Originally posted: 9/27/2020

O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! (8:1).

Majestic, Splendor. Those words really do evoke quite an image. As I continued reading the following verses in Psalms 8 and 9, I had the sense I’d encountered something just a little bit like this before. I was taken back to my childhood.

I grew up in San Diego; and some of my fondest memories are of my family driving to the bay side of Coronado Island on the 4^th of July. As we settled in, we would ready ourselves for the reason we made the thirty-minute drive. We were there to witness the astounding display of colors that would soon explode across the sky.

With every burst of reds and blues and yellows splashing across the stars, you could hear the sounds of the cannon-like explosions whistling through the air, as well as our own “oohs” and “aahs” escaping from our lips in breathless wonder. And what made it even more breathtaking was the way the fireworks reflected off the bay, doubling the impact on our senses.

And then, I was reminded of those surprises; just when we thought a new display had ended, it would erupt anew, arousing even louder expressions of astonishment and admiration of the splendiferous display.

Yea, these two chapters are something just a little bit like that… only better!

O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! (8:1).

From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Majestic 117. אַדִּיר ʾaddiyr: An adjective meaning excellent, majestic, lofty, or great… When describing God, this word describes His majestic power.
Splendor 1935. הוֹד hôḏ: A masculine noun meaning vigor, authority, majesty… Thus, it is used to describe God’s majesty… The word often describes God’s glory as displayed above the heavens… related to God’s creation of the heavens.

Consider His Majestic Splendor Displayed

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in His creation
  • Lord, our Lord,
    How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
    Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!…
    ³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
    The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; (8:1, 3).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in His commission
  • What is man that You take thought of him,
    And the son of man that You care for him?
  • ⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
    And You crown him with glory and majesty!
    ⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
    You have put all things under his feet, (8:4-6).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in all His wonders
  • I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
    I will tell of all Your wonders, (9:1).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in His righteous justice
  •  But the Lord abides forever;
    He has established His throne for judgment,
    ⁸ And He will judge the world in righteousness;
    He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity, (9:7-8).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in His protection and preservation
  • The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
    A stronghold in times of trouble;
    ¹⁰ And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
    For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You, (9:9-10).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed in His grace
  • Be gracious to me, O Lord;
    See my affliction from those who hate me,
    You who lift me up from the gates of death, (9:13).

• His Majestic Splendor Displayed to awaken reverent fear
  • Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
    Let the nations be judged before You.
    ²⁰ Put them in fear, O Lord;
    Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah, (9:19-20).

How do we respond to His Majestic Splendor Displayed?

Shouldn’t our life be filled with childlike “oohs” and “aahs” when we consider His Majestic Splendor?  Shouldn’t we be consumed in reverent fear when we consider His holy magnificence? And shouldn’t we be absolutely undone, astounded in utter astonishment and admiration to think He chooses to Display His Majestic Splendor to us?

He is so beyond anything in all the earth that has ever captured our attention or launched us into amazement.

O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! (8:1).

And His praise is worth repeating!

 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth! (8:9).

In light of all these two Psalms declare, Psalm 9:1-2 provides some inspirational guidance to lead us in expressing our wonderment and declaring our praises for His Majestic Splendor Displayed.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
² I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High, (9:1-2).

• Let us give thanks will all our heart, continuously. Let us not be robbed by the cares and concerns of this life that threaten to block our view of His Majestic Splendor Displayed.
  • Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, (Philippians 4:6).

• As we honor Him as Lord and seek to grow in His Word, we will be ready to tell the world of His awesome wonders and Majestic Splendor.
  • but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Peter 3:15).

• Sometimes we simply have to remind ourselves to be glad and rejoice in the Lord. Perhaps, from here on out, this could be the way we choose to start each new day, speaking Paul’s admonition out loud. And even say it again!
  • Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).

• Oh, let us choose to sing praises to His Name every single day… in our hearts, out loud, in the shower, to others. For He inhabits our praises, and as He comes to dwell in the midst of our worship, how can we be anything but astounded by His Majestic Splendor Displayed!
  • But You are holy, O You that inhabit the praises of Israel, (Psalm 22:3 AKJV).
    

And the truth is, when we are caught up in loving and worshipping and praising Him, won’t we become just a little bit like fireworks reflecting off the bay? Oh may our lives be a breathtaking reflection of His Majestic Splendor Displayed to a world that is in desperate need of having every bit of their senses impacted by the blood sacrifice offered in Jesus Christ, our Savior.

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves, (2 Corinthians 4:5-7).

Let’s Grow Together!