Three Miracles That Took Place Immediately Following Christ’s Death…
Mat 27:50-54 – Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
“The Events That Accompanied Christ’s Death ”
THE INTRODUCTION:
In this small text from the book of Matthew, we find three very interesting happenings occurred at the same instant that our Lord died on the cross…
“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Do we appreciate the importance and miraculous nature of these occurrences? What can we learn about Christ and His work from them?
In this lesson we will be attempting to come to a partial understanding of these things realizing that we, as sinful mankind, can never come to a complete understanding of them this side of heaven.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Mat 27:50-54 –
(50) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
(51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
(52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
(54) Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
THE STUDY:
In Matthew chapter 27, we find three very interesting happenings occurred at the same instant that our Lord died on the cross…
- “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
To understand some of the lessons we can learn from these three great occurrences, it is important we include verse 54 in our study of verses 50-53…
“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
From this verse, we can see that these events brought glory and honor to Jesus to the eyes and mind of the Roman military leader (centurion). After seeing these things, he said “Truly this was the Son of God”, referring to Christ’s claims about His relationship with His heavenly Father.
By using this title, the Centurion was recognizing that these three events had accredited Christ’s claims of origin and divinity ….
Christ found His origin in heaven…
Joh 6:38 – “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
Christ was God Himself…
Joh 10:30-31 – “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”
The centurion had come to understand that this Jesus “Truly was the Son of God”, just as Christ had claimed…
Mat 16:15-17 – “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
But, for the Christian, the lessons that can be learned from these three events go much farther. In these miracles, we can see the purpose and results of Christ’s death on the cross.
The first of these miracles was the veil of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, for the first time ever, giving Jews unfettered access to the very presence of God (signified by the mercy seat in the holy of holies in the temple building).
- “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” – This speaks of Christ’s death giving sinful mankind access to God. The lost mankind, due to their sin, alienates them from a holy God. The shed blood of Christ on the cross, when a lost man comes to faith in Christ, covers their sin and gives eternal access to God. This is symbolically proclaimed when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom
- “and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” – An earthquake accompanies the Lord at many of His appearances to man on earth (Exo 19:18, Nahum 1:5, Isa 29:6). Why is this? Because when the great Lord visits sinful creation all the earth trembles at His presence (Psa 97:4). These principles help us to understand the truth behind the earthquake that took place at Christ’s death. It was at that point in time that God’s presence is clearly seen. As Christ completed His work on the cross, we saw both the wrath of God and the love of God being clearly brought into view. His wrath, as it took the life of Christ and His love, as Christ died for us.
- “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” – This speaks of the new life that Christ’s death has graciously supplied to sinful mankind. When the lost person comes to a saving faith in Christ, they begin to live a new earthly life in Christ and inherit eternal spiritual life to be enjoyed in this world and the one to come.
CONCLUSION:
The tearing of the veil, the earthquake and the resurrection of the dead, glorify and honor Jesus, showing us that He is the true Son of God. But we also have two of the great blessings of Christ’s work given to us… access to God and the new life we enjoy now and in eternity.
May we all bring honor to Christ, knowing that He was God Himself, who came from heaven to earth to on our behalf. May we understand that, as He hung on the cross, He was giving His life for us, and He was graciously bearing God’s wrath against our sins. In doing so, He was giving us permanent access to God and a new life to enjoy on earth and throughout eternity.
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We Are All Condemned Without Christ…
Eph 2:1-10 – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Ephesians 2:1-10 – “But God”
(Our Great Need Of Christ)
INTRODUCTION:
Over the years, through personal experience and observing the lives of others, I have seen fallen mankind’s absolute need of Christ clearly revealed. There can be no doubt that all of us, as a part of sinful mankind, is absolutely separated from God and unable to think, desire, say or do anything that is pleasing to God or glorifying to His name.
So, as members of fallen mankind, what can we do? How can we find peace and communion with God, when we are unable to do anything to purify ourselves or enter into fellowship with God of our own efforts?
We can do nothing to meet these great needs, “BUT GOD” can meet our every need!
