1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory
above the heavens.
I don’t know how old David was when he wrote this. He lived long enough to know that nobody he’s met matches up to the Lord. David made an idol of no one. God’s name is above all.
Notice there are two different words for Lord here. The first is in all caps. This is the name of God, Yahweh, or Jehovah if you prefer. The other is translated into Greek as Adonai, master. If you look at Genesis 1, you won’t find these terms used, but God. God there is Elohim, the creator God.
With Yahweh, David is using the covenant-making name of God. Through God, he conquered all these kings. He did what God commanded Joshua and the Israelites, to take possession of Israel, and God did His part of the bargain and supplied strength and wisdom to conquer.
Our God is a covenant-making God. He binds Himself to little ole us. Some companies feel over the moon if they enter into a contract to supply Google or Microsoft or the Queen with goods. God enters a contract … with us. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. So it was with David. So it is with us.
He set His glory above the heavens, David wrote. His name is unsullied by the sin that perverts this world. Hallowed be Thy name, the prayer says. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, the third commandment says. The Lord remains a pure light. His name is exalted above all other names in our Halls of Fame, above all we have ever given recognition to, in entertainment, sports, military, anything.
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