Psalm 8

Psalm 8, O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength (praise),
Because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

We don’t think of this as a Christmas Psalm for it is not about Mary and Joseph or a manger, but it is about Jesus!

To both Mary and Joseph, God commanded that they name the Child Jesus.  And Paul reports that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:10).  O Lord, how excellent is Your name!  “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know!  Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go,” [words by Luther B. Bridgers].  Is that true with you this Christmas time?

“Out of the mouth of babes.”  Think about those first sounds from baby Jesus (Yes, baby Jesus cried!  “No crying He makes” is not human and Jesus was fully human!) – sounds that thrilled the Father, the angels, Mary and Joseph!  And early on, when talking, He exalted God and brought on God’s power over enemies.

Even as an infant, He was infinite.  Even swaddled tightly, He was holding the moon, stars, and galaxies in place.  I wonder what the moon was like that night?  Full, waxing, or waning?  Were the stars twinkling all the more?  (There was one very special star in the east.)  And our galaxy – was the Milky Way extra bright?  At His birth He was in control of them all.

How can it be that such a glorious and great God would stoop to our level of existence?  How is it that the Creator God would tabernacle in His sinful world?  But God looked upon His creation with love and pity and lowered Himself in order to redeem some to Himself!  Hallelujah!  Join the angelic chorus – “Glory to God!”

The Babe in the manger was ruling over the blue globe.  While we don’t know that there were animals present where He lay in the manger, there might have been.  Maybe sheep, maybe oxen, or maybe beasts of the field such as snakes and rodents or Rock Chucks.  Birds?  Maybe pigeons or sparrows or an owl.  Fish?  Maybe dried fish for food.

O Jesus, our Jesus – How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Jesus, may Your name be a rich part of every Christmas event this year.

Merry Christmas!