Psalm 8 is one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible. I love how it exalts and glorifies God and shows that, even though He is mighty and holy and we are insignificant sinners, He loves us. Today, though, I want to focus on the first part of the first verse, wherein apposition is found. Apposition is the renaming of a noun by another noun adjacent to it. A good example is found in verse three of this Psalm: When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained. "Thy heavens" is renamed as "the work of thy fingers" and "the moon and the stars". The last two phrases are appositives of the first. It could also be something like "My uncle Ben." Ben would be the appositive of uncle.
With the first four words of this passage, David takes the subject "Lord" and renames it as "our Lord". What a blessing it is not only to know that God is supreme Lord of this universe, ruling and reigning in perfect sovereignty, but that He is our Lord! He loves us, and we are His people. He is our King and Magistrate who reigns over us in love and holiness. What better Ruler to have?
However, if you've never been saved, then you cannot claim God as your Lord. Yes, He rules over everything, but you have never accepted Him as your King. You are rebellious against the One who created you and sustains you every day, who holds all of existence in the palm of His hand, who has all power in Heaven and earth. What a terrible, frightening thing. Also, He loves you. He does not want you to rebel against Him and go to Hell. He wants for you a life full of joy and blessing, led by the Holy Spirit. He wants to restore a broken relationship between Himself and you. He wants to grace your life with His Spirit every day. He wants to give you an eternal hope in an eternal home in Heaven built by an eternal Savior. If you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, humble yourself before Him and do so. All it takes is belief in His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins and asking God for forgiveness.
If you have been saved and can claim God as Lord, then rejoice! There is no greater gift and joy you can possibly have. And go tell the world about Jesus, the only Way to Heaven. Spread the Gospel. The King has commanded it, and we should obey Him, but, more importantly, we should do it out of love for Him and the lost we hope to see saved.
Lastly, there are multitudes of other appositives that could have been used in this Psalm. Throughout the Bible are scattered hundreds of names for God, and even more have been put down in hymns, poems, or other works to God. Some of my favorites: Father, Fairest of ten thousand to my soul, my all in all, the strength of my life and the joy of my salvation, Alpha and Omega, the Father of mercies, author of eternal salvation, my dearest Friend, my first Love. And there are many more. Through these names, God displays His variety and ability to overcome any problem and fulfill any need. When you need something, call on God by whatever name will help you most, and He will be just that. Need wisdom or guidance? Consult the omniscient Counselor. Need peace? Call on the Prince of Peace. Need rest or protection? Run to your strong Tower. Need food, or shelter, or money? Ask the great Provider.
Now here's a challenge: Let's try and fill up the comments section with as many names as we can think of for God, or our favorite names for Him. I've given you mine above. Now it's your turn.
Rejoice in the names of the Lord!
Some of my favorite of God's names are: provider, Lord of Hosts, Creator, and Lover of my soul.
ReplyDeleteThose are great, especially Lover of my soul. That really expresses the intimate relationship we should have with God, and how His love is limitless, reaching to the very depths of our soul, the core of our being. Thanks, Josiah!
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