Psalms: A Guide To Prayer And Praise Session 2 - Psalm 19 Declaring God's Glory

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group studying the book Psalms: A Guide to Prayer and Praise by Ron Klug. The Psalms are some of the most widely read and best-loved portions of the Bible. For thousands of years these songs of faith have spoken to the hearts and minds of people around the world. The Psalms are songs–music our spirits sing to the Creator. They are poems–full of vibrant imagery and strong rhythms. And they are prayers–our deepest emotions expressed to the Lord who feels with us. Most importantly, the Psalms are God’s Word to us, revealing the truth about him and our relationship with him. Study along with us by getting a copy of the book by clicking this LINK or the image of the book at the end of the study notes. You can also hear the audio of each session of the study by clicking on the YouTube Thumbnail


Some things we have learned as we started this study, last week, are that the Psalms are songs, they are poetry, they are prayers, and they are God’s word. They are divided into various literary types. Some of the main styles include:

• hymns of praise 
• laments (a cry of pain or struggle from an individual or group)
• penitential psalms (a cry of remorse, seeking forgiveness)
• songs of thanksgiving 
• songs of trust
• wisdom psalms (expressing truths about life)

Last week we studied Psalm 8 which is a Psalm of praise. The theme of Psalm 8 is God’s glory and majesty and the elevation of man. Some have titled it “Man’s dignity and God’s glory” or God’s glory, man’s dignity” . Another description is God’s glory is magnified by His works and by His love to man.

Today we are going to study Psalm 19. This Psalm is similar to Psalm 8 because it also addresses God’s glory as it relates to creation.

1. Why is it that we don’t recognize God more often in the “common bushes” of life?

Because we have been taught how big and magnificent God is, and He is, we miss the “forest for the trees”. We want to make things too complex. The excerpt from Elizabeth Barrett Browning very appropriate.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven and every common bush aflame with God; but only those who see take off their shoes, the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”

Psalm 19:1-6 (NKJV)1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

2. What is the psalmist affirming in verses 1–4?
He is affirming that the creation itself declares God’s glory. Much like verse 3 of Psalm 8.

Psalm 8:3 NIV When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

The sheer vastness of outer space and the coordination of it all is astounding. If you could travel at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second, it would take you 8 minutes to get to the sun. To go from the sun to the center of the Milky Way would take about 33,000 years. The Milky Way belongs to a group of some 20 galaxies known as the Local Group. To cross that group, you’d have to travel for 2 million years. The Local Group belongs to the Virgo Cluster, part of an even larger Local Supercluster, which is a half-billion light years across. To cross the entire universe as we know it would take you 20 billion light years (National Geographic World [Jan., 1992], p. 15)!

What particular features of God's creation are mentioned?

The heavens and firmament.

What’s the difference if any in the firmament and heaven?

The firmament is the heavens or the sky, especially when regarded as a tangible thing.

Genesis 1:6-8 (NKJV)6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

• 
  
• The Atmospheric Heaven - The First Heaven

The atmospheric heavens include the air that we breathe as well as the space that immediately surrounds the earth. The technical term for this is the "troposphere." It extends about twenty miles above the earth. The space above this is called the "stratosphere." The Scripture uses the term heaven to describe this area.

Genesis 6:7 (ASV)7 And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Matthew 6:26 (NKJV)26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

•  The Celestial Heaven - The Second Heaven

This use of the term heaven refers to outer space or the stellar heaven. It includes the sun, moon, and stars.


Matthew 24:29 (NKJV)29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

• Heaven Of Heavens

The Scripture speaks of heavenly spheres beyond that which is visible from the earth. It is called the heaven of heavens.

Deuteronomy 10:14 (NKJV)14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.

Psalm 148:4 (NKJV)4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

• Heaven As The Home Of God - The Third Heaven

The Bible is clear that God cannot be limited to any one geographical place.

Yet Scripture also teaches us that there is a certain geographical place where God resides. It is also designated heaven.

Paul said he went to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NKJV)2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven.3 And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Hebrews 8:1 (NKJV)1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Acts 7:55-56 (NKJV)55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

The location of the abode of God is not revealed in Scripture.

3. How does the created universe “speak” to the world?

Romans 1:20-21 (NKJV)20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

4. The writer used two pictures to describe the movements of the sun. Why is the sun a good picture for describing and meditating on the glory of God?

