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Scripture Reading: Psa. 3:4; 5:7, 11; 8:1-9; Heb. 2:6-10; Eph. 1:22-23
Now we proceed from Psalm 2 to Psalm 8. If you have not seen the difference between Psalm 1 and Psalm 2, it is rather difficult to go on to Psalm 8. Therefore, before going on to Psalm 8, we must dwell a little more upon Psalms 1 and 2. In chapter 1 we boldly declared that Psalm 1 is not so positive, especially to us as Christians today. If you are for Psalm 1, you should be an Old Testament saint. You do not belong here. In the church life we must have the New Testament saints, not the Old Testament ones.
We have pointed out that in Book One of the Psalms, God’s intention is to turn the seeking saints from the law to Christ so that they may enjoy the house of God. It is certain that if we are for the law, it is rather difficult for us to enter the house to enjoy God. We must turn from the law to Christ; then we will be in the house of God and enjoy all His riches.
The book of Galatians was written for the very purpose of showing us the difference between the law and Christ. At the time of its writing, the Jewish elders were doing their utmost to bring the concept of the law into the churches as a distraction from Christ, a substitute for Christ. Hence, the apostle Paul wrote this letter, telling the saints that the law is something of the past. Now Christ is for us. We are not for the law; we are now for Christ.
Galatians 3:24 says that the law was our child-conductor. In ancient times, according to Jewish custom, the parents sent their children to a teacher living in a certain house by means of a servant as a child-conductor. Paul here likens the law to the child-conductor. “The law has become our child-conductor unto Christ.” Christ is the Teacher; the law is the conductor to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. “Since faith has come, we are no longer under a child-conductor” (v. 25). Christ has come, and Christ dwells in us. The conductor is past; we need the conductor no longer.
Galatians 5:4 says, “You have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” This is a serious matter. If you attempt to keep the law, you have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, and you have fallen from grace. Are you still for the law? If so, the consequence is terrible.
The problem of the law issues mainly from two sources: (1) our human, natural, and religious concept, and (2) the poverty of even fundamental Christianity. Many times in Christendom, after people have been brought to grace, they have been helped immediately to keep the law. They have been ushered into a situation of half-grace and half-law. Christians say that they know grace, but they know only fifty percent grace, and, I venture to say, even less than fifty percent. Grace must be one hundred percent; there is no element of law in grace. If you are still for the law, you have fallen from grace. This is not my word or teaching but my quotation from the holy Word. This is the very concept of God Himself in His Word, especially the New Testament.
In Galatians 2:19 Paul said, “I through law have died to law.” Why do you love the law so much? Are you married to the law? I know that when I say Psalm 1 is not so good, many of you will disagree. The first time I spoke of Psalm 1 in this way was in 1956. At that time I offended a number of people. If we did not have the New Testament, but only the Psalms, you might win the case. But today, Hallelujah, we have the Psalms, and we also have the New Testament. The Old Testament is just a picture book; the New Testament is the definition. I have the boldness to say that this concept is right, because it is the concept of the New Testament. Through the law I am dead to the law. How could your Christian conscience justify you in delighting in the law? Through the law I am dead to the law; I have nothing to do with the law that I might live to God. “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
Let us go on to Romans 10:4: “Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes.” Are you clear concerning the law? Christ is the end of the law. Then what about Psalm 1? Psalm 2 is the end of Psalm 1. If you have Psalm 2, you may forget about Psalm 1.
When the Lord Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter spoke nonsense. He said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You are willing, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Matt. 17:4). Moses was the representative of the law, and Elijah the representative of the prophets. After Peter spoke these words, there came a voice from the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!” (v. 5). Then Moses and Elijah disappeared; only Christ was there. When they lifted up their eyes, “they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone” (v. 8). There was no more law, no more prophets, only Christ. You see, if you still treasure Psalm 1, it means that you are pitching two tents, one for Christ and one for Moses. That is nonsense. We must hear the voice from the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved...Hear Him!” — only Christ!
We may even be so bold as to say that we must put Psalm 2 upon our head and Psalm 1 under our feet. How could we put part of the Bible under our feet? This is not my thought but the thought of the Bible itself. Turn to Revelation 12. There we see a wonderful, universal woman: “A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (v. 1). This woman represents all the chosen people of God; she will eventually become the New Jerusalem. She is clothed with the sun, the moon is underneath her feet, and on her head are twelve stars. What are these? They are three different dispensations: the dispensation of the sun, the dispensation of the moon, and the dispensation of the twelve stars. Undoubtedly, the New Testament age is the sun. The moon is the Old Testament, the age of the law. The moon is good, but it is much inferior to the sun; likewise, the law is good, but it is far inferior to the New Testament. Now we are in the age of the sun; the age of the moon, the law, is under our feet. The dispensation of the stars was the age of the patriarchs. These are the three dispensations. The age of the patriarchs was the period of the forefathers before the law, from the time of Adam or Abel to Moses. Then from Moses to Christ was the age of the moon — that is the nighttime. Then Christ came; Christ is the sun. When Christ came, the day dawned, the sun arose. We must realize the position of the law. The age of the law is under our feet. This is the concept of the Bible.
Sixty percent of Psalm 2 has been quoted by the New Testament, either directly or indirectly. The thought of Psalm 2 is the same as that of the New Testament; thus, in a sense, we may find every part of Psalm 2 there. If we put all the New Testament parts together, we will have another Psalm 2. Let us look briefly at some of these verses in the New Testament so that we may be more deeply impressed.
We have seen that the first section of Psalm 2, verses 1 to 3, is the opposition of world rulers against Christ. It began to be fulfilled at the time Christ was betrayed and brought to the judgment of Pilate. This is recorded in Acts 4:25-28: “Who, through the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, has said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do what Your hand and Your counsel predestined to take place.” This fulfillment will continue to the time of Revelation 19:19: “I saw the beast [the coming Antichrist] and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war with Him who sits on the horse and with His army.” Christ is the One sitting on the horse, and the Antichrist, the kings, and all the armies are making war with Him. This will be the final attempt of world rulers to oppose Christ. Praise the Lord! