The Excellent Name of God

Psalm 8

Dr. Edwin P. Elliott

I. God Is the Greatest by Any Standard

A. David raises the question which comes to any mind which considers God. “To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1)

B. History repeatedly demonstrates the greatness of God. “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” (Psalm 72:17-19)

C. Grace is a mighty work and a wonder. “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” (Isaiah 29:14)

D. Wisdom cannot function or endure apart from a foundation in God. “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:19-24)

II. Mankind Is Evidence of God’s Greatness

A. Tiny children demonstrate God to the watching and accusatory world; children saw in Jesus what the religious leaders of the day could not see. “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.” (Psalm 8:2) “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:15-16)


B. People can only be happy when seeking God; man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever. “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” (Psalm 63:1)

C. Little children often understand God better than the wise folk who have learned not to believe. “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Matthew 11:25)

III. Space with Stars and Planets Glorifies God

A. The universe testifies to the Creator and to His character. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;” (Psalm 8:3) “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” (Hebrews 7:26)

B. Patterns displaying the Creator’s marks appear at all levels of reality. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20)

IV. Man Is the Most Instructive Evidence of God’s Greatness

A. Something about humanity interests God and that in turn tells something about God; as Calvin suggested, the study of God leads to man and the study of man leads to God. “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:4)

B. The incarnation of Christ and His death on the cross reveal the marvelous mind of God; the interpretation appears in Hebrews. “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” (Psalm 8:5) “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:6-9)

C. Man’s spreading dominion over creation speaks more of God than of mankind; creation is structured, integrated, and purposeful. “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:” (Psalm 8:6)

D. Every individual item of creation entrusted to mankind points back to the Creator and His inexhaustible mind. “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.” (Psalm 8:7-8)

V. The Study of God Leads from Him to Him

A. By any measure God is above all. “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)

B. Every genuine investigation of reality ultimately returns to God. “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” (Psalm 104:24)