in Psalm 8 and verse 1 is where we looked at last week. And what we did, we saw just a glimpse of the excellency or the majesty or the greatness of God just in that one verse. And you remember how the Lord is described? He is described as Yahweh Adonai. He is the covenant-keeping God. Because he's covenant-keeping, it shows his great love that he has for his people. And Adonai means master, or it talks about his sovereignty. So here we see the greatness of our God. His name is not acknowledged by all, because you notice what the Word of God says. Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. Well, not everyone acknowledges the name of the Lord, but for those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ, we can honestly say with all of our heart, oh Lord, oh our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. And to us which believe, he is precious, precious to all of us. In Philippians chapter two, I'm gonna read a verse of scripture there, it says, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I believe that name that was given unto Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Lord, and He has that name which is above every name. His name very simply means Yahweh saves, or God saves. The Lord is our salvation. As we think upon that name, listen to what the Word of God says in Psalm 138, and we're going to continue in Psalm 8, but listen to Psalm 138 and down in verse 2. The psalmist said there, and it's David speaking once again, he says, I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Now if his name is excellent in all the earth, and he said his glory above the heavens, the word of God also says he's magnified his word above all his name. Now you think about it, His Word we have today. Look at how God magnifies His Word. So how precious is the Word of God to you? It's magnified even above His name. Therefore we ought to count the Word of God very precious. We don't worship the Word. We worship the God of the Word. But let me tell you, the Word that comes out, that's His Word. Here is His Word that we have, and we need to regard it as such whenever we come to the Word of God. When we looked at verse 1, we saw the immenseness of space. If you can start that video, Brother Wayne, I want you to look at this video that's going to be showing in the background. And it's at James Webb Space Telescope. The newest images that have just come from there is just phenomenal. I mean, these are things that have never been seen up until the last few days from this telescope that they've launched into space that is like a hundred million miles away or a million... I can't even remember how many million miles away. But notice here This is a cartwheel galaxy. Way out you could not even see the glimmer in the sky. It's so far away. Never before seen by the human eye. God has placed that there for His glory. It's supposedly 500 million light years away. Now you multiply 500 million times 186,000 and that's how many years away it is. We can't fathom that. It's just an astronomical number. But it shows you the greatness of God because in between here and yonder there is galaxies and galaxies and stars filling up those galaxies. It just shows you the vastness of God's creation. These are other galaxies that are up there besides this cartwheel galaxy right here. And this is located, this galaxy is located in the sculpture constellation. And if you think about this, if that's like 100 million, 500 million light years away, God's glory is far above the heavens. His glory is greater than that. That's just a drop in the bucket of His glory. Isn't that kind of mind-boggling to think about? The Creator is always greater than His creation. And this is just a glimpse of His creation that you see. So, when we think about God's Word, and we think about the heavens, and this is what the psalmist is doing. He sees that God's name is excellent or great in all the earth, and His glory is above the heavens. What happens when someone refutes that? What happens when someone denies that? How does the Word of God refute the humanist? are the atheist, are the materialist, are the evolutionist. Now most of the scientists that are working through this telescope, they would be evolutionist. What they're looking for, they're looking back and as they're looking back in space, they're looking back in time and they are looking for the Big Bang Theory and what happened before the Big Bang Theory and they're looking and they're searching but let me tell you they're not going to find any answers that way. They believe in man. They don't believe in God. They're refuting God. How does the Word of God confront that? When you deny that, what you see right here is the handiwork of God. And the Word of God tells us it's just His finger work. And you think about His fingers. Fingers are not as strong as your arm. That's just finger work right there. That's amazing that God can do that. I want you to notice in verse 2. In Psalm 8 verse 2, the Word of God says, Now I want you to ponder this one for a moment because there's a couple different aspects I'd like to look at this. It's out of the mouths of babes, babies, sucklings. That means they're still at their mother's breast. God has ordained strength because of His enemies. In other words, He shuts the mouths of enemies by babies. Now how does God shut the mouth of enemies by babies? Here, He's ordained strength through them. Have you ever pondered? Let me get your mind to thinking tonight. I was thinking about doing a video tonight. I could have done that very easily also of the moment of conception all the way through the development of a baby from up to nine months. It's like a four minute video. It's very fascinating how that little embryo grows, the seed, and then it just, the human being, the baby is formed inside that mother's womb. All that is very, very fascinating. And if you think about just that, the child developing in the woman's womb, that is a wonder of wonders. We know a lot more than what David knew when he wrote this psalm, though even though he was inspired, still David personally didn't know all the technology that we know in our day and time. But, there's a lot we still don't know. Many years ago, I was in a church that ran a pro-life ad. Took out a full-back page on the newspaper concerning pro-life. And what happened, the ministerial staff manned the telephones to take calls of people questioning concerning that because we had the church's phone number on the back of the page. One particular time when I was manning the phones, I had somebody call me from UK. He was a professor. And he was trying to refute that life began at conception. And his argument was, he was a foreigner, his argument was that how do you know that what's in that mother's womb is not an elephant. It could be an elephant. I'm going like, how ridiculous is people's thinking? But yet, look at where we're at now. How that thinking has gone off the deep end. There are people who say they cannot even tell a boy from a girl. Now that just shows you what man is like when he is left to himself. I want us to think just for a little bit on the process of the birth of a child. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, God has ordained strength because of His enemies, that He might instill the enemy and the avenger. At nine months after conception, I was reading this last week and it just kind of wowed me. I'm going to tell you some things you probably haven't heard before. Nine months after conceiving the child, the brain in that baby sends a hormone through the placenta and into the mom's pituitary gland. It is a complicated chemical that goes into that pituitary gland. It is sent by the baby's body, and basically what it says, if I can just put it in easy English, the baby communicates to the mom, I'm ready. The baby's ready to come out. Now, you know, I knew nothing about this chemical being sent from a baby's body inside the womb, communicating to the pituitary gland, letting the mom know it's time to give birth. That's quite phenomenal. That means in a normal pregnancy, all the body parts are ready and fully developed to the point where they can survive upon their own. They're sustaining at that time. All of the skull, the skull has not yet been fused together. Because of the trip that the baby's gotta take through the birth canal, there are adrenal glands within that baby that gives a shot of stress hormones for the journey through the birth canal, the birthing process. In other words, that baby has a shot of a stress hormone so it can actually be born. All these things, it's all designed by God. You know, this kind of stuff just don't evolve. It don't just happen like a big bang or something. The baby does not breathe until it's cleared the birth canal. If the baby starts breathing too soon, before it clears the birth canal, the baby will suffocate. If the baby breathes too long after, there's brain damage. Just before the child separates from the mom, What happens through the umbilical cord, there is a blood transfusion pushed into the baby. This is amazing. And in the placenta of the woman, there are stored up nutrients just for that exact moment. Now you know what? David didn't know any of that. But when it comes down to how a baby is born, you know, we still don't know the fullness of all of that. But there are some things there I just said, that's the first time I'd read it. I never knew all that. But it just shows you how David says in another psalm, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know what? It's by the hand of the Creator. What amazing things. The cry that happens when the baby comes out, it displays God's power and God's wonder that a new life is coming to this world. Isn't that amazing? It's a phenomenon. It's a wonder of wonders. Yet we want to look at this from a different viewpoint because verse 2 actually is quoted over in the New Testament. I want you to notice what it says over in Matthew chapter 21. In Matthew chapter 21 and notice down in verse 16. In Matthew chapter 21, down in verse 16, the Word of God says, We'll back up to verse 15 to get into the context. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea, have you never read out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Here is perfect praise coming forth. Why is that? Because it's coming from children and it's coming from a sincere heart. They're praising the Son of God, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. God perfected praise through these young people. Look in Matthew 11 in verse 25. In Matthew 11, down in verse 25, The Word of God says, At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. It is God that gives the children ability to praise, and that praise is perfected through them by God. How amazing that is! Notice what the psalmist does. The psalmist keeps on saying in this psalm, he's pondering the greatness of God as he's looked out upon the earth and upon the heavens. And then he thinks about babes being born. Notice he goes back and considers the heavens. Now remember, David probably is writing and reflecting upon a time when he's watching over the flock of sheep. And he's out in the middle of the country and he sees all the handiwork of God without telescopes or anything like we saw in these pictures here. And he says, when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, Notice he's looking at the vastness of this universe and he calls it God's heavens. When I consider your heavens, it's the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you've ordained. It is God that put it in place. Then he says, as he thinks upon this, you look at that creation which we saw, which you cannot see even with a regular telescope from Earth. You gotta go millions of miles away from the Earth just to see that. You think about how small we are compared to all the cosmos. It's amazing. So David, just in his small view of what he's seeing and the vastness of it, he comes to the thought, what is man that you are mindful of him? Notice this verse. In verse 4, what is man? That word man is the Hebrew word enosh. Enosh actually means mortal man. It shows the mortality of man. And then he says, and the son of man that thou visitest him. The son of man, that's talking about Adama. That's the Hebrew word Adama where we get the word Adam. There's Enosh and Adam. Enosh means mortal. Adam means of the earth. What is the One who comes up from the earth, what is He that you're mindful of Him and that you would visit Him? It is amazing to think that God knows our each and every thought when He's got all these stars named. If you're like me, there's days I can't remember my name. And here's God. He's got all these stars