In this lesson, we will be looking at what God’s Word teaches us about our great need of Christ and His wonderful grace. It is this very grace that enables fallen mankind to receive the forgiveness of sins, enter into His presence, please Him, and enjoy eternal communion with Him.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Eph 2:1-10
(1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
(2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
(3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
(7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
(8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
TODAY’S LESSON:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
All of mankind was conceived in a sinful, spiritually dead condition (Rom 3:23 & Rom 3:9), because of this, man is alienated from our perfectly holy God (Isa 59:2 & Micah 3:4).
Furthermore, due to the effects of sin in his life, mankind is much like a corpse. Just as a corpse can do nothing to regain the life that as once within it, likewise lost mankind can do nothing to restore spiritual life to its spiritually dead condition (Titus 3:4-7). This is why the above verse describes man as being “dead in trespasses and sins”.
If mankind was simply left to himself, he would continue in this sinful isolated state, never coming to an understanding of his own sinfulness, his isolated condition apart from God, nor his desperate need of Christ (John 12:39-40 & Rom 3:10-11).
But thanks to the Lord, He reaches down from heaven, intervenes in the heart of the lost man, and grants him spiritual life (2 Cor 4:6 & Acts 26:18 & Col 2:13). This is what is being referred to by the phrase “And you hath He quickened (given life)”
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
The writer of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul, describes the condition of every saved person prior to Christ’s intervention in their lives. By doing this he is teaching us that all mankind began “in the same boat”, we were ALL sinful, followers of Satan, with no hope of salvation within ourselves. This is the time period he is referring to by the phrase “in the time past”.
Paul describes the lost person’s lifestyle as following the path set by this sinful world and Satan (1 Cor 6:9-11 & Gal 1:4) when he states, “ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air”.
Lost mankind’s submission to the control of Satan and Satan’s activity in their lives is emphasized in Paul’s dual description of Satan: “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”. Folks, Satan is alive and actively intervening in the affairs of all fallen mankind on earth (1 Pet 5:8 & John 8:44). For us to denying his existence or his activity among us is to deny the very teachings of God’s Word, which in effect, makes God a liar (Rom 3:4). This cannot be.
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
None of saved mankind can be prideful, nor take credit for their own salvation (Rom 4:2 & Rom 3:27-28 & 2 Tim 1:9). We are clearly told in this verse that those who are saved through the Lord’s gracious intervention were equally sinful and separated from God as those who are not saved (Eph 5:8 & Titus 3:3-6). Paul clearly points to the lifestyle of the saved prior to their salvation experience when he says, “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past”.
Paul tells us that those who are saved were previously living according to our sinful longings, living to fulfill the evil determinations that come from our fallen nature and corrupt minds…”in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;”
Paul stresses the spiritually dead, sinful, guilty condition of the saved prior to their salvation when he says, “and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
“But God” these are the sweetest words that a lost person can ever hear…
“But God” this is the only hope for all of mankind who are spiritually dead and unable to please the Lord of their own merit.
If lost mankind was left to themselves, they would be condemned by their own actions, under the wrath of God, and without hope of redemption (Jer 13:23 & Rom 8:7-9). But with the gracious intervention of God, they can experience forgiveness, deliverance and fellowship with God. Our wonderful God is overflowing in mercy and incredible love for His people. Paul says it this way, “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith he loved us,”
His love is so great and His mercy flows so freely that even the chief of sinners could find forgiveness through His gracious intervention in their lives.
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Paul continues to address the saved and the wondrous change wrought in their lives through God’s grace. Even when the saved person was spiritually dead, the Lord saw fit to graciously grant him spiritual life (John 14:6 & 1 John 5:11). This is the “quickening” being talked about in the phrase “hath quickened us”.
The giving of spiritual life was given to us as a joint work of both God the Father and Christ (John 5:21). Spiritual life was given to us by our gracious Father, based upon the work of Christ on the cross, not our own goodness or works (Rom 5:21 & 1Pet 3:7)…”hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
The joint working of the Father and Christ does not end with the giving of spiritual life. His work continues in the life of the newly saved individual.
Paul talked about this continuing work when he said “hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places”. Based upon Christ’s work, the Father then raises the saved to a new lifestyle in Him (2 Cor 5:17 & Gal 6:15), and promises him an eternity of fellowship in the very presence of Christ (Rom 6:4-5 & John 14:3).
