Okay, for a few moments now,
let's consider Psalm number 8. The title of the message is taken
from verse 1, O Lord, our Lord, that's the title, O Lord, Jehovah,
our sovereign, sovereign Savior, how excellent is thy name in
all the earth. Again, down in verse 9, this
is a quote worth re-quoting. He declares again, Oh Lord, our
Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. It's much like
this psalm over here, turn to psalm, I believe it's psalm 110,
where this phrase is repeated again. The Lord, verse 1, the
Lord said unto my Lord, You see that Psalm 110, Psalm 110 verse
1, the Lord, notice capital L-O-R-D. Now, when you see that in scripture,
it's always referring to Jehovah. God, our Savior, said unto my
Lord," considering and talking about the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-man mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior, "'Set thou at my
right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'" Oh,
Lord, our Lord. He's my Lord. He's my King. He's my Savior. This psalm is
pure gospel. from beginning to end. For what
celebrates the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord
of heaven and earth and the Lord and Savior of His covenant people.
The messenger from heaven that day said, call His name Jesus,
which means Savior He shall save those covenant people from their
sin. The business and scope of this
psalm is to rejoice in God's great mercy to sinners through
Christ incarnate. Now what does that mean? That
means God Almighty manifest in the flesh. That's who the Lord
Jesus Christ as the God-man mediator is. He's God in human flesh. through God's great mercy to
sinners, through the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
that led to His obedience unto death, that talks about His sacrifice
unto death, that talks about His redeeming work to save His
people, and it also includes His sovereign dominion. We're
going to talk about that and read several scriptures where
it says in verse 6, Thou hast made him to have dominion, rule
and reign over all things. He has the absolute right and
rule and the absolute sovereign over all things. Of Him, Romans
11, 36, of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things to
whom be glory both now and forever. He is the absolute sovereign
over all things in creation, in providence, and in salvation. Our Lord prayed in John 17. Father,
you've given me power over all flesh that I should give eternal
life to as many as the Father hath given to me. Now this Psalm,
Psalm 8, is quoted at least three times in the New Testament. Matthew 21, verse 16, and 1 Corinthians
15, 27. And in the scripture we just
read a moment ago from Hebrews 2, verses 6 and verse 7. Now let's consider verse 1 of
Psalm 8. Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent,
how glorious is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory,
the glory of his mercy, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
glory of His mediation above the heavens. Now, O Lord, and
that refers to Jehovah, our Savior, our Lord, our Sovereign, how
excellent, how honorable, how magnificent, how glorious, is
thy name in all the earth." Beyond description, how can you describe
in human terms all that God Almighty is? It's hard to do. We cannot do it with human terms.
We just kind of get around the fringes of it. Oh, Lord, how
excellent is thy name! How truly is Jehovah magnified
in the Lord Jesus Christ as Jehovah's Savior, in all of His covenant
and redeeming mercies given to sinners through Christ Jesus. Remember what David declared
on his deathbed, God had made with me a covenant ordered in
all things and is sure this is all my hope and all my salvation. Covenant, mercies in Christ Jesus. And then it says here, who has
set thy glory, and here it's referring, I think, specifically
to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is the
brightness of God's glory. He is the brightness of God's
glory in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. The glory
of God shines supremely in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The glory of His mercy, the glory
of His grace, the glory of His salvation revealed in Christ
Jesus where thou has set thy glory. The glory of Christ above
all. I remember reading a book by
Jonathan Edwards years ago. If you can find a copy of it,
I would suggest that you get a copy of it and read it. The
title of the book was, and is, The History of Redemption. Jonathan
Edwards was a very notable theologian. He actually was president of
Princeton University. That used to be a theological
school that meant something. They taught, actually taught,
they had the boldness in that day, 1750, to preach and declare
the gospel. And I remember the theme of that
book was this, and he asked this question, what was and what is
the grand design, the grand design of God's redemption? What is
the grand design of God's redemption? Now you ask the average religious
Joe that question, and what would he say? You ask the average religious
Joe, what's the grand design of God's redemption? And they
would probably say, well, to keep a few miserable sinners
out of hell. Well, that's included in it,
but the grand design of God's redemption is the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it's all, that's
what the gospel is all about. Paul, when he writes about the
gospel, he says it's a blessed gospel of the glory of God. The glory of God. When Moses
asked the Lord, show me your glory, remember what he said?
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll cause all my goodness to
pass before you. Where's the goodness of God revealed?
