (Hebrews 2:9)
2. Glorification
1. All things put under His feet (Hebrews 2:8; Ephesians 1:22)
2. Crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:9; Acts 2:31-33; Philippians 2:9-11)

CONCLUSION: Truly, God’s name is excellent in all the earth. How we should praise Him with our lips and honour Him with our obedience!