Day 12 – Psalm 8 – Our Majestic Creator

I. Read Psalm 8.

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.

¹Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
²Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
³When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

⁵You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned themwith glory and honor.
⁶You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:
⁷all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Introduction – This psalm is overtly musical. It contains a musical directive at the beginning in its instruction from the director of music to use the instrument called the gittith for accompaniment. It seems to have originated in Gath. The ancient Targums (Aramaic version of the Psalms) says, “For praise, on the lyre that he brought from Gath.” David praises God and prophesies of Christ with a Philistine musical instrument. David incorporates instruments from other nations into his musical praise (1Chr. 23:5). Some scholars think this might be an ancient stringed instrument, possibly an ancestor to our modern guitar. How delightful it is that these psalms can be authentically performed with complex musical arrangements (i.e. Psalm 150), with simple accompaniment (such as this psalm), or even without a simple vocal expression. This psalm is about worship. It begins with a phrase of worship, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Sandwiched in between these phrases is great truth about who God is and what He has done. Take the time each day to offer your voice to Him in worship as you sing the psalm of that day. It is not the grandness of your music or your voice that pleases Him. It is the outpouring of your joy in worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

Answer these questions in your own words:

How do you see the character of God in creation?
Why is God interested in “all the earth” recognizing the majesty of His name?
Why should the God who created and sustains all things desire to be mindful of you?
How should we respond to the initiative of this creator God who approaches us for relationship and fellowship? What are some ways that you can personally respond to Him?

II. Pray Psalm 8. Write out a short prayer expressing your response to this psalm.

III. Sing Psalm 8. Worship the majestic creator of the universe by singing this psalm. Listen to or download this version of Psalm 8.

Sing metrical version of this psalm to the tune of O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

1 O God our Lord, how wonderful are thy works ev’ry where!Thy fame surmounts in dignitythe highest heav’ns that are.2 E’en by the mouth of sucking babesthou wilt confound thy foes;For in those babes thy might is seenthy graces they disclose.3 And when I see the heav’ns above,the work of thine own hand,

The sun, the moon, and all the stars

in order as they stand;

4 Lord what is man, that thou of him

tak’st such abundant care!

Or what the son of man, whom thou

to visit dost not spare!

5 For thou hast made him little less

than angels in degree;

And thou hast also crowned him

with glorious dignity.

6 Thou hast preferred him to be lord

of all thy works, and thou

Hast in subjection unto him

put all things here below.

7 As sheep, and neat, and all beasts else

that in the fields do feed,

Fowls of the air, fish of the sea,

and all that therein breed,

8 O God our Lord, how excellent

is thy most glorious Name

In all the earth! Therefore do we

praise and adore the same.