WHEN WE CONSIDER HIM - Reflecting with Caree

WHEN WE CONSIDER THE WORKS OF HIS HANDS

Psalm 8

By Caree Connolly

                                                                                                                

It's not that hard to imagine what David saw when he looked out his window or took a daily walk through the country side. I think with his knowing God's heart, he was able to see past what the average person can see.

A lot like today.

When the photographers take photographs for the TV guide in your newspaper, I'm sure they see the beauty involved. When we see the picture, as believers,  we see the beauty but we also see the the Awe of God's power in creation.

I wonder if David, since they didn't have the camera technology back than, used an artist to draw just some of the wonderful things he saw: you know, like a new born animal, an opening flower, or maybe even the sunrise and sunset.

How do you respond to these when you see them?

Psalms 8 is an awesome Psalm despite being only a few verses. We can see  the Awe  in nature. And there is so much about nature and creation throughout the scripture, many in the book of Psalms itself.

• Psalms 19:1  'The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.'
• Psalms 23 'He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me besides still waters.

Psalm 29 talks of the power of water, the beasts of the field, and  of the deer. Here in Brookings, Oregon, we're sometimes annoyed by the deer when their walking across a busy road, blocking traffic or destroying yards by eating the flowers.

But we can always stop and try to remember Psalm 18:23 'He maketh my feet like the feet of deer. And sets me on my high places.'

One of my favorite Palms is 104. My Bible has it titled appropriately: 'Psalm Rehearsing Creation'. Almost all 35 verses desribe God's wonder. In every aspect. Take time to look them up. A wonderful way to reflect on the awesomeness of our Father in Heaven.

As we return to vs. 1 'Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who has set thy glory above the heavens.'  In Spurgeon's 'Treasury of David, we can read that David is proclaiming Jehovah Our Lord, How excellent is your name.  That he was not just in heaven, but also Above the heavens. Greater, higher, and beyond.

In a quote by Adam Clarke, he wrote: No name is so universal, no power and influence so generally felt, as those of the savior of mankind.

In vs. 2  we read, Out of the mouth of babes and suckling infants hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

David bring up the future purpose of children and infants that will do mighty works for God.

• Moses, who as an infant, was placed in the Nile River, and led the Israelites out of Egypt.
• Samuel, who was given by his mother to God, became a mighty prophet of God, and was ultimately led to find
• David, a young shepard boy at the time.
• And we come to Jesus himself, who was born in manger, and brought us Salvation.

In vs. 3 'When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers. The moon and stars, which you ordained.

When I attended college, I took an Astronmy Lab. We spent two weekends out at Lake Sonoma on a hillside away from all the lights.  You could see the stars stretch from horizon to horizon.

Uncountable, although many scientist have tried. God knows them all though. He knows how many He knows their names. A couple of the pictures we had to take for the class, one was of a moon cycle or as we call it: Crescent moon. The other was of the stars rotating around the one star which stays stationery in the sky.

Another of God's amazing mysteries.

We know more about the galaxies and light-years than they did in David's time, I believe but the universe is still as wonderful today as it was back than.

In vs. 4 What is a man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou shouldst visit him?

I had a bit of a harder time understanding this verse. But the Treasury of David by Spurgeon helped simplify. Spurgeon actually had a lot of content for just this verse, but I just used a small portion of it. I was able to glean from his commentary, that 'man' used in this verse in the Hebrew translation means infirm or miserable man. This verse is not talking about the creation of man, but of his state of sin, misery, and mortality.

And why would God even notice us, much less care for us? In my own words, we are not worthy of his mercy and love, but anyway. So much so, that he sent His only begotten son to die for our sins.

(John 3:16) His mercy is pretty astounding when it comes to us. In part,  Thomas Washbourn wrote in 1654 "Thou didst thyself abase. And put off all thy robes of majesty, taking his nature to give him thy grace.To save his life didst die; He is not worthy of the least, of all thy mercies, one's a feast."

In vs. 5 Thou has made him a little lower than the angels.

Like in the poem I just read, Jesus took off the mantle of his  humbled himself to become man. From his birth to his death on the cross.

We don't really know what he looked like as a man, but I think he might have been people didn't generally notice. His character shown through though. Like a light shining in the darkness.

The last few verses 6 & 7 tell us: You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen-Even the beast of the field, the birds of the air, And the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea.

Adam had dominion over the animals but lost that right when he sinned. Animals were converted to a more natural state after the flood, to give them more defenses against man. But we in the gospels how Jesus, can take a un-broken colt and ride it.

• He could stop the crow of a rooster till the right time. And roosters crow whenever they feel like it.
• He could take an fishless lake and fill up empty nets. It's a wonder that so many were blind to Jesus, (and still are)

We all can find pictures of oxen, of lambs and goats,of the geese, ducks, and turkeys -- the fish in the sea. The creatures God created just for the ocean itself are amazing and wondrous.

And finally vs. 8 of Psalms   Oh Lord our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!

What a great closing verse. For how excellent is our Lord to provide this wonderful earth as our temporary home. Animals to give us beauty and comfort. And that most of all, he gave a Savior, Jesus,so that wouldn't perish. And would someday be at home with him.

When I consider the works of His hands, it makes me love God more than ever. I hope you will take time to consider the works of God's hands as well.

Why and how can man still deny the existence of God.

You have to wonder.