“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” – Psalm 8:9

This psalm of David praises God’s creative works. This final verse is nearly a complete repetition of the first verse of the psalm. Beginning and ending the psalm with the majesty of God’s “name in all the earth” emphasizes the author’s desire for God’s work with his elect people to be seen by the nations and bring great glory to the Father. Calling for the world to be attracted to God by seeing his grace toward Israel is a repetitive theme in the OT. The holiness and favor toward Israel was intended to draw the world to Yahweh.

As we humble ourselves before God we do so in submission and reverence to his perfect name. Bowing before the Creator and submitting to his will is contrary to our modern western culture, but a bold sign of our commitment to our Savior. John Owen said, “Constant, abiding reverence of God will help the soul in this universal resignation, and humbling of itself. Now, this reverence of God is an awful spiritual regard of the majesty of God, as he is pleased to concern himself in us, and in our walking before him, on the account of his holiness, greatness, omniscience, omnipresence, and the like.”[1] The world witnesses our submission to the Lord and he receives a fitting tribute to his limitless majesty.

It is unfortunate, yet undeniable, the world judges Christ through the actions of his disciples. The author of grace should be viewed by the limitless mercy he dispenses and not the actions of the sinners to whom he dispenses it. The world is looking at you. When the nations see you, they should see God’s mercy and justice coming from your mouth and hands. When you sin before the world, let the world see your Creator’s grace has made you quick to apologize, eager to reconcile, and enthusiastic to love those hard to love.

[1] John Owen, The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, vol. 9 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, n.d.), 120.