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Why does the Father and Son work together granting spiritual life, a new lifestyle and eternity with Christ to the saved? Is it because our inherent goodness obligates Him to do so? Or, perhaps, it is because, through our good works we have gained these great blessings?
Absolutely not! Paul tells us that “in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his kindness”. It is nothing in us that motivates the Lord to grant to us spiritual life (Isa 40:17 & Psa 62:9). It is all based upon His character and greatness.
Two of the great motivations in the heart of the Father that drives Him to grant spiritual life to us is His love for us and His desire to be glorified (John 3:16, 2 Thess 1:11-12 & Rev 5:9-15). He graces us with spiritual life so that His great gracious kindness will be seen, remembered, and celebrated throughout history. In other words, He did all of this for us so that He might be glorified and honored when we see, and experience His great love and grace in our lives.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Paul now explains how spiritual life is obtained by the lost individual. Since the lost individual lacks inherent goodness, and their good works cannot merit their salvation, how is it acquired? It is entirely based upon the grace of God, as we exercise faith in Christ (Rom 4:16)…”For by grace ye are saved through faith” .
But when we read this it seems to say that we are saved through a work that we do… an exercise of faith. However, Paul makes certain that we do not get confused about this issue. He tells us that the faith we exercise is “not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”. Even the very faith we exercise in Christ does not simply come from within us, but it is a gift that comes from the Father (John 6:27-29 & Rom 12:3). Therefore, in a very true sense, our faith is not a work we perform, but it is a work the Father performs in us.
Once again, we can see the wondrous grace of God as He gives to one who is destitute of saving faith, the gift of faith and the ability to exercise that faith. When we come to this knowledge it eliminates any possibility that we might boast about our exercise of faith in Christ.
This is why Paul then clearly states that saving faith in the individual is “not of works, lest any man should boast”
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Since our salvation is a work of God within us, our life is like a poem (“workmanship”) that is brought into existence through the work of Christ and and declares His glory through the good works of the saved (Eph 1:4 & Gal 5:22-26). This is the meaning of Paul’s phrase “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
Remember that in verse 7, we saw that God was motivated to save His people so that He might be glorified throughout the ages for His great grace and kindness. This same principle can be seen in this verse as well.
Paul tells us that the performance of good works by the saved person “God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Before the salvation of His people, in eternity past, the Lord chose that when He saved an individual, their lifestyle would change to a way of life that would bring honor and glory to His name. This helps us to understand that not only the very act of salvation, but also its effects in the lives of those saved, will bring honor and glory to God alone (Jer 9:23-24).
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
So what is a lost person to do? How can a lost person receive the forgiveness of sin and be the recipient of God’s wonderful grace?
We have that questioned answered in John 6:27-29…
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
As the Lord shows you the sin that is in your life, and the of forgiveness and deliverance from that sin, simply believe on Him.
Believe in Christ as the Divine Son of God (1 John 5:7).
Believe in Christ as the One who came to the earth and died on the cross to pay the price for your sins (Phil 2:5-9).
Believe in Christ as the Only Way of salvation (Acts 4:10-12).
Believe in Christ as the new Master of your life (Phil 2:10-11).
This is what the Lord has commanded each of us to do. As the Lord intervenes in our life, showing us our great need and working in our hearts, we are to turn to Him and trust in Him as our Lord and Savior. This is how we respond to the workings of God in our life.
What amazing grace to know that He can graciously intervene in our life and draw us to Himself as we respond in faith to Him (john 6:43-45).
As we come to an understanding of all these things, we can only come to the conclusion that “To God be the glory, great things He hath done”!
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Christ Is Given Dominion Over All!
Psa 8:1-9 – “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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:1-9 – “Christ In Psalm 8:” (Christ As Sovereign Lord)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. In this Psalm, David not only uses nature to glorify the Lord, but he also uses a series of prophecies of past events and the future event of Christ’s first coming as a tool to bring honor and glory to the Lord also.
In our previous devotions we have looked at the references to nature that David uses to bring honor to the Christ. Now, for the next three devotional lessons, we will be using David’s first coming prophecies and their fulfillment to bring added glory to Christ. The three prophesies we will be looking at is found in:
- vs. 3 – Christ as Creator
- vs. 4-5 – Christ as Man
- vs. 6-8 – Christ as Sovereign Lord
(Please note in our previous verse by verse study we’ve looked at the prophecy of Christ found in vs 2. Because of this, we are not looking at this prophecy in this study.)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
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.
