Big Idea: God wrote his character into the world of nature, but as awesome as that is, it is no match for the mindful care of his human creation.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 8 immediately follows the pledge of Psalm 7:17 to sing praise to “the name of the Lord Most High” (7:17). Now the psalmist does that in majestic words that honor the majesty of the Name.

As in the creation narrative of Genesis 1, the psalmist employs an economy of words that stylistically reveals the Creator’s orderly manner and design. In content, the majesty of the Name is manifested in the works of the Lord’s creative hands and the delegation of their care to humankind, whose regal crown is studded with the jewels of creation. Verbally this crown is woven from the poetic and prosaic language of the Pentateuch,…