I'll cause Christ to pass before you. That's where the glory of
God is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ
is the brightness of His glory, in whom all the fullness of the
Godhead dwells, who has set Thy glory above the heavens, above
the heavens. Setting the Lord Jesus Christ
above the heavens declares the exaltation of Him as the God-man
mediator. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down. on the throne of God, on the
throne of glory and absolute victory. The Lord Jesus Christ
is not a defeated Reformer. He's an exalted King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. God hath highly exalted Him,
it says in Philippians 2.9. He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross, wherefore God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name above every name. That that name, every
knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, either now or then in that day, but everyone
will confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is due all honor, glory,
blessings, and power, both now and forever. There is no other
name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. It is upon the exaltation of
the Lord Jesus Christ through the right hand of God declaring
salvation is accomplished. And upon that accomplished salvation,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
making us to cry, Abba, Father, or God our Father. Abba, Father, dear Father. Aren't
you glad He's exalted? I tell you what salvation is.
in a reality in the believer's life. We see the Lord Jesus Christ
coming, inhabiting the body of a man, working out perfect obedience
for us, dying on Calvary's tree under the weight and judgment
of our sin laid on Him, crucified, dead, buried, but risen again. Seated. That is salvation. But I tell you, the reality of
that, the reality of that is the exaltation of Christ in our
heart. He is exalted to the right hand
of God. And I tell you, when God sends
forth the Spirit of His Son into your heart, He will exalt the
Lord Jesus Christ in you. Those who have seen His glory,
you know what they do? They speak of Him. They speak
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Aren't you glad that our Lord
Jesus Christ is set above the heavens? Oh, He's highly exalted
as the God-man mediator. Now look at verse 2. Out of the
mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast ordained strength,
founded, the marginal reference is, or prepared strength because
of the enemies. Babes are no challenge to the
enemies. Unless God has ordained it, they
should speak the glories of the gospel because thou hast ordained
strength because of the enemies that thou mightest steal the
enemy and the avenger. out of the mouths of babes. God
has sent forth the gospel into this world. He's hid these things
from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes, his
children, his elect. The Lord's comments on this verse
are very interesting. Here's one of the references.
Turn to Matthew 21. Matthew 21, and look at this
here. The best commentary on Scripture
is Scripture. Scripture is always interpreted
in the light of Scripture. Matthew 21, the Lord quotes this
verse from Psalm 8. Matthew 12, and notice verse
Excuse me, Matthew 21, verse 12. The Lord Jesus went into
the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought
in the temple and threw the tables of the money changers and the
seats of them that sold doves, overthrew them all, upset all
those who were in business religiously, and said unto them, it is written,
my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you've made it
the den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came
to Him in the temple, and He healed them. And when the chief
priests and scribes saw the wonderful thing that He did, and the children,
the babes, crying in the temple, saying, Hosanna! Praise the Lord! Hosanna to the Son of David!
They were sore displeased. And He said unto them, Hearest
thou what these say? And said unto him, do you hear
what these people say? They're praising you as the son
of David, as the Messiah, the Christ of God. And Jesus said
unto them, he said to them, have you never read, out of the mouths
of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? The Lord uses
weak, frail, preachers to sound forth His glory, to declare His
truth, to declare His gospel, that He might be magnified. The
Apostle says, We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency
of the power may be of God, and not of us. God's ordained this. It pleased God through preaching
to save them that believe. Something else here in verse
2, something else here, this is what happens when God is pleased
to save and reveal himself to his people. He delivers them
from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear
son whereby they never cease to praise him and glorify him. Did you ever get tired of talking
about the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ? You ever get tired
about declaring His greatness, His beauty, His majesty, His
glory? God has ordained this. He has
ordained strength that is the gospel itself. It is through
the gospel that enemies of God and the enemies of God's people
are defeated and conquered and overcome by the declaration of
this message of the victorious Christ. Turn to Colossians chapter
2. Colossians chapter 2. I like to talk about the victorious
Christ. That's the only one that this
book says anything about. The scriptures know nothing about
a defeated Christ. Thanks be to God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians chapter
2. Look at verse 13, and you being
dead in your sin, and uncircumcision and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses. blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them himself." In himself is the right translation of that
verse. Notice the marginal reference
there. He defeated the enemies, and it's our business to declare
what He has done, what He has accomplished for us. Now, look back at Psalm 8 again. So, when I consider the heavens,
verse 3, when I consider the heavens, the vastness of the heavens,
it's infinite, isn't it? When I consider all that God
has made, the work of his fingers. Now you think about this, the
work of creation is his finger work. When it comes to saving
sinners, it's the arm of his salvation, the arm of his power. When I consider the heavens,
