Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - June 6, 2021

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on Psalm 8.

What’s in a name?  Shakespeare answered that a rose by any other name will smell as sweet.  You can call a rose a rock but the characteristics of the rose, it’s color, it’s bearing and it’s scent will not be changed just by calling it a rock.  In other words - if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck, then it is a duck.  But, names ARE how we are usually identified.  Sometimes if you want to be an actor, the name that your parents gave you may not suit you want to be known as an actor.  So you change your name.  If your name was Bernard Swartz, not exactly a romantic sounding name, you change it to Tony Curtis.  Our parents give us a name and we are generally stuck with it for the rest of our lives.  If you had the chance, what name would you like to have been given?

I was born in the depression and I guess my parents thought that Jimmy sounded like a safe and secure name.  In fact a lot of boys then were named Jimmy.  And that is all right.  I just wish that they could have given more thought to my middle name.  It has been an embarrassment that has followed me all of my life.  What cruel parent would name a little boy “Meador” unless they thought he was destined to be a butler?  To make matters worse, they misspelled it on my birth certificate.  Instead of spelling it M-E-A-D-O-R like it was on every other document concerning me including my draft registration and social security card, they spelled it M-E-A-D-O-W on my birth certificate.  The problem with the spelling came because I was named after a rich uncle who happened to have became rich in gambling.  In those days he frequently changed the spelling of his last name from M-E-A-D-O-R to M-E-A-D-O-W to M-E-A-D-O-W-S to M-E-A-D-O-U-S to confuse nosy law enforcement officers.  I finally had my name legally changed to M-E-A-D-O-R to agree with all of the documents that I had signed over the years.  I had my chance to get rid of Meador once and for all and I blew it. But, really I was lucky.  The Rudiger clan had a penchant for naming boys Burnley and Livious.  Believe me, there are enough Burnleys and Livoius Rudigers in the world without me joining them.  But when it comes to the name I really like, the one I liked best was the name given to Jackie’s grandfather, Clay.  With a name like Clay, I could imagine ridding down the oak lined road to Tara with my head held high.

Jews treated names a little differently than we do.  For them names described something about the person, a characteristic, a physical condition.  In fact if a stronger characteristic surfaced later, they thought nothing of changing the name.  For example, when Abraham and Sarah found out that they were going to become parents, they didn’t sit down with a book of good Jewish names for their child.  Considering how old they were, they sat there and nearly died laughing at the thought of having a child.  So when their son was born, they named him Isaac which literally means “he laughs”.  Now consider what Isaac had to go through as a kid.  When the other kids chose up sides, there was always a snicker when the head of one team announced that he was picking “laughing boy.”  

Isaac grows up and marries Rachel and they have twins.  But, the birth had a an odd feature.  As the first son was born the second one came along hanging onto the heel of the first son.  Now the first son was a hairy little rascal so his parents named him Esau which means “hairy”.  They named the second son who came out holding on to the first son’s heel, Jacob which means “he who grabs”.  Later, Jacob wrestled with an angel and was renamed Israel which means “a guy who fights with God”. 

Now-a-days, the closest we come to naming someone for a characteristic of the person is when we come up with nicknames.  It isn’t hard sometimes to see where the nick name came from when we see someone called “Skinny”, “Stretch”, “Fatty”, “Specks” or “Red”.  I don’t even want to imagine how a guy got the name of “Stinky”.  Did you ever have a nick name when you were growing up?

In today’s  study we look at the most important name of all.  God’s name and what it meant to the psalmist.  If you are wondering who the palmist was, he was David.

What do you know about the Book of Psalms?  (1) It falls almost exactly in the middle of our Bible.; (2) There are 150 Psalms; (3) Many of the Psalms were either written by David are were inspired by poems he wrote; (4) A lot of different people wrote the Psalms over several centuries.  What does the word Psalm really mean?  It literally means, surprise, “songs of praise”.  Early on Psalms became important parts of Jewish as well as Christian worship.  There is no single type of Psalm.  They can be prayers for helping individuals, songs of individual thanksgiving, congregational prayers for help, hymns of praise and hymns of instruction.  Probably the most common psalm is the prayer for individual help which takes the form generally of a lament.  What’s a “lament”?  Sad song.  A “woe is me” song.  Even in songs of lament, there is generally some words of hope and assurance of God’s steadfast love.

Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all of the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.  3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established;  4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? 

There is a lot of theology crammed into these four verses.  David  starts out by telling us how majestic God’s name is but, he doesn’t tell us that name.  Jews felt that God’s name was too sacred to pronounce.  The idea is that knowing someone’s name gives us some power over that person.  That is because we can identify the person in a very unique way.  “Jimmy is the one who ate Jack’s pudding.” If we speak someone’s name it conveys that we have some knowledge of the person.  So, Jews felt that no one should presume to know God that well.  So how did they get around not saying God’s name?  For starters, the Jewish alphabet consisted only of constants with no vowels.  There were no clues about which vowels were included so the name or word could not be pronounced.  Four constants were all we were given for the name of God, “YHWH.”  We have added two vowels “a” and “e”, and came up with the pronunciation of “Yaweh.”  This led later to the name “Jehovah.”  But, even then, is that God’s name or just the Jewish attempt to come up with God’s name?  