Psalm 19:5 (NKJV)5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

First a bridegroom. The night before the wedding is one of anticipation and the morning of the wedding the bridegroom jumps out of bed excited about going to get his bride. During the time of David there was a big procession led by the bridegroom. in all the splendour of his bridal attire, in all the freshness of youthful vigour and buoyant happiness

Then the strong man excited about running a race. As a man who is vigorous and powerful, when he enters on a race. He is girded for it; he summons all his strength; he seems to exult in the idea of putting his strength to the test, and starting off on his career. The idea is that the sun seems to have a long journey before him, and puts forth all his vigour, exulting in the opportunity of manifesting that vigour, and confident of triumphing in the race.

5. What can we learn about God from the world of nature?

That God does exist.

Why doesn’t everyone, then, believe in God?

Romans 1:18-25 (NKJV)18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

To reject God, to turn away from the light, naturally brings darkness. This darkness came into their inner being—the mind, reasonings, emotions, etc. In their idolatry, i.e., in their creating substitutes for the being of God, they actually thought they were wise. Worthless thoughts quickly brought worthless objects of worship. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.

Psalm 19:7-14 (NKJV)7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

6. In verses 7–9, what names and adjectives are used to describe God’s law (his written revelation)?

• Perfect
• Sure
• Right
• Pure
• Clean
• True
• Righteous
• Testimony
• Statues
• Commandment
• Judgements

7. How does your present attitude toward the Bible compare with that of the writer of Psalm 19?

I agree. I go to the word to hear the will of God when making decisions or confirming or rejecting something I’ve seen or heard. I go there to find truth

8. What does God’s Word do for us, according to each of these verses?

Gives direction.

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Creates and sustains faith

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Judges actions

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

9. In verses 10 and 11, what are the psalmist’s ultimate conclusions about the value of the Word of God?

It is invaluable, indescribable, and there is great reward in meditating, knowing, and obeying it.

10. It’s been observed that the knowledge of God has been revealed to us in two ways: in nature as well as in the written Word. Both of these are essential to our knowledge and understanding of God. Do you agree?

Yes

11. What is the difference between the two kinds of sin mentioned in verses 12 and 13?

Psalm 19:12-13 (NKJV)12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

The two types are secret faults and presumptuous sins

Secret faults are sins that we commit that we do not see or recognize as sins. We commit them not knowing we have committed sin. Nevertheless, we are still held accountable for our actions, and we will eventually pay the penalty. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Presumptuous sins are willful sins, ones we do knowing that they are sin before we commit them. Such willful sins, depending on one's attitude, can be spiritually very dangerous.

Under the sacrificial system there was no sacrifice for presumptions sin.

Numbers 15:30‭-‬31 NIV “ ‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the Lord ’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.’ ”

The word presumption does not quite mean in Hebrew what it does in English. In English, it simply means "to assume," to take a matter upon oneself without considering all the factors and doing it. However, in the Old Testament, it carries the idea of acting arrogantly—of rebellion. In fact, it means to do something with audacity or to be headstrong. It refers to those who overstep their bounds or dare to act in a disobedient manner. A willfulness is implied in the word that is not contained in English, making it much more forceful.

How does God deal with our hidden faults?

Thank God for Jesus

Romans 7:21‭-‬25 NIV So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

He forgives us. When we acknowledge that we are sinners and ask for God’s forgiveness through Jesus and His sacrifice.

Ephesians 1:7-10 (NKJV)7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.

When we sin He forgives us.

1 John 1:7 (NKJV)7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

12. How does the prayer in verse 14 relate to these areas of sin?
Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Having prayed that God would keep him from sinful actions, he now prays that God would govern, and sanctify his words and thoughts: and this was necessary to preserve him from presumptuous sins, which have their first rise in the thoughts. Redeemer - This expression seems to be added emphatically, and with special respect to Christ, to whom alone this word Goel can properly belong.