Not only was man, prior to the fall, given rulership over the creation of God to use it, care for it and control it. But in a very special way, our Lord Jesus holds the position as Lord over all. This truth about Christ is brought out in many New Testament scriptures including…
Mat 28:18
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
1Co 15:23-27
“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet…. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.”
Rev 5:11-13
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
And many others.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, Jesus is not only Lord over the creation of God as a whole, but He is also Lord over each one of us as individuals. As our Lord, we all must stand before Him and give an account for what we have done in our lives…
Rom 14:9-12
“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
When we stand before the Lord, will we be able to stand innocently with the blood of Christ covering our sins? Or, will we stand with the guilt of our sins yet on our accounts? This is the great question we all must answer. The only remedy for our sins is the shed blood of Jesus Christ which covers our sins which is received through faith in Him.
If we are unsaved may we come to Christ by faith, trusting in Him as our Savior. If we are saved, may we share the good news of the gospel with the lost around us, trusting in the Lord to use our message to bring others to Him.
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Christ Was Made Man And Yet Held The Highest Glory and Honor!
Psa 8:1-9 – 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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:1-9 – “Christ In Psalm 8:” (Christ As Man)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. In this Psalm, David not only uses nature to glorify the Lord, but he also uses a series of prophecies of past events and the future event of Christ’s first coming as a tool to bring honor and glory to the Lord also.
In our previous devotions we have looked at the references to nature that David uses to bring honor to the Christ. Now, for the next three devotional lessons, we will be using David’s first coming prophecies and their fulfillment to bring added glory to Christ. The three prophesies we will be looking at is found in:
- vs. 3 – Christ as Creator
- vs. 4-5 – Christ as Man
- vs. 6-8 – Christ as Sovereign Lord
(Please note in our previous verse by verse study we’ve looked at the prophecy of Christ found in vs 2. Because of this, we are not looking at this prophecy in this study.)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
In our previous study, King David reminded us of God’s great grace in thinking about and intervening in the life of fallen, sinful, rebellious mankind.
However, when we look at the New Testament scriptures, we can see that God “visited” man in the person of Jesus Christ, as found in this description of God’s sending Christ to save sinful mankind…
Luk 1:68-69
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for HE HATH VISITED and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;…”
This thought continues in the next verse….
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
When we compare these verses to Hebrews 2:7-9, we can see that, once again, they clearly speak of Jesus at His first coming to the earth…
“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.”
Once again, we can see not only is David speaking of mankind being given a place of high honor above God’s creation, but also, it is prophetically speaking of Jesus Christ at His first coming to the earth to redeem sinners.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Christ’s humanity is described in great detail in Philippians 2:7-11…
“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Christ was made “in the likeness” of man so that He might be able to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of His people. This speaks to us of the great love and grace of both the Father and the Son. God the Father willingly gave His Son to be a sacrifice for us; while the Son willingly humbled Himself and gave His life for us.
This emphasizes the truth of God’s great loving grace which was shown to fallen, sinful mankind!
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Christ… The Creator Of All!
Psa 8:1-9 – 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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:1-9 – “Christ In Psalm 8:” (Christ As Creator)
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. In this Psalm, David not only uses nature to glorify the Lord, but he also presents to us a series of three truths about Christ that bring honor and glory to the Lord also.
In our previous devotions we have looked at the references to nature that David uses to bring honor to the Christ. Now, for the next three devotional lessons, we will be using David’s first coming prophecies and their fulfillment to bring added glory to Christ. The three truths we will be looking at is found in:
- vs. 3 – Christ as Creator
- vs. 4-5 – Christ as Man
- vs. 6-8 – Christ as Sovereign Lord
(Please note in our previous verse by verse study we’ve looked at the prophecy of Christ found in vs 2. Because of this, we are not looking at this prophecy in this study.)