Now, if we wanted to know somebody’s name, what would you do? We could guess at it or we could ask other people what it is.  But, If we really want to know somebody’s name, what is the easiest way to find out?  Ask the person. When Moses asked God what he should call God, what did God tell him?  “I am who I am.”  While that is very true, it seems a little evasive on God’s part.  It’s kind of like what my father used to say when confronted with a belligerent contractor, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”  This really didn’t say whether my father agreed with the guy or not, but, it sure confused him. 

Jews had a problem then.  It was absolutely necessary to identify God if they were to teach the people who God is and what he wants.  They couldn’t keep saying, “The Big Guy said–.”  So they had to come up with an acceptable nick name that technically wasn’t God’s real name, but, would identify him in a unique way.  And so, the word “Lord” was used anytime God had to be identified.  And that is how David starts out his song.

This is the first of the “hymns of praise” psalms. In reading this opening, I couldn’t help in thinking about one of my favorite hymns, “How Great Thou Art.”  Does this bring up other hymns to you?

God’s name is praised because it signifies God’s words and work in this universe.  God spoke and creation got started.  His majesty is seen throughout the earth and in the heavens above the earth.  The Jews had looked at everything they could see - the earth, the sea, the clouds, the stars at night.  That’s all they had to work with, so , they used what they could see to develop an understanding of the universe.  First they had the earth and the seas, so, that’s where they were standing right then.  When they looked up, they saw clouds and at night stars and they called that the firmament - the things over them.  They thought of this firmament like a gigantic dome with the stars and clouds making up the dome.  And above that dome were the heavens which started with a layer of water laid on top of the dome.  Occasionally, water leaked through the dome and that was when we got rain. God’s throne floated on the water above the dome.  Being above everything, God would rule over earth and heaven.  

Based on this concept of the universe and God's location in it, David can say that God has set his glory above the heavens.  Glory means that there is weight and value associated with God’s creative efforts and he’s not just doing it as a whim or as a vain display.  And God resides above all things meaning that he is in control of the whole universe, the good things there as well as the bad things.

Babies and infants who haven’t learned how to eat, walk or throw up on Mommie’s new dress know from the beginning of their life the majesty of God.  It’s born in them.  God is so powerful that he can take these innocent little new people, the weakest and most vulnerable of all humans, and use them to silence his enemies.  Who were God’s enemies?  We’re not told, but, they may have been the things God overcame when out of chaos he created this grand universe.

David now gets personal.  He is going to testify why he sees God as majestic and I think we can raise our hands in agreement.  

Stand out on a beach on a cloudless warm night and look at the heavens.  As far as you can see, there are stars twinkling to let you know they are there.  NASA has a web site where each day they put up a new picture of the universe.  Now imagine that even the faintest star we can see is not all that is out there.  There is no limit to the vastness of the universe around us and the stars inhabiting that universe.  As individuals we are so small, so unable to construct in our minds the limitless expanse of the universe.  And yet, God has been out there to places and stars that we can’t even see.  God has created all of this vast universe.  And why?  Just because he wanted to.  And you know what?  God isn’t through yet.  Scientist tell us that the universe is still expanding and that means that God is still out there throwing in new stars. 

If we really think about it we, like David, stand in awe of God’s creation.  So God is a very important person if only for creating this universe.  But the most amazing thing is that as insignificant as we are and as important and well traveled as he is, God knows us personally.  He knows our name, even a name like Meador.  

In realizing this intimate relationship we have with God, the psalmist wonders how this can be.  Why would somebody as great as God have anything to do with a small bit of universal fluff like you and I?  But God not only notices us, he takes care of us!  This is how God operates.  It is part of God’s nature and an identifying road sign of who God is.  So in this sense we understand who we are in light of who God is because God wants it this way.  What David is acknowledging is that there is a bond between God and the humans he created - a bond between God and you and I.

Psalm 8: 5 Yet you made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.  6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet,  7 and all sheep and oxen, and also the beast of the fields, 8 the bird  of the air, the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  9 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

Verses 5 and 6 are the key verses for Psalm 8.  These verses identify not only how God views us but the responsibility he places on us.  We were given a position of authority just a little lower than God himself.  Some of our Bible translations might say that were created to be a little less than the angels.  The original text used “God” but along the way some translators thought that it was a bit presumptuous to be placed that high in the chain of command so “angels” were substituted for God.  But the fact is that God meant for us to be that high.  Really, it is very logical that God places us so high.  After all when God created man, what model did he use?  Who were we to look like?  God created man in his own image.  And he called his creation Adam which means man. Now the name or word Adam can mean a single male person or it can mean all humans, male and female.  Just like mankind refers to all humans, male and female, not just to men, so can Adam.  God not only created mankind to hold a high position in heaven, he even crowned mankind.  Who gets crowned?  Kings and Queens.  There is a royal status attached to being you and me.  Being of royal blood we naturally receive glory and honor.  You know, that makes us pretty special beings, doesn’t it?