memorized. He knows them all. He's created them all. And He knows not only your name, He knows your every thought. He knows the intent of the heart. Yes, even before a word hits your tongue, He knows what you're going to say. God is awesome and great in His greatness. The psalmist goes on to say, For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you've crowned him with glory and honor. I want you to ponder that thought for a moment. How are we made lower than angels? How are we made just a little lower than angels? Out of all of God's creation, It's human beings, people, men and women, children, that God's given the ability to reason and rationalize things, to think and to praise God. You know what? Animals can't do that. Fish, the birds, and all that kind of stuff, all these other creative things, they cannot do that. But God has given us that ability because we're created in the image of God. Yes, man has fallen, sin has entered into the world, but we're created in the image of God. And if you think about how we're created a little lower than angels, angels are definitely more mighty, more powerful. They're not confined to time like we are in space, but angels do not die. Even so, we do. There come appointed, appointed unto man wants to die. Listen to what the Word of God says over in the book of Hebrews. In the book of Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2 actually quotes this passage of scripture. And down in verse Verse 6 says, But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him? thou madest him a little lower than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory and honor, and hast set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, for in thou he put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him, but now we see not yet all things put under him." But what do we see? We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, notice what it says, for the suffering of death. How was Christ made a little lower than the angels? Because He took upon a human form, a body. Hast thou prepared for me? Therefore that body died. Angels do not die. Here what we see is the fulfillment of this passage of Scripture in Psalm 8 in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God says He was crowned with glory and honor that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. for it became Him for whom are all things, by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." So what we see is Psalm 8 is ultimately fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 6 is a continuation of what we just read there in Hebrews, "...thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep, oxen, yea, and the beast of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea." In other words, all creation is subject to man, but the problem is man has sinned. We can still see creation to some degree, as far as in the animal world, hides in subjection to man. That's why you've seen lion tamers, or you've seen, what is it, down in Sea World, the dolphins, you can see them actually trained to do certain things. But yet, because man has been tainted by sin, because sin has entered in, man is not fully over all the kingdom that God has given him. But ultimately what we see is one day that's going to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. When you see His creation and you see His greatness in all the space, and we just showed you a little portion of it. You've seen part of space many people haven't seen before because that's just recently come out. When you see all that, be aware of this, that that's the fingers of God. And when a child is brought into this world, it is God who forms it in the womb. He is the Creator. And yet, what we find in this passage of Scripture, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that you would visit him? Why would God become flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and come to this world that's full of sin? Everything's been affected by sin. Leaving that perfect environment in heaven to come to people such as you and I. What is man that you would visit him? Let me tell you it's because God loves us. And you know what? God loves us so much He's redeemed us. God didn't redeem the planets. Fallen angels aren't redeemed. Animals are not redeemed. But if you're a believer in Jesus Christ You are redeemed. You've been bought with a price. The precious blood of Christ. And because of what He has done, the Word of God tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ. In other words, one day we will inherit everything. we're gonna rule and reign with Christ, is what the Word of God tells us. Now you think about that. The God who's created this vastness, it seems like it doesn't end with galaxies and stars and stars and stars and more planets and galaxies and more and more and more. You think about, then God sets His heart upon you. He loves you. So much so that He sent His Son to this earth. to die for our sins. Barry rose again. You know what that ought to make you say? Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. And if you didn't get that, we'll start back at verse 1 and say, Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. You know what? To be an atheist, you've got to have a lot of faith. A lot of faith and a lot of baloney. It takes more faith to believe that garbage. Here, what God has given us is His Word. The truth of God's Word. The greatness of our God. as we see Him in His creation, as we see Him in the newborn that comes into this world. What an amazing God we have that He would visit us. We are so blessed. Let's have a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, How excellent is your name in all the earth. You truly have set your glory even above the heavens. And you have magnified your word even above your name. And Lord, when we consider your creation, we consider the sun, the moon, and then we go to the stars and all the constellations and the galaxies and the, oh Lord, how great. are your works. We think of a song, How Big is God? He's big enough to rule this mighty universe, yet he's small enough to live within our own hearts. Who are we that you should visit us? Lord, we pray that you would be glorified. in and through our lives so that others can see Christ in us. May we be a faithful witness to your glory and your greatness. For Christ's sake. Amen.