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Normally, when we think of the Creator of this world and all that is in it, we think of God the Father. However, the Bible makes it plain that all three persons of the Godhead played an active role in this world’s creation:
- God The Father – Isa 64:8, Ephesians 3:9
- God The Son – John 1:1-3, John 1:10, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:2
- God The Holy Spirit – Job 33:4, Genesis 1:2
In a very general way, it can be said that God the Father planned the universe, Christ’s work brought it into existence, and the Holy Spirit gave creation the life that is within it.
Based upon this, when David talks about the world being “the work of thy fingers”, he seems to be speaking of Jesus work of actually bringing the world into existence. If we look at some of the verses that describes the work of Christ in creation we will see that The Father used Christ to bring about His plans of creation…
1Co 8:6 – “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, AND WE BY HIM.”
Eph 3:9 – “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, WHO CREATED ALL THINGS BY Jesus Christ:”
Heb 1:2 – “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS;”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Folks, in Psalm 8:3, we have seen Christ exalted as Creator of all things. The very same Lord that chose to come into this sinful world and redeem His people from their sins, is the very same Lord that we serve, and the very same Lord that will come again someday.
This is the very same Lord that created us and sustained us every day. May we all praise and honor the Lord for all He has done for us and may we continue to trust Him daily as we seek to lives our lives for Him.
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How Excellent Is The Name Of The Lord!
Psa 8:1-9 – “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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:9: The Excellency Of The Lord: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. By God’s grace alone, with hearts filled with reverence and awe, we will be seeing our Lord in all His glory as we look at nature around us.
As a result of seeing God’s greatness, we will also be reminded of man’s insignificance, and God’s great grace which grants to this insignificant man great honor and glory. May we all come to a greater understanding of His greatness, our insufficiency, and His great grace as we enter into this devotional series.
Lord willing, this devotional series (including this introduction) will be 10 lessons in length and will be looking at one verse per devotion.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
O LORD our Lord,
In this Psalm, David reminds us of some very important truths:
- “who hast set thy glory above the heavens” – His glory is displayed in the daytime and nighttime skies.
- “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.” – He uses the small and seemingly insignificant to bring honor to Himself and defeat His most powerful enemies.
- “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;” – The skies reveal His glory and His sovereignty as His plans from eternity past are brought to partial completion with the creation of the heavens.
- “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” – Based upon the Lord’s greatness, we must ask ourselves why He thinks about and makes the effort to intervene in our lives.
- “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” – Above thinking about man and intervening in his life, the Lord also created man in an exalted position of authority over, and respect from, God’s creation.
- “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:” – God gave mankind the great threefold responsibility over nature: to rule over, to use, and to care for nature
- “All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;” – Man’s authority over nature includes all earthly animal life.
- “The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” – Man’s authority also extended to all air and water life.
As we think on these things they establish the truth that the our God is Lord over all. He possesses Kingly rule; He is merciful and gracious; He is All powerful and wise; and finally, His glory can be seen in every areas of nature, which is His creation.
Based upon all of these truths, we can come to the certain conclusion that ….
how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
The Lord’s name (a reflection of His person and works) is “glorious”, “beautiful” and “worthy”. What David as just told us about the Lord proves it.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
When we started this study our desire was to recognize and meditate upon the greatness of our wonderful Lord, and then give Him praise for His greatness in our thoughts, words, and actions.
King David has certainly given us all the information we need to praise and honor our Lord throughout our lifetime! May we all praise Him throughout the rest of our lives!
This brings an end to our verse-by verse study of Psalm 8… but wait… there’s more. Not only does this Psalm bring us face to face with many of the wonderful glories of our Lord, but it also gives us three basic truths about Christ presented to us in this Psalm.
In the next three parts of our study, we will be looking at these truths about Christ as they were written by King David!
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In The Air And In The Seas …. Mankind Rules Over All!
Psa 8:1-9 – 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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:8: The Excellency Of The Lord: “Fowl…Fish… Whatsoever Passeth Through Channel Of Sea””
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. By God’s grace alone, with hearts filled with reverence and awe, we will be seeing our Lord in all His glory as we look at nature around us.
As a result of seeing God’s greatness, we will also be reminded of man’s insignificance, and God’s great grace which grants to this insignificant man great honor and glory. May we all come to a greater understanding of His greatness, our insufficiency, and His great grace as we enter into this devotional series.