Bible Study Audio

Psalms: A Guide To Prayer And Praise - Session 1 Psalm 8

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group studying the book Psalms: A Guide to Prayer and Praise by Ron Klug. The Psalms are some of the most widely read and best-loved portions of the Bible. For thousands of years these songs of faith have spoken to the hearts and minds of people around the world. The Psalms are songs–music our spirits sing to the Creator. They are poems–full of vibrant imagery and strong rhythms. And they are prayers–our deepest emotions expressed to the Lord who feels with us. Most importantly, the Psalms are God’s Word to us, revealing the truth about him and our relationship with him. Study along with us by getting a copy of the book by clicking this LINK or the image of the book at the end of the study notes. You can also hear the audio of each session of the study by clicking on the YouTube Thumbnail

Don't Heap up Empty Phrases in Prayer?

Mike Fabarez

Jesus said that when we pray we should “not heap up empty phrases” (Matthew 6:7). Later he lamented a hypocritical form of worship by quoting the indictment that first came through Isaiah: “These people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew15:8).

We must be so careful when we bow our heads to pray, or lift our voices to sing. God is not impressed when we utter mere words such as “Praise the Lord!” or “Hallelujah!” He is looking for worshippers whose spirits (i.e., minds, hearts, and thoughts) are engaged in expressing the meaning of those words

John 4:23 NIV Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

It is easy to melodically recite lyrics of Christian songs, but it takes concentration, sincerity and thoughtfulness to truly worship in song. We should never hide behind fine sounding words while our minds wander through a set of thoughts about something else.

This is a special challenge when someone else is leading us in prayer during a church service or at a Bible study. Those words coming from the one composing and vocalizing the prayer must be echoed in our own minds and then thoughtfully directed to God from our own hearts. When we are leading in prayer or praying privately, we must be careful to never “heap up empty phrases” which our minds never grasp or our hearts never direct to God.

Real prayer and real worship require our minds. Don’t switch them off. Don’t let them wander. God deserves our full attention and desires our attentive communication.

Taken from “Empty Phrases ” by Focal Point Ministries (used by permission).

PSALMS ARE SONGS

The book of Psalms was the hymnbook of the Old Testament. The word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “songs sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.”

The book of Psalms is sometimes also referred to as the Psalter, which comes from a word for a stringed instrument or songs accompanied by stringed instruments.

Psalms were sung in the temple in Jerusalem and later in synagogue worship. Since New Testament times, psalms have also been at the center of Christian worship. Martin Luther turned psalms into hymns to be sung by the congregation. In our day composers have set psalms to folk or jazz or rock music.

PSALMS ARE POETRY

C. S. Lewis wrote: “Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems, as lyrics, with all the licenses and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood.

Parallelism

Almost all psalm verses are divided into two parts. Often the second half of a verse repeats the thought of the first half, expressing the thought in a parallel but slightly different way. A few examples will make this clear:

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (Psalm 2:4)

The earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)

Sometimes the second half of a verse, rather than repeating the thought of the first half, offers a contrast:

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:6)

At other times the second statement merely completes the thought of the first one:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. (Psalm 19:7)

Imagery

Simile (comparisons with as or like):

Psalm 1:1‭-‬3 NIV Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord , and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

As the deer pants for streams of water,so my soul pants for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1)

Metaphor (direct comparison):

The LORD God is a sun and shield. (Psalm 84:11)

Hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point):

All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. (Psalm 6:6)

PSALMS ARE PRAYERS

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Christian pastor executed by the Nazis in 1945, called Psalms “the prayer book of the Bible.” In the psalms God speaks his Word to us, and we in turn can use psalms to speak his Word back to him in prayer.

PSALMS ARE GOD’S WORD TO USE

Psalms are more than beautiful poetry and lovely songs. For thousands of years people have heard God speaking to their human situations through psalms. They tell us the truth about ourselves, our nature, our troubles, our hopes, our frustrations, or pain. They tell us the truth about God—what he is like and what he wants of us and for us. And perhaps more than any other part of the Bible, the book of Psalms speaks of our relationship with God, the intimate personal knowing that can happen between a human being and the God who is Creator and Lord of all.

Like all of the Bible, psalms are the Word of God expressed in the words of people. God used human writers in a variety of situations to express his truth. Almost half of the 150 psalms are attributed to David.

Scholars have recognized that psalms can be divided into various literary types. Some of the main styles include:

• hymns of praise 
• laments (a cry of pain or struggle from an individual or group)
• penitential psalms (a cry of remorse, seeking forgiveness)
• songs of thanksgiving 
• songs of trust
• wisdom psalms (expressing truths about life)

We are going to look at examples of each style throughout the study.

