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)

If, Then

Romans 8:31-39

Dr. Edwin P. Elliott

I. Election Establishes Logical Propositions

A. Knowing the process of redemption gives the redeemed courage to boldly obey God. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)

B. Because God has done the greater, He can be expected to do the lesser, and there is no greater gift than the substitutionary atonement. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:6-10)

C. God’s atonement triumphs over every sin and failure. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” (Romans 8:33) “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17)

D. With the Savior on the throne of all reality, no one is in a position to bring charges against any believer. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)

II. For God’s People, Life’s Great Terrors No Longer Frighten

A. God’s demonstrated love is more powerful than life’s great difficulties. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35) “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

B. Christians boldly do what paralyzes non-believers because God’s promises are more certain than life’s disadvantages. “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Romans 8:36) (from Psalm 44:22)

C. In Christ, believers triumph over every problem confronting them. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

III. Examine Personal Terrors in the Light of Sovereign Grace

A. Paul lifted each of his challenges up for examination in the light of grace. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,” (Romans 8:38)

B. Nothing is great enough to undo God’s love in Christ. “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

C. Redemption from Egypt is the great pattern which illustrates how God works His purpose against the greatest force the world has to offer; God raised up pharaoh to put him down as a demonstration of Heaven’s concern for God’s people. “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?” (Exodus 9:16-17)

D. The unity of God the Father and Christ the Savior is too great for anyone to undo; the Redeemer, not the redeemed, guarantees eternity. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

Life Can Get Better

Psalm 115:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-31 / Psalm 94:1-23

Dr. Edwin P. Elliott, Jr.

I. God Demands New Life

A. Saved people must distinguish themselves from lost people. “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” (Ephesians 4:17)

B. The unredeemed are unable to understand reality; the minds of such people do not process truth. “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” (Ephesians 4:18)

C. When people lose the categories necessary for perception, they simultaneously abandon their fear of consequences and carelessly grow increasingly evil. “Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:19)

D. The saved and the unsaved function with conflicting mental operating systems so that unbelievers place the wrong meaning on what they experience. “They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:18-20)

II. God Causes New Life

A. God changes the way the Christian functions; grace reverses the effects of the fall incrementally. “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24)

B. God takes away old thought processes and replaces them with new ones. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

C. Jesus explicitly called on His disciples to give up what had failed, face the cost of faithfulness, and pattern after Him. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

D. Interaction with God’s word inevitably transforms people. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7)

III. New Life Displays Changed Thinking and Behavior

A. Moving from falsehood to truth is an essential first step. “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25)

1. Lying traces its family heritage to Satan. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

2. Truth is evidence of the presence of Jesus Who is Truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

B. Each bad behavior must be replaced with a righteous one; believers return good for evil. “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)

C. Part of what the new heart does is to identify what has been wrong in a believer’s life and then move in the opposite direction from vice to virtue. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” (Ephesians 4:28)

D. One of the identifying marks of a genuine Christian congregation is the way in which the community fosters this process through its associations. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)