Lord willing, this devotional series (including this introduction) will be 10 lessons in length and will be looking at one verse per devotion.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
Not only does man’s rule over the animal kingdom involve land dwelling animals but also the animals that dwell in the air and the seas. King David breaks these groups of animals down using the general terms:
- “the fowl of the air” including all the birds of the skies
- “The fish of the sea” – including all the many types of fish (both fresh and slat water)
- “Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas” – This would include any water life that is not classified as fish. Shrimp, crab, oyster, etc etc.
Once again we can see how all of God’s creatures, whether land, air or sea dwelling were given unto man to meet the needs of man, while caring and not abusing them.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
May we all thank the Lord for giving mankind the wonderful gift of nature and the rulership over it to supply all of mankind’s needs!
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All Animal Life Is Under The Rule Of Mankind…
Psa 8:1-9 – “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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:7: The Excellency Of The Lord: “All”
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. By God’s grace alone, with hearts filled with reverence and awe, we will be seeing our Lord in all His glory as we look at nature around us.
As a result of seeing God’s greatness, we will also be reminded of man’s insignificance, and God’s great grace which grants to this insignificant man great honor and glory. May we all come to a greater understanding of His greatness, our insufficiency, and His great grace as we enter into this devotional series.
Lord willing, this devotional series (including this introduction) will be 10 lessons in length and will be looking at one verse per devotion.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
As King David describes the creation over which mankind was given rulership. In this verse, and the following, he makes it plain that ALL of the animal kingdom was originally subordinate to mankind…
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
Please note, in the case of the sheep and oxen, David is describing animals that are used by man for:
- sheep -necessities for living (food, clothing etc)
- oxen – manual labor (plowing, bearing burdens etc.)
But David goes further. He then lists “beasts of the field” as also being placed under man’s control. This phrase speaks of “a mute, or dumb beast) in other words, those which are more strong willed, less likely to understand the commands of man, and therefore more difficult to control. This speaks of beasts such as (lions, bears etc) which are much more difficult to be tamed and used by man.
Based upon his list, King David names both domesticated animals and wild animals as being placed under man’s rulership.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Let’s take time to stop and consider the great blessing that the Lord has bestowed upon mankind… He created the animals found in nature for the express purpose of meeting the needs of mankind.
Throughout the centuries what would mankind have done without the use of animals to supply their food, clothing, mode of transportation and as the source of much power to labor in the fields and areas of industry?
Many, many of mankind’s absolute life necessities have been supplied by the animal kingdom throughout the years.
Then, stop and think about those animals which are very difficult to tame. Prior to the fall of man, they were completely under the control of mankind. What a sight it must have been to see the lions and bears obeying every command of Adam and Eve!
But also consider that even after the fall, the Lord has graciously reserved many species of animals to remain easily controlled and used by mankind. Following man’s rebellion against Him, He could have allowed all the animals to be wild and very difficult to control. How difficult would it be for man to attempt to use wool from sheep that are as dangerous as lions, or get milk from cows who are as uncontrollable as crocodiles!
However, He graciously reserved some of the animal kingdom to reamin soft-hearted and easily domesticated so that man’s need would continue to be supplied even after the fall.
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The Lord Gave Man A Blessed Position Of Rule Over Creation… Man Chose To Rebel !
Psa 8:1-9 – 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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:6: The Excellency Of The Lord: “Thou Hast Put All Things Under His Feet”
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. By God’s grace alone, with hearts filled with reverence and awe, we will be seeing our Lord in all His glory as we look at nature around us.
As a result of seeing God’s greatness, we will also be reminded of man’s insignificance, and God’s great grace which grants to this insignificant man great honor and glory. May we all come to a greater understanding of His greatness, our insufficiency, and His great grace as we enter into this devotional series.
Lord willing, this devotional series (including this introduction) will be 10 lessons in length and will be looking at one verse per devotion.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
King David continues to describe mankind’s position that they held prior to the fall…
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
The Lord gave to man authority to control and to rule over the Lord’s creation. This includes both ruling over, caring for, and using the Lord’s creation for mankind’s benefit. This is clearly brought out in Genesis 1:26-28…
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Please note the three-fold responsibility (and opportunity) that man was given over nature:
- He was to rule over (control) nature… “let them have dominion over” (vs 26); “and have dominion” (vs 28). In other words, bring it under man’s control.