PSALM 8

Psalm 8:3-4

A Psalm of praise.

1. How has nature helped you think about and/or worship God?

Looking at the oceans or the mountains especially after it snows, or a beautiful valley like the one that I saw in Arizona after cresting a mountain highway and looking out over the view, or I look at the sky at night especially away from the city. it shows how great a creator God is and how insignificant I seem.

Psalm 8:1-9 (NKJV)1 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, 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!

2. What is the theme of this psalm as stated in the opening and closing verses?

The Theme is the majesty of God. The greatness of God’s name.

The Hebrew word translated excellent is ʾaddîr (pronounced ad-deer) means wide or (general) large; figurative powerful :- excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty (-ier, one), noble, principal, worthy.

Magnificent" or "majestic" would be a better translation than excellent and it’s translated that way in many translations

mag·nif·i·cent
impressively beautiful, elaborate, or extravagant; striking.

synonyms: splendid, spectacular, impressive, striking, glorious, superb, majestic, awesome, awe-inspiring, breathtaking

very good; excellent

Psalm 8:1‭-‬9 NIV Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Lord is translated Jehovah or Yahweh in some translations so it Jehovah or Yahweh our Lord how excellent or magnificent is your name.

His name refers to the perfection of His attributes and the mightiness of His deeds. In other words, God’s name refers to who He is and what He has done, as revealed in His Word. David also says that the majesty of God’s name is seen in all the earth and above the heavens.

What do these words mean to you personally?

3. How could the praise of children be a defense against God’s enemies (verse 2)?

We praise God for who He is so children would recognize that. Just as they look at their parents to protect them from everything they have no doubt that they can’t protect them. Their parents have protected them in the past so they don’t give it a second thought. Confidence can be a big defense especially against God’s enemies because all they have in their arsenal is fear, and praise can destroy fear because it’s entire focus is on God.

Matthew 21:15-16 (NKJV)15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"

4. Why may children be able to perceive God’s glory more readily than adults?

Children aren’t looking for anything special. They are just in awe of what the see. They are not looking under the rocks or behind the trees trying to find the source of all the glory they just accept it.

Thus the Lord overcomes His enemies by the marvel of little children and the praise that they sing in their simple faith.

God uses otherwise weak things to display His glory and strength.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Have you seen this happen in your own experience with children? Give examples.

We have seen examples here at CDG with our children. They are eager to learn more about God and to be more like Him in their interaction with others. We also see how enthusiastic they are in preparing and then performing at Christmas and Easter.

5. When the psalmist contemplated the moon and stars, what question came to his mind?

When man (ʾenôsh, frail man) is compared with all of the expanse above, now insignificant he seems. He is truly just the son of mankind (ʾādām, generic man).

6. Why might the stars make a person feel small or insignificant?

With the naked eye, one can see about 5,000 stars. With a four-inch telescope one can see about 2 million stars. With a 200-inch mirror of a great observatory, one can see more than a billion stars. The universe is so big that if one were to travel at the speed of light, it would take 40 billion years. Considering the heavens makes us see the greatness of God.

David also considers God’s splendor above the heavens. Of course, he had no telescopes to show him how big the universe is. What would he have thought if he knew what we know! The sheer vastness of outer space and the coordination of it all is astounding. If you could travel at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second, it would take you 8 minutes to get to the sun. To go from the sun to the center of the Milky Way would take about 33,000 years. The Milky Way belongs to a group of some 20 galaxies known as the Local Group. To cross that group, you’d have to travel for 2 million years. The Local Group belongs to the Virgo Cluster, part of an even larger Local Supercluster, which is a half-billion light years across. To cross the entire universe as we know it would take you 20 billion light years (National Geographic World [Jan., 1992], p. 15)!

Compared to the vastness of the universe, what is man that God thinks of us, much less that He cares for us!

7. What answer did the psalmist give to his own question in verse 4?

The question in verse 4 is with all the vastness of creation why is man so significant? Why do You even spend time with him. The answer that David gives to his own question is that God has really elevated man. The fact that he is just a little lower than the angels puts him up pretty high in status On top of that He has given man dominion over everything connected with the earth. All the plants and animals.

What other answers to this question might be given by a scientist, a philosopher, or a person on the street?