the work of thy fingers, finger work. The moon, the stars. which thou hast ordained, which
thou hast created, he created all things by and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. What is man that thou art mindful
of him and the Son of man that you would visit him? When considering
all that God is, his power, does it have limits? His power is
limitless. His character, does it change? No. He said, I'm the Lord, I
change not. His character is changeless. His love, endless. Nothing can separate the believer
from the love of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And all that He
has created, what great glory we behold in His sovereign mercy
to sinners, in Christ incarnate, the Son of God. What is man that
you'd be mindful of a man, that you would prepare a body for
the Lord Jesus Christ to inhabit? What great glory we behold in
His sovereign mercy to sinners in God incarnate, God manifest
in the flesh, the Son of God. Think about this. The Son of
God became the Son of Man that the sons of men might be by His
grace sons of God. Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God. Oh the wonder of the great, infinite,
condescending grace of God in Christ manifest in the flesh
to redeem sinners. What is man that you'd be mindful
of him?" No wonder the apostle said, great is the mystery of
godliness. Great mystery. The angels desire
to look into these things. God was manifest in the flesh. that he should pass by in his
sovereign purpose, pass by the nature of angels and take on
him the seed of Abraham. It's a great mystery of his sovereign
love. The son of man, Christ in human
flesh, fully God and fully man, his human nature blessed above
all. He had an unfallen nature, not
like ours. in the likeness of sinful flesh,
but no sin. He had an unfallen nature, untainted
by sin. He's God-blessed forever. Such a high priest became us,
who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated by sin. Visited
and had, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.
limitless power, unbounding favor of the Spirit of God, and the
Spirit without measure, power beyond understanding, the fullness
of God dwelling in him, we cannot fully grasp all that is involved
in God incarnate. What is man that God Almighty would be mindful
of man, and would visit him in salvation in Christ Jesus. David, when considering the coming
incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he breaks out in holy
wonder and praise to his coming Redeemer. And that's what David
is looking forward to. He's looking forward to the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the coming of a Son of Man to put
away his sin. Now look at verse 5, but thou
hast made him, thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and you crowned him with glory and honor. Here we see something
of the humiliation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The humiliation
of the Lord Jesus Christ in His human nature. Though He was high,
because He's God, yet for your sakes He became low, poor in
the flesh. He became a servant made under
the law to redeem us from our sin. He never stopped being God,
but rather He became what He was not. That was made him, now
you think about this, a little lower than the angels. That verse
over 2 Corinthians 8, 9, remember, for you know the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, rich beyond description,
yet for your sakes he became poor, made lower than the angels. A real body, flesh and bones. crowned with glory and honor,
that he by the grace of God should taste death for his covenant
people, as it says in Hebrews chapter 2. And this is the key
to understanding what David is rejoicing in here. Substitution,
satisfaction, and the sin offering of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou
hast made him a little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death. crowned with glory and honor,
that he by the grace of God should die for his covenant people. Look at verse 6. Thou hast made him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under
his feet. Now there's a good reference
there in the last part of verse 6. John 3.35. The Father loveth the Son, and
hath given all things into his hand. Thou hast made him as the
God-man mediator. as our Savior. Now as God, He
has all dominion, but as the God-man mediator, God's given
Him power and dominion over all the works of His hand, but all
things under His feet, under His dominion, under His rule. The Lord Jesus Christ, as God
in the flesh, our Savior, God our Savior, has all authority
and all sovereign power. Remember what Peter said on the
day of Pentecost, this same Jesus whom you have crucified is both
Lord and Christ. He's Lord. You remember what
the Lord declared, the risen Lord declared to his apostles
there in Matthew 28? He said, all power is given unto
me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and preach the gospel
to every creature. Knowing I'm in charge, knowing
I have all dominion, knowing I will bless my word unto my
covenant people. All things are in subjection
under him, under his feet, under his rule. Let me give you four
things. The church, under his dominion,
under his rule. All angels, all angels, they
are ministering spirit sent forth to minister to them who are the
heirs of salvation. All things are in subjection
under him, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are his
body, he is the head. That in all things he might have
the preeminence. All angels do his bidding. All devils. bow to His sovereign
rule. There is nothing outside of the
dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all men, all men are under
His dominion. All men. All judgments committed
under the Son. God hath appointed a day in which
he will judge the world by that man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou
hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hand. Thou
has put all things under his feet. Remember what he read in
Psalm 110? Sit at my right hand until I
make every enemy to bow at your footstool. Now look at verse
7 and 8. This is most interesting. All oxen, now there's more here
than what you think. All sheep, all oxen, beast of
the field, fowl of the air, and fish of the sea. All things. Verse 7 and 8 describe
the range and scope of his dominion over all. and it's an everlasting
dominion. I want you to turn to this psalm
and read with me. I want you to find Psalm 72.
