Our Excellent God Series

Psalms 8 & 9 are psalms of praise. I’m convinced that we do not praise God enough. The reason we do not praise Him is that we do not think much about Him & the reasons why He deserves our praise.

One of the purposes of the Bible in general & the Psalms, in particular, is to teach us the character & nature of God so that we will be led to praise Him.

David here used the word excellent to describe God. Our Excellent God.

I. HE CHOOSES THE FOOLISH THINGS (8:2)

A. God delights in confounding man by revealing His strength in the most unlikely ways

1. ILL. Still small voice (strong wind, earthquake, fire).

2. ILL. 12 disciples (not considered ‘great men’).

3. Jesus Christ Himself (humble beginnings, carpenter’s son).

4. His strength is made perfect in weakness.

B. God wants to use us in spite of our limitations.

1. He used a David though there were greater warriors.

2. I Cor 1:25-29

II. HE GIVES GREAT HONOUR TO MAN

A. By Visiting Him & Being Mindful of Him (8:4)

1. This is amazing in the light of our insignificance to creation (8:3).

2. God is more concerned about the man than any of His creations.

B. By Giving Him Dominion Over The Earth (8:6-8)

1. He is second in rank (authority) in God’s order (8:5).

2. Man was made the dominant creature of creation. God invested him with the authority to use creation for his purposes.

3. This is why Environmentalism finds little in harmony w/ Christianity:

a) It wants to give animals the same rights as humans.

b) It idolizes the creation but ignores the Creator.

c) If a man is smart he will not abuse creation b/c of the effect that it will have on man, not the effect it will have on creation.

III. HE BALANCES THE SCALES

Many people cannot accept that there is a God because of all the injustice they see. The good suffer and the wicked prosper. They reason that if there truly was a benevolent God, He would not allow such things to take place.

But the Christian, not only believes in God but can praise Him because, through the Word of God, he sees the big picture. He understands that though in this life there is injustice, God will ultimately balance the scales (9:7-8)

A. For The Righteous

1. He defended David (9:4).

2. He would defend the oppressed (9:9).

3. He would not forsake those who knew Him (9:10).

4. He would not forget the needy (9:18).

B. For The Wicked

1. His enemies would perish (9:3, 5-6)

2. He established the laws of sowing and reaping (v. 15-16)

a) Much suffering in the world is simply the result of sin.

b) ILL. Aids and disease from immorality.

c) ILL. Starvation from the idolizing of animals.

3. God gives evidence of His justice even in this life. However, God has reserved the afterlife to be the time when all injustices will be righted (9:17).

Let us never begrudge the time we spend thinking about the greatness of the LORD (Jehovah) who is our Lord, personally. And as we think, let us respond as David did in ...

Psa 9:1, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works.”