Man has accomplished some remarkable feats in gaining dominion over creation. Think of all of the wonders of modern science, including the advances in medical science. And yet, all of these accomplishments are tainted by sin. Proud man boasts in them and does not acknowledge that the ability to discover scientific facts has been given to him by God. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, proud modern man uses his scientific breakthroughs to proclaim his independence from God. With a few more breakthroughs, we can cure all our diseases and live forever!

But science cannot reconcile us to God. So what did God do? He sent His own Son, the Son of Man, to provide the sacrifice for our sins and to fulfill Psalm 8 in a way that we cannot. Hebrews 2 cites Psalm 8:4-6 and then applies it to Jesus (Heb. 2:9): “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Leupold summarizes (p. 101), “man as created reflects God’s glory. But the Son of man, in whom the original pattern is more fully realized, reflects this same glory far more perfectly.”

So David tells us to worship the Lord because although we are puny and insignificant, He has graciously thought of us and cared for us. Although we marred God’s image through sin, God has restored it in Jesus Christ. In Him, we are again crowned with glory and majesty. - From a commentary on Bible.org - God’s Majesty and Ours

8. What does it mean for us to rule over God’s creation?

Good rulers care for their subjects. They protect them and provide for them in times of need. They are really stewards or managers (administrators).

9. How does our ruling over nature relate to current ecological problems and the use of Earth’s resources?

We are not doing a very good job. We are not replacing what we use. We are over using some of our natural resources and wasting others.

10. After describing our exalted role in the universe, to what theme did the psalmist return?

Yes God exalted us to the role of caring for His creation but He is still the Creator and He is majestic.

Why did he stress that the God of creation is our Lord?

The refrain calls man back to the majesty of God lest he become absorbed in thoughts of personal grandeur. Man has dignity, but God alone is majestic.

11. How could the psalmist have such a positive and high view of human beings?

12. In what way does this passage change or affect your own view of humanity?

13. What insights does this psalm give you into the purpose of your life?

Bible Study Audio

Praise God And Thank Him: Biblical Keys For A Joyful Life - Session 2

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group is going through the book Praise God and Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life by Jeff Cavins. The Bible holds many keys for living a joyful life, and praise and thanksgiving are two of the most powerful. Biblical praise can transform any difficulty and lead to a deeper trust in God.Thanksgiving—the attitude of gratitude—is a natural expression of praising God we should incorporate it into our lives.  Study along with us by getting a copy of the book by clicking this LINK or the image of the book at the end of the study notes.  You can also hear the audio of each session of the study by clicking on the YouTube Thumbnail  

In our last study, Prayer Warrior Praying Your Way To Victory, we talked a lot about spiritual warfare.

Something that I read this past week;

Partnering with the Truth in the Middle of Your Battles

from Stronger than the Struggle by Havilah Cunnington.


Have you ever asked the question, “If I’m following Christ, why do I still struggle?” or, “Is it normal to feel like I’m in a battle while following Jesus?” Whew! Me too. I’ve learned to ask, “Where is this battle coming from and is it coming from God, myself, or the devil?” Knowing its origin always gives me a better battle plan.

Here are a few battlegrounds we can find ourselves occupying.

Internal Battleground

Once we accept our new identities in Christ, our battles will most often originate from inside.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP)
I love how this verse reads: “He is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit].”

As soon as we receive Jesus, we become entirely new people. The Bible says our spirits suddenly become alive for the first time. If invited, the Holy Spirit will live inside of us. His primary purpose is to affirm what God is saying to us through his Word. We are reborn, born again!

But even with the Holy Spirit living in us, the Christian life is not always as easy as we assume. Have you ever felt as if it isn’t entirely working for you the way it is supposed to? Have you ever thought someone else got more God than you did? I know I have — but why? It’s because our minds, thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs must also be renewed. Yes! Our spirits want to agree with God, but our old lifestyles and habits of sin can trick us into believing we are not yet free. They lie to us.

Our quickest and most potent weapon, then, is to agree with truth. It really is that simple.

We need to ask ourselves, What does God say about me? If you know what He says, then you’ll know how to do battle with what’s coming out of the old you. It’s no wonder the Word says in

John 8:32 (NIV) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

External Battleground

Sometimes the struggle merely happens because we live in a fallen world. Matthew 5:45 (NLT) says,

Your Father in Heaven… sends rain on the just and the unjust alike which means no one is untouchable.