It talks again about his dominion. His dominion as a God-man mediator. All glory and power given unto
him. Psalm 72, look at verse 6. He shall come down like rain
upon the mown grass. as showers that water the earth.
In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace
so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from
sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth. And they
that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his
enemies shall lick the dust. He has all dominion. Now here
we see something of the range and scope of His dominion. Given
in verses 7 and 8 of Psalm 8, all sheep, oxen, beast, fowl,
and fish. Someone suggested, and I agree
with them, but one commentator said these things can be used
in a figurative way as they represent different groups. all sheep,
his elect, his church. He has all dominion over his
sheep, over his elect. He has all dominion over the
oxen, those who labor in his cause, those who are his servants,
servants, bond slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. These oxen
represent those who serve the Lord. He has dominion over His
servants and then all beasts of the field, all wicked enemies. He has the beast of the field,
the beast, the wicked who hate God and hate everything else,
hate everything about God whose heart is filled with hate. God
is their God whether they acknowledge Him or not. The fool has said
in his heart, there is no God. That doesn't change God's dominion,
nor the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will one day
bow to him and acknowledge his lordship. And then it mentions
here the fowl of the air. those flying creatures that fly
through the air, he has all dominion. Talking about here the angels
again, those spirits that serve his purpose, serve his glory. And then the fish of the sea,
well, could be representative when I think of the fish of the
sea, you get down to the depths of the sea and there's nothing
but blackness and darkness forever. And then they talk about the
monsters of the deep. God has dominion over every monster,
even Satan himself. Did you know the devil is God's
devil? That's right, under the absolute
dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's right, he couldn't touch
Job without God's permission. Whatever creature you name, Christ
has absolute dominion over all. There is nothing out of control
in God's universe. Everything's under His rule,
His reign. I can make good on that. You
listen to these scriptures. Jot them down if you want to.
Numbers 24, verse 19. Out of Jacob shall come he that
shall have dominion. Now who's that talking about?
Christ? Out of Judah. He's a lion of
the tribe of Judah. Out of Jacob. Out of... Jacob
came Judah out of Judah came David out of David came the Lord
Jesus Christ Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion
and he shall destroy him that remains in the city Psalm 145
13 thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth
throughout all generations See he has all dominion Daniel 4,
34 and 35. At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted up my eyes unto heaven. Here's a pagan king that God
gave some understanding to, and my understanding returned unto
me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him that
liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. And
his kingdom is from generation to generation. Therefore all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of this earth, and none can stay his stand,
or say unto him, Lord God Almighty, what are you doing? He has dominion
over all. I've got more. Jude 1, 24 and
25, Now unto him that is able, to keep you from falling and
to present you flawless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty
and dominion and power both now and forever. Turn to the Revelation chapter
1 let me show you a couple references here the Lord Jesus Christ has
all dominion all power all salvation Revelation 1, look at verse 5. From Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the
kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from
our sin in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests
unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for a little
while. As long as you let him. forever
and ever. And then we say amen, amen. I think one of the reference
I'll read here, find Revelation 5, verse 9, and they sung a new
song, Revelation 5, 9. Thou art worthy to take the book,
to open the seals, For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to
God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and
nation, and hast made us kings and priests under our God. And
we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and heard the voice
of many angels round about the throne, and the beast, and the
elders, and a number of them was ten thousand, time ten thousands,
and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is
the Lamb. that was slain to receive power.
That's dominion, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven and on the earth and under the earth, such as are in the
sea and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing, honor,
glory, power, which is dominion unto him that sitteth upon the
throne under the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts
said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders
fell down and worshipped him that lives forever and ever. And in closing, look back at
Psalm 8 verse 9, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name
in all the earth. David repeats what he started
with, His Excellency. the excellency of his power,
the excellency of his mercy, the excellency of his love, his
gospel, his Christ, and he is altogether the lovely one. To you who believe, he is precious. Oh, Lord, our Savior, how wonderful
is thy name in all the earth.