So what are our royal duties?  We are given dominion over everything that God has made.  That means everything that he has made on this old earth as well as all the stars and planets in heaven.  That’s a lot to be put on our plate.  What does dominion mean?  Supreme authority, rule, control.  God didn’t say we had domination over the works of his hand - we had dominion.  What’s the difference between dominion and domination?  Dominion as used in this psalm means that we have power over these things but we also have responsibility for them, too.  This responsibility manifests itself in how we use that power.  It is power that is used for the good of those we rule.  We have dominion over our children.  Some times we have the power to make them pick up their clothes, but we always have the responsibility for their safety and nurture.  In having dominion over the universe, it means being good stewards for what God has given for our safe keeping.  Domination is exercising power to satisfy our wants.  It is a selfish self centered use of power.  With domination we will exploit God’s works for greed and our pleasure.  We will consume for the only goal of giving ourselves pleasure.  I’m afraid that mankind has let down God.  We have confused dominion with domination too many times.  As a result, our natural resources are running out.  Our rain forests are shrinking.  Our bays and rivers are so polluted that oysters and fish can’t live in them.  

When I worked at Virginia Chemicals, each year I had to call in the men who worked for me and give them an evaluation of their efforts.  I told them the good things they were doing, but, the main emphases was on their weakness.  Hopefully, they would recognize where they needed to put in more work and that would make them better workers. You know, when I make a dopey mistake, if I don’t recognize that I made a dopey mistake, I will remain dopey and make the same mistake again and again.  All of us here know where our weaknesses are.  If we don’t take action, God will write “dopey” on our evaluation report.

The psalmist then lists a lot different animals.  This isn’t meant to be a definitive list, only an example of what has been placed in our charge.  I can hardly take care of my family and I’ve got all this responsibility heaped on me and before Fifi, I didn’t even like dogs.  But, you know what?  This isn’t a list of responsibilities invented by David in about 500 BC.  God gave mankind this responsibility right from the moment man was created.  Genesis 1:28 said that God has given man dominion over all living things.  David is only repeating the charge that God gave mankind - you and I - right from the beginning.

How should we react to this awesome responsibility?  We could fall back on the fact that we were given freewill by God.  Add to that, as Christians we are given freedom from our sins.  This may lead some of us to think that freedom gives us licence to do what we please.  That isn’t the nature of the freedom we got.  It isn’t freedom to do whatever we want but freedom to do whatever God wants.  And that is to fulfill the good and holy will of God.  Freedom and responsibility can’t be separated.

The fact is that we have the power to kill everything on this earth including ourselves.  We take the earth for granted. But, the earth is too important to be taken for granted.  I don’t buy the idea that Earth is just one of many possible life sustaining planets, so that it isn’t unique.  Think of this.  Of all of the planets, moons and stars in this vast universe, Earth is the only place that God lived in human form for thirty three years.  Earth is really God’s home town.  If a million other planets are discovered, this will still be only one that God lived on in human form.  

So it isn’t a question of power.   We can blow up this planet or make as many animals and plants extinct as we want.  The real question is do we have the right to destroy one of the works of God’s hands?  In a very real sense, what this psalm is saying is that you and I are partners with God.  As useful, complete partners we should share with God his vision for his creation.  All of God’s human creation, and that includes you and I, are all special.  We are very special to God because to God each of us is unique.  Our uniqueness is both a gift and a responsibility.  God created you and I to be partners in caring for his creation.  Each one of us then has been charged with taking good care of that creation.  While we can’t control what other people do, we can sure control what we do.  That doesn’t mean that we have to become a tree hugger are a card carrying member of Peta, but, it does mean that we can respect the cleanliness of the bay and rivers. We can adopt a lifestyle that minimizes the wasting of our natural resources.  We can recycle as much as we can and encourage others and our governments to do the same.  We can use our money to support organizations that will have a positive impact on our world and withhold our money from groups who could care less about saving this earth.

What’s in a name?  The way we accept the responsibilities given in this psalm will identify us as either having dominion over the works of God’s hand or having domination.  That’s the name that will stick with us.  So it all boils down to a choice of what name we want to be known as.  Do you want to be called “Mr. Clean” or “Stinky?”

Let us pray: Father, as you give us crowns of glory and honor, grant us the courage to accept our responsibility to lovingly care for the works of your hands.  In Christ name we pray.  Amen.