Each of our lives is and will be touched by pain, sickness, and death. Life happens. Evil persists. The Devil is real. The fact that we face hard things doesn’t always mean we are guilty of a specific crime.

Suffering only confirms that an active battle still separates us from God.

It’s important to remember, God doesn’t remove our power to choose good or evil. Our choice is vital to God’s supernatural eco-system because without choice there is no such thing as real love. Everyone must have an authentic opportunity to choose Him or to choose evil. And sometimes this means other people will choose evil. We have no power over other people’s choices.

Many of our battles are the results of people’s wrong decisions, as they give themselves over to Satan’s darkness. Their decisions have consequences that affect us no matter how much we are relying on God’s guidance.

So whether our struggles are internal or external, what are we to do when faced with them? We make a conscious choice to partner with the truth. We can ask Holy Spirit, “What are You saying to me?” and “What do I need to know in the darkness?”

Last night, in the middle of my battle, I heard Him speak to me. “Havilah, you are enough, what you have is enough, and you have all you need.” It was like a breath of fresh air. Reciting this truth in my head, over and over, letting the words sink deep below the surface. “Yes, I am enough! I have ALL I need and what I have is enough. Everything You gave me is working perfectly on the inside of me.” Suddenly there was peace.

Now to our discussion about praise.

A little review of some of the things we talked about last week.

The Bible holds many keys for living a joyful life, and praise and thanksgiving are two of the most powerful. Praise is like power steering—once you begin to praise, things get easier. If you just sit and complain, everything is harder.

There Will Always Be Problems

Life will never be problem free. Look at what happens in the world on any given week—wars, terrorist attacks, government shutdowns, natural disasters, horrific accidents, violent crime. Individuals are faced with job loss, serious illness, and family tragedies. Problems are a fact of life.

When people are faced with obstacles or problems, they might respond positively, or they might respond negatively, or they might choose to do nothing. But they will respond. Some deny that the problem exists. Others run away from their problems. Still others look for someone else to blame.

In the Bible there are those who choose to respond positively to devastating situations: Job is just one example.

Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Job 13:15 NIV

I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. Job 19:25 NIV

There are also examples of those who responded negatively to their situations like King Saul when facing the Philistines.

1 Samuel 28:3‭-‬8 NIV Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

It’s not a question of if we are going to respond, but how we respond to our problems and obstacles that will determine whether we are successful in our walk with God or whether we will become even more frustrated with the difficulties that we face.

The Best Response

There are plenty of inferior ways to respond to problems and handle the stress in your life. You can respond by yelling or by throwing something. You might turn to alcohol or become addicted to social media and the Internet. But we want to learn God’s prescribed way of dealing with difficulties which is praise and thanksgiving.

In order for him to act in your life, some things are required of you. First and foremost is your cooperation.

The prophet Hosea said; Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you. (Hosea 10:12)

If You Feel Hopeless…

No matter what the difficulty is, know this: God is with you and wants to be active in the details of your life. He knows your situation and wants to go through it with you. He doesn't want you to go through it alone.

God has something greater than the answers you hear in the world. Today, on television, radio, print media, and the Internet, we are faced with a plethora of life coaches, mentors, pop psychologists, all purporting to solve our challenges and bring us peace and prosperity. Too often, though, all of these various experts lack the power to follow through on their own advice. In the end, they offer simplistic solutions to complex problems.


Praise is creating space in your life for God to do what you are hoping and dreaming he will do. Always remember: With God, nothing is impossible. All things are possible!

Matthew 19:23‭-‬26 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

To Praise God You Have To Really Know Him

There is no shortcut to a deep meaningful relationship with another person. Just as a newly married couple must spend hours, days, and years with each other if they are going to hope to really know each other. so the Christian must spend lots of time interacting with God, listening and speaking to him in prayer and reading and meditating in His Word. When we know what He has done in the past we learn how he will respond in any situation.

In other words, when we spend time with God in prayer and study, we learn what His plans for us are.

Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬13 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

This is actually a very powerful thought: We can know the plan of God and the heart behind the plan which is a heart of love.

