“He Gave Me a Song!”

Scripture: Matthew 21:6-13

C.I.: God's Majesty Revealed in His Creation of Man

When 1 st Century song leaders said, “Open your songbook” – they reached for Psalms ( Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16 ).
Some songs are sad, some are joyous, and some are filled with awe & praise. – Today's is one of those!!!

•  PSALM 8 : God's Power & God's Love Meet in Man

•  The Majesty of God Requires No Grand Endorsement (verses 1-2)

• We live in a society – where people want to know what others say – before they commit to something.

• Many of the commercials trumpet – what personalities say about a product – so we will buy.

• Political candidates are endorsed by celebrities – so that the people who like them – will vote.

• Sadly, there are a lot of people – who make their decisions on the basis – what others might say!

• ( v. 1 ), “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, - who has displayed Your splendor above the heavens!”

•  “Name” = Refers to one's nature & attributes.

• The Jews were warned about using God's name – in a frivolous fashion ( Ex. 20:7 ), “You shall not…, - for the Lord will not leave him unpunished – who takes His name in vain.”

• First “Lord” = Jehovah (“I AM”) – ( Ex. 3:14 ), “I AM who I AM, thus you shall say….” Second “Lord” = Adonai; ruler, sovereign, master.

• Thus, God's majesty is seen in all His attributes; ( Isa. 6:3; 9:6; etc. ) – Jesus said, ( Mt. 6:9 ).

• God's “majesty” is not only seen in the “Whats” (His attributes) – but also in the “Wheres”!

•  “…in all the earth” - “…above the heavens” - ( Rom. 1:20 ), “For since the creation….”

• Thus, as we approach in song/psalm - the glorious throne of God – let us never forget the awesome majesty of Him – who gives us this wonderful privilege!!!

• ( v. 2 ), “From the mouths of infants and nursing babes – You have established strength, - because of Your adversaries, - that You might silence the enemy and the revengeful.”

• Though God needs no endorsement – He empowers even the smallest faith – that speaks for Him!

• The power isn't in the size of faith – but size of Him…! - ( Matt. 17:20 ), “If you have faith…”

• Would you put something of great value in a clay pot? – GOD DID (His power & majesty).

• ( II Cor. 4:7 ), “We have this treasure in earthen vessels – that the surpassing greatness…

• ( II Cor.12:9 ), “God said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly then I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power…

•  ( Phil. 4:13 ), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

• (Fulfilled in Scripture Reading), After Jesus entered into Jerusalem… – ( Matt. 21:15-16 ), “But when the chief priests & scribes saw the wonderful things He had done, - and the children were crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,' – they became indignant and said to Him, ‘Do you not hear what they are saying?' – And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; and have you never read, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have prepared praise for Yourself”?'”

• God's children fulfill this verse everyday – as we humble ourselves before the power of God!!!

•  The Vastness of the Heavens Against the Smallness of Man (verses 3-4)

• ( v. 3 ), “When I consider Your heavens, and the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars which You have ordained…”

• David calls them “God's heavens.” – It is amazing that 3,000 years ago – David looked up and knew that the heavens belong to God as His creation – yet today people can look up into that same cosmos – believing it all came about due to blind, random chance. – No wonder David says, 14:1 .

•  “…work of Your fingers” = the detail, skill and intricacy that went into the creation!

• ( v. 4 ), “What is man, that You take thought of him? – And the son of man, that You do care for him?”

• Synonymous Parallelism: The second line builds upon the first …!

• Man compared: His lifespan on earth is miniscule compared to the age of the stars – His size is infinitesimally small when compared to the size of the moon – The works of man's hands are clumsy and simplistic when compared to the cosmic design of God – The sin of man is abhorrent when compared to the Majestic Name of God…!!!! – SO WHAT IS MAN???

• Yet God does care for us greatly!

• The depth of His care was not fully seen in David's day – though even then it was incredible.

• But the lengths to which God has gone – to demonstrate His love for us – incomprehensible!

• After quoting from this Psalm – the Hebrew writers says, “We do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus,- because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” ( Heb. 2:9 )

• What an amazing thought – the same God who created the heavens – willingly chose to die in our place – so that we could forever live with Him!

• It is this act of love that we remember each week – when we partake of the Lord's supper!

•  The Majesty God has Bestowed upon Man (verses 5-9)

• We have Majesty due to our Creation (v. 5)

• ( v. 5 ), “Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and did crown him with glory & majesty.”

•  “Made him” = at the creation ( quote Gen. 1:26a ), “Then God said, ‘Let us make man….'”

•  Thus the “glory & majesty” with which we are crowned – come from being created in His image ( cf. v. 1 )¸ “How majestic is Your name” – so the majesty is not of us – but are of Him!

• How is your self-image? – Have you bought into the world's lie? – Are you a “Just a …”? – Next time someone asks – tell them, “I am someone who has been created in God's image and crowned with glory and majesty!” – They may look at you funny – but they will never see you the same!!!

• Instead of living down to their expectations – we should all be seeking to live up to His!!!

• We have Majesty due to our Responsibility (vs. 6-8)

• ( vs. 6-8 ), “You made man to rule over the works of Your hands; - You put all things under his feet, - all the sheep & oxen, and also the beasts of the fields, - the birds of the heavens, - and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”

• This clearly goes back to our creation too – ( Gen. 1:26b ), “…and let them rule over the fish of the sea – and over the birds of the sky – and over the cattle – and over all the earth.”

•  “Paths of the sea” = Matthew Maury (1806-1873), went out to discover these – since God said they existed (Gulf Stream, Japanese Current, etc.) – Statue @ Annapolis, with the scriptures in one hand and charts in the other, entitled, “Matthew Maury – Pathfinder of the Seas.”

• Lest we think too highly of ourselves – David concludes where he began , “O Lord, our Lord…!”

• God doesn't just “…so love the world” – God so loves YOU (and Jesus death proves it)!

• He now asks you to respond to His matchless love – by coming to Him…!