- He was to use nature for his benefit… “and subdue it” (vs 28) in other words, to control for man’s use and profit.
- He was to care for it and not abuse it… “replenish the earth” (vs 28) in other words, cause nature to flourish, cause it to propagate.
thou hast put all things under his feet:
At creation, mankind was given a perfect type of ruler ship over God’s creation. Nature was his to use, not to abuse; nature was his to sustain him, not deplete him; nature was his to benefit him, not harm him; nature was his to aid him, not hinder him. This was mankind’s intended relationship to nature.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
This is the type of rulership over nature for which mankind was originally created. Sadly, this perfect type of rule was lost in the fall of mankind…
Man no longer possess a perfect type of dominion over nature. Now, many times, nature depletes man; it harms him, and hinders him… all of this is taking place while mankind is abusing nature and wastefully depleting it to satisfy his own selfish lusts. These are all results of mankind’s choice to rebel against the Lord in the Garden of Eden.
After the Lord gave to mankind the blessing of exaltation over His creation, mankind responded by choosing to rebel against Him. In spite of mankind’s rebellion against Him, the Lord still has chosen to look down to mankind, showing them mercy and personally intervening in their lives. In doing so, He gives to them the understanding of their need to repent and grants them faith in Him.
What a wonderful Lord we serve!
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Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com
God Made Man To Rule Creation, Man Chose To Rebel And Placed Under Sin’s Bondage.
Psa 8:1-9 – “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. 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. 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? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 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. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Psalm 8:5: The Excellency Of The Lord: “For Thou Hast Made Him… And Crowned Him”
INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:
Psalm 8 is a wonderful Psalm that was written by King David with the central purpose of praising the Lord for his greatness as revealed to us in nature. By God’s grace alone, with hearts filled with reverence and awe, we will be seeing our Lord in all His glory as we look at nature around us.
As a result of seeing God’s greatness, we will also be reminded of man’s insignificance, and God’s great grace which grants to this insignificant man great honor and glory. May we all come to a greater understanding of His greatness, our insufficiency, and His great grace as we enter into this devotional series.
Lord willing, this devotional series (including this introduction) will be 10 lessons in length and will be looking at one verse per devotion.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Psa 8:1-9
(1) 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.
(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.
(3) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
(4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(5) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
(6) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
(7) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
(8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
(9) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
Mankind was originally created with a fleshly, human nature that places them lower than the angels who only possess a spiritual nature. This is the same fleshly, human nature that was given to Christ at His incarnation (Heb 2:9).
Both man and Christ (due to their human nature) entered the world CAPABLE of sin. However, mankind willingly committed sin (1 Tim 2:13-14), while Christ successfully opposed sin in His life remaining sinless (Hebs 4:15).
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
God not only made man with a human nature, but he also made man with “glory” (authority and influence) over the rest of His creation, and “honor” (beauty and respect) from His creation. God made man with a perfect rule over His creation, with creation perfectly obeying man.
Originally, in the Garden of Eden, the creation was in perfect harmony with mankind. Adam and Eve were not faced with animal attacks or animal disobedience to man’s commands, etc. Mankind held authority over God’s creation and creation respected their authority with perfect submission to their commands.
After God had made mankind in an exalted, honored position, but due to mankind’s choice, all of this changed at the fall. No longer did mankind perfectly rule, but now his rule was corrupted and only partially obeyed by creation. All of this lies at the doorstep of mankind. Mankind is fully responsible for this great change…
Ecc 7:29 – Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Psa 14:1-3 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
In this verse David has reviewed the origin of mankind, their human nature, and their exalted position over creation.
He was created perfectly, yet capable of sin due to his human nature. Although placed in an exalted position over nature, he chose to rebel against God which resulted in his fall.
By understanding this, we can see the Lord’s grace in saving mankind emphasized once again. God made man perfect, man chose to disobey God, and yet God saw fit to intervene and save those who had chosen to rebel against Him!
He has graciously intervened in our lives, saved us and watches over us… even though we chose to disobey Him and mock the very blessings and exalted position we received at creation.
What a wonderful Lord that we serve!
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