Notes for Teacher/Facilitator
Psalm 8 is a piece of poetry in which the psalmist reflects on creation, clearly connecting with many of the ideas found in Genesis 1-3. We see in both places that God is the creator and humanity is the created – a clear hierarchy is in place, God is on the top and humans aren’t! But we also see in both places, Psalm 8 and Genesis 1-3, that God has granted humanity great dignity, namely being the “rulers” of creation (Psalm 8.6 and Genesis 1.28). As followers of Jesus, we too have been “crowned with glory” and as such we have opportunities to declare how majestic God is where he has placed us, in our families, our jobs, our neighborhoods, etc.
Word Studies
Here are a few notes about particular words in this psalm:
- “Lord, our Lord” – This double title for God, “Yahweh, our Adonai”, highlights God’s particular relationship with Israel (Yahweh is the name God revealed to his people), while also declaring that God is Lord of all humanity (God is our Lord, the Lord of all).
- “Glory” – This word carries with it many different potential meanings but one that is instructive here has to do with weight. Imagine a bowling ball on a trampoline; it causes the trampoline to bend. Any other balls you throw on the trampoline will move toward it. God’s glory is like this; it has weight, it is attractive, it is valuable. And he crowns humans with glory as well, making us (when we submit to his wisdom) attractive and valuable too.
- “God” versus “gods” or “angels” in verse 5 – This word comes from the Hebrew word elohim and can be translated as “gods,” “angels,” or as a name for God. It seems to be best understood in connection with Genesis 1.27 where we are told that humanity is made in God’s image; not equal with God but created with great value!
- “Rulers” – Another connection with Genesis 1 is seen by the psalmist using this word. And that connection is with Genesis 1.28 where humans are given the responsibility to rule over creation. That same responsibility is noted here as well. It should be stated clearly, however, that our dominion over creation is limited; God has ultimate authority and he desires for us to act as rulers of creation in ways that demonstrate his great care and love for creation.
Introduction
- Open your class/community time with prayer. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal himself to all of you through the Scriptures and through your discussion together.
- Discuss last week’s challenge and encourage people to share how the challenge went for them.
- Read Psalm 8 in its entirety out loud. Ask the group to share any first impressions of the psalm and/or questions that may have arisen by reading the psalm. Write these impressions and questions down on a white board or large piece of paper and refer back to them often throughout the rest of your group time.
Bible Questions
- Why do you think the psalmist began and ended this poem with the exact same words in verses 1 and 9? What was he trying to highlight?
- Read verses 3-4. How does thinking carefully about all that God has created impact your understanding of human beings and our place in the universe?
- Look at the two times the word “glory” is used in this psalm (verses 1 and 5). What do they have to do with one another? Is the way that creation declares God’s glory different than the way human beings do? How so?
- How can we rule over the works of God’s hand responsibly?
Discussion Questions
- What does the word “majestic” mean? As a group, what are some ways that you find God to be majestic?
- As a community, how can we work together to remind each other that we have been crowned with glory and honor by God? And why is this truth sometimes hard to remember?
- Think about the places where you work, live, and play – how can you better demonstrate the glory that God has bestowed upon you in those places? What are the challenges? How might you face them? How might your community help?
Takeaway
We are made to make God’s glory know wherever he sends us!
Challenge
Find one way to demonstrate the glory that God has bestowed upon you this week to someone in your life. It can be big or small, it doesn’t matter. Come next week prepared to share with the group how this went!