Psalm 8:1-9
Majestic
is not a word that we use too much these days. The best example of something
majestic is the treatment of the royal family in England. The trumpets are
sounded, the royal carriages drawn by horses come forth, the riders dressed to
the max. The band strikes up its tune. Flags are waved and adoring crowds bow
their heads as the Queen passes by. This is a pretty majestic scene. Nobody
does pomp like the British! They have had centuries to perfect it.
Or
maybe we could think of the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games. That has
lots of pizzazz, bells and whistles, purposeful grandeur and symbols of
importance. Millions of people focused
on one goal, the exaltation of the Olympic ideals, or at least that is what is
supposed to be the goal. Instead it becomes the promotion of a country or the commercial
value of the advertising timeslots. But I digress.
Our
Psalm today starts and ends with a focus on the LORD, the one in charge. David
points out to his readers and hearers just how majestic He is. I want to think
about it this way, and I invite you to join me in this train of thought.
Imagine everyone in the world, every organization, every government official,
every news outlet, all coming together to highlight the greatness and
compassion of our God on a single day. Everyone bowing and singing praises to
the LORD in their own languages. All resources and energies focused on
proclaiming Him to the universe.
David
says the LORD has already done that for us. The greatness of the universe show
forth His power and His divinity. The stars and other heavenly bodies say
something to the human heart. We are not alone! Not like those who believe in
aliens and their imminent invasion of planet earth would like us to believe,
but the presence of the One who created it all and invaded our planet, His
planet with His presence down through history.
The
problem with most people is that they don’t take time to “consider” the
greatness of it all. The starts just become the desktop image of their world. And
with so many living in places where the ambient light prevents people from
being able to see the stars, the stars are something of a mystery, but
certainly beyond their consideration.
So,
the One who created the vastness of the universe has us on His mind. He thinks
about us. He takes care of us. How is that possible? Why should we have such a
high position in this vast universe? Those who find no place for the LORD in
their lives would say that we don’t have a high position in the world, that we
are no different than the endangered species that inhabit our rock. They say we
have used more than our fair share of the resources of this planet and must now
make up for it. The most radical of all say we should cull the human race to
bring its numbers back in line in order to balance the scales. Save the Cockroach!
And
yet, the LORD has placed us as the top stewards of this world. Everything is
under our feet. All the creatures are ours to attend. Only the angels in heaven
and the LORD Himself are above us. And angels are servants of the LORD that
sometimes are sent to serve us.
We
certainly don’t deserve the position we hold in the universe. No wonder David
proclaims just how majestic He is in all the earth. His Name, His being, His
essence is majestic. Someone shoot some fireworks in celebration. Crank up the
praise and worship music. Get the laser lights coordinated. He is majestic.