Psalm 8

II: Because of his love, God's name is glorious (vv. 34) In verse 34, David encounters a conundrum that few Christians confront. The beauty and breadth of God's universe astound him. "What is man that You remember him, the son of man that You watch over?" he wonders. (v.4). God seems to have more to love and care for than us. After all, the skies did not oppose God. The skies are not at odds with God. Rather, creation moans as it waits to be free of the bonds of deterioration (Rom. 8:1923). Man is a flea, a passing spot on the canvas of history. Any trip to a beach or mountain range will swiftly demonstrate our insignificance.

The first lesson in a brief series inspired by Clay Crosse's interpretation of "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name," as well as Psalm 8 itself! God's creation is magnificent and beautiful, but how God and man interact is unparalleled. Why is God concerned about man? Your Name's Majesty and Glory Psalm 8:1 Your Name's Majesty and Glory We will be studying King David's Psalm 8 over the following three weeks. It is one of the Psalms that demonstrates, as the title of this little series suggests, God's Majesty and Glory. There is a...continue reading

The human depiction in this passage is similar to the one in Genesis 1:1-2:4a and 2:4b-25. Human dominion defines the image of God given on mankind in Genesis 1:26-28. In Genesis 2:15, God appoints humans to care for the planet. Psalm 8 also addresses the unique position of humans in relation to other species. Psalm 8:5-8's phrasing indicates that humans are royal beings. Pharaoh was described in Egypt as God's son, as one who represented the divinity on earth. The Israelite monarch is depicted similarly in various chapters of the Old Testament. When God appoints David to his job in Second Samuel 7, he refers to him as God's son. Psalm 89:25 depicts David as the earthly representative of God's heavenly kingdom.

We are still in awe of the starry skies thirty centuries after David uttered these lines. Astronauts have been physically able to walk on the same moon that David could only watch from afar, yet all of our knowledge of the cosmos in which we live only helps to increase our image of God's immense wisdom and might. What a massive world we live in! These billions of galaxies spin silently across the depths of space. What incredible power supports it all and keeps it running as one harmonic entity! That is what drew the psalmist's attention. Then he is confronted with the unavoidable question that all persons who consider God's magnificence face. 'What is man, he wonders, in the face of a God who could create such a universe?' You will see that this is the issue that begs a response in our day and age. What exactly are humans? What happened to them? What are they doing here? Why are they here on this little planet in this huge universe? These are the questions that are increasingly being raised.

Psalm 84

9:1-38 Nehemiah Experiencing True Worship: Restoring Our Faith...Series #17 outlines three ways to restoring pure worship. Children in Public Pray: Educating a family on how to worship together,.... Worship training is similar to other types of godly training. Parents teach through example and attitude. Many parents have been persuaded by modern educational philosophies.

The Korahites are the writers linked with Psalms 84. (sons of Korah). In 1 Chronicles 9:19, the Korahites are designated for the Lord's service. They were in charge of worship or deeds of service, as well as guardians of the thresholds and doorkeepers of the sanctuary. This was a long-held post in the sanctuary, dating back to the period of the Book of Numbers' authorship (14:4-15). So they speak from personal experience about the blessings of living in the sanctuary: "Happy are those who live in your home, continually chanting your praise" (Psalm 84:4, New Interpreters Version). This is emphasized in Psalm 84:10: "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand."

Small birds may reside in God's home, according to the *psalmist in verse 3. However, the *psalmist is far away in verse 2. If it's the same *psalmist from Psalms 42 and 43, he's thousands of kilometers away! When he thinks about it, he feels weak. He informs us about the *pilgrims to Jerusalem in lines 5–7. They may have traveled tremendous distances, but they are eager to see Zion. In Hebrew, the "dry valley" in verse 4 is called "Baca Valley." Baca is a tree that grows in arid areas. We have no idea where this Baca Valley was. The arid location, however, did not deter the *pilgrims. They discovered water there, maybe from the fall rains. Christians have long held that this phrase signifies that when life becomes tough, God will provide aid.

