“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”
(Psalm 8:1)
In the language of Scripture, the name of God represents the character and person of God as He reveals Himself to His people. For example, when David cries out in Psalm 8 that the name of the LORD is excellent in all the earth, he is proclaiming the significance, beauty, and reality of who God is as He has made Himself known.
The third commandment forbids taking the name of the Lord in vain, not because the words are sacred in themselves but because God is. The Psalms praise the greatness of His name, which represents the greatness of His revealed majesty. Proverbs speaks of the name of the Lord as a strong tower, because the God who bears that name saves His people. In all these places, His name becomes another way of speaking about God Himself.
In biblical thought, a person’s name reflected their nature and character. To know a name was, in some sense, to know the person. This is why Scripture speaks so carefully about God’s name. The name of God is His self-revelation … not as He exists in the depths of His being but as He comes near and makes Himself known to man.
And in order to reveal different aspects of Himself to us through His many names, He uses common language and earthly relations and names that directly address our weaknesses. God in His fullness is infinitely incomprehensible to us, so if He refused to speak in ways we could understand we would know nothing of Him at all.
Thus, the name of God encompasses not only what we call Him but what He is like.[1] His attributes belong to His name. His power, holiness, wisdom, mercy, and faithfulness are not separate from who He is. Even the personal names of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit belong to this self-revelation. God is not silent about Himself. He is not hidden behind an impenetrable wall. He has spoken, and His name has gone out into all the earth.
He binds His name to His covenant, His worship, His promises, and His people. His glory is set above the heavens, yet His name is known in all the earth. That is the wonder Psalm 8 celebrates. The God whose glory towers over all creation has chosen to be known, invoked, trusted, and praised by those who dwell in it.
Contemplations:
- The weight of God’s Name. Lord, this passage in Psalm 8 reminds me that Your name indicates Your revealed presence as well as Your character. So to speak Your name is to speak of You as You have made Yourself known. Help me recover a proper sense of awe and reverence for Your name when it is heard and spoken.
- God’s willingness to be known. It amazes me that You, who are beyond comprehension, chose to make Yourself known at all. You did not have to speak. You did not have to reveal Your name. Yet You did. How often I take that for granted. I forget that every true thought I have of You rests on Your decision to come down to my level and speak in ways I can grasp.
- The limits of my understanding. I am reminded that Your names teach me of You, but not completely. So I need to remember that what I know of You is because You revealed Yourself to me and not because I figured You out. That should make me careful, patient, and humble in how I speak of You.
- Praise rooted in revelation. David’s praise in Psalm 8 flows from what You have shown of Yourself, revealed in Your names which are excellent because You are excellent. True praise rises when I remember who You have declared Yourself to be.
Prayer (Adoration)
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. You are higher than the heavens, yet You have made Yourself known. Your glory stands above all creation, and still You speak in ways that reach the hearts of those who dwell within it. That alone deserves endless praise.
I adore You as the God who reveals Himself. You are not silent. You are not distant. You have made Your name known as a declaration of who You are. When Scripture speaks Your name, it speaks of Your holiness, Your power, Your faithfulness, and Your mercy together. I praise You that You have bound Your name to Your works, Your promises, and Your people.
I adore You for Your condescension. You are beyond all limits, yet You chose to speak in human language so that we might truly know You. You have stooped without diminishing Yourself. You have made Yourself known without ceasing to be infinite. I praise You that Your greatness is not threatened by Your nearness, and that Your majesty is not reduced by Your mercy.
I adore You for the richness of Your self-revelation. You have given us many names, each showing something true, each guarding us from false ideas about You. You have shown Yourself as faithful, righteous, merciful, and mighty. You have revealed Yourself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I praise You that Your name is full of life and truth.
I adore You for the way Your name fills the earth. Your glory is set above the heavens, and Your name is proclaimed among men. Wherever Your name is honored, there You are known as You truly are. That is grace beyond measure.
Receive my praise, Lord, because it is right for the creature to honor the Creator. Teach my heart to speak Your name with reverence, trust, and joy. Let my worship be shaped by who You have revealed Yourself to be, and let Your excellent name be my refuge and delight.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Psalm 8:1:
Psalm 113:4; Exod. 15:11; Hab. 3:3; Psalm 57:5
[1] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 47–48.