1 John 3:1‭-‬3 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Romans 8:37‭-‬39 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul put it this way;

1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

In other words, we have some understanding as to how God thinks. Now, that is valuable in tough situations!

You don’t want to wait until some calamity comes upon you to discover that you don’t really know God.

Praise involves knowing who God is in your life and what He has done for you.

Here is an example of what I mean from a story that read while studying praise. It's from a book written by an author by the name of Jeff Cavins, “Praise God and Thank Him”:

Two neighborhood bullies tricked him into climbing on the roof of their garage and then took the ladder away now I’m quoting from the book:

There I was, stranded on the roof—afraid, embarrassed, panicked. So what did I do? Our house was just a few doors down from the Zimmermans, so I went to the edge off that roof and yelled as loud as I could, “Dad! Dad!” I didn’t yell, “Bob Cavins!” I yelled out according to my relationship with Bob Cavins: “Dad!” The Zimmermans mocked me. “Go ahead, call your daddy.” I didn’t care—I Just yelled louder. And a few minutes later, my dad came flying around the back of that house, and the Zimmerman boys took off. My dad put the ladder back in place, and I came down off that roof and into his arms.

Why did I call my dad? I knew that if he heard me, he would come. He had always been there for me in the past. He was faithful. I knew my dad, and I knew his previous actions. Would I have called for him if I had thought he would see me there and say, “You deserve to be there; you are such a dummy. Look at you!”? No. I called on him because I knew he loved me and would help me in spite of my own foolishness. It’s the same way with God. When we know him, we have confidence that, no matter what befalls us, even when it’s our own doing, he will be there for us, full of love and mercy.

Biblical Praise Has Substance

Knowing the answers to the Who is this Jesus? Why am I praising him? What has he done? questions is absolutely necessary in praise.

Here are the answers to those questions:

“Lord, I praise you because you are so faithful, and you have never let your people down.


You are the one who created the stars and the moon.

You created this earth

You are the one that came into this world in the midst of darkness and despair and defeated sin, death, and hell.

You stood against the devil when he tried to tempt you, and you defeated him with your word.”

We praise him because we know him and know what he can and will do. This kind of praise declares who God is, what he has done in the past, and our confidence in him today.

Learning the Language of Praise

Praise is more than catchphrases, such as “Praise you, Lord! Praise you, Lord—hallelujah!Glory to God! Thank you, Jesus!”

Although these words are often incorporated into praise, biblical praise is more than that. Biblical praise describes who God is and what he has done. Praise is descriptive, based on truth, and from the heart. Knowledge of God and the vocabulary to describe it only comes from spending in His Word. Our praise should be filled with Scripture and truth.

Psalm 119:160 NIV All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

Seeing Life from God’s Perspective

When we praise God, we also make a declaration of who we are in light of him. We assess who we are in Christ. That means that when we praise him, we move from our limited power to his unlimited power. We trade our limited wisdom for his infinite wisdom and our limited experience for his unlimited experience. We move from our perspective to his perspective. We begin to see life through his eyes because we trust what He has said in His Word.

Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬12 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

A Life of Praise

Everyone, well almost everyone, agrees that praise is good. When we’re happy we praise God but, when we’re not happy we don’t praise….. we pray We should do both. We don’t feel any responsibility to praise God when things aren’t going good. We think that praise is just a response to what happens. That’s not true.

Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Praise is not what happens afterwards it’s what happens before. Praise is the engine that causes everything else to move.

Remember Paul and Silas?

Acts 16:22-26 (NKJV)22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

Your faith in God is enhanced with praise. Praise affects you, and it affects God.

Psalm 22:3 (KJV)3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Praise touches everything and every part of your life. A lack of praise affects you in a negative way because praise takes the focus off you and places it on God. Lives that are not constant with praise and thanksgiving are not spiritually healthy.

So in summary;

• Praising God is more than merely using trite, superficial catch phrases.

• When we understand who God is and what he does, our praise vocabulary grows and deepens.

• We can have complete confidence in God—he is never arbitrary or capricious.


• Biblical praise engages both our mind and our heart.


• Praising God enables us to see life from his perspective.

Praise is not the thing that comes when everything's going right in our lives; it is the driving force of our lives. When we start praising God in the middle of our problems, our problems become so small that we hardly remember them at all, they become an afterthought in the wake of our praise.

Bible Study Audio