Verse 5 of the psalm, "Fortunate are those who stay in Your house; they will continually praise You forever," is the first of two introductory verses appended to the prayer commonly known as Ashrei (Psalm 145), which is recited twice during Shacharit (morning prayer service) and once during Mincha (afternoon prayer service).[15] The first word of this verse, Ashrei ("Fortunate"), gives (evening prayer service). According to legend, Abraham read the first verse in this set (Psalms 46:8), Isaac recited this verse, and Jacob spoke the third verse, Psalms 20:10, the three Jewish Patriarchs.

Psalm 86

In this text, supplications refer to prayers. The important thing to note here is that David stated this openly. This was not a prayer in silence. The word voice informs us of this. Verse 8 through 17: Only our God has omnipotent power and unlimited love. Christ is the only path and the only truth. And the believing soul will be much more eager to learn the path and the truth. And the believing soul will want to be taught the way and truth of God in order to walk in it more than it will desire to be rescued from worldly sorrow. Those who do not place the Lord before them seek the souls of believers; but, God's compassion, kindness, and truth will be their shelter and solace. And those whose parents were Lord's slaves may use this as a reason why he should hear and aid them. When analyzing David's and the believer's experiences, we must not lose sight of Him, who, though wealthy, became poor for our sakes, so that we would be rich by his poverty.

Application Concerns

To what degree is our lack of prayer attributable to our failure to recognize our enormous needs? How can we become more conscious of our genuine needs? How does your understanding of God compare to Psalm 86:5, 15? How will adopting this biblical perspective affect your prayer life? How can we cultivate genuine pleasure and appreciation in the face of adversity? Is it expected of us to fake it when we don't feel it? Why is a teachable heart so important while we are going through adversity? How can a rebellious heart obstruct God's compassion and love?

Several hymns, including "Bow down Thine ear, O Lord," paraphrase Psalm 86 or sections of it.

[15]In 1543, the Renaissance musician Cristbal de Morales released "Inclina Domine aurem tuam," a Latin motet.

[16]In the 16th century, Wacaw z Szamotu penned Nako, Panie, ku mnie ucho Twoje song to Mikoaj Rej's Polish version of Psalm 86.

[17] Heinrich Schtz included a German metric paraphrase, "Herr, neig zu mir dein gndigs Ohr," as part of the 1602 Becker Psalter as SWV 183. Bow down thine ear, O Lord, Z11 was written by Henry Purcell in 1681 or before. It is based on verses 1, 36, 8, and 1012, with soloists and chorus alternating, and an organ. [18]

Psalm 85

i. This prayer for revival emphasizes that the people were once alive, died spiritually, and now need spiritual rebirth. This is nearly always what the church needs, and that is how revivals occur. (Boice) ii. The context indicates when we should pray for revival.

In verse 12, "many fruit" refers to more than apples and such items. It refers to all of the plants that we cultivate for food. There hadn't been many of them since there hadn't been much rain. But suddenly everything would be different! The last line, verse 13, is very intriguing. It says that God will walk the world! This occurred 520 years later, when Jesus appeared. Many Bible scholars believe that the whole final section of the psalm is about Jesus. Because Jesus was the *Messiah, verses 9-13 are known as the messianic section of the psalm. There is something to do.

A Prayer for Mercy for Israel851 You, Lord, extended favor to your country; you restored Jacob's fortunes. 2 You pardoned your people's crimes and covered all their transgressions. 3 You lay aside all your rage and turned away from your rage. 4 Restore us, God our Savior, and remove your wrath with us. 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you keep your rage for future generations? 6 Will you not resurrect us so that your people will rejoice in you? 7 Lord, show us your unending love and give us your redemption.

The Lord directs a man's steps, and He delights in his progress. (HCSB, Psalm 37:23) God seems to be leading his people ahead. The righteousness that motivates him to the redemption of his people comes before him like a herald. His followers will follow in his footsteps. In order for God to assist us in the next stage of our journey as a church, we must live as God desires. Our faithfulness to God sets the way for God to lead our church forward. If we live the way God wants us to, He will use our obedience to prepare the way for our future. If we are disobedient, if we reject this chance that God has given us, we shall be as lost as a person wandering in the wilderness. But we must pay attention. Only by paying attention will we be able to see the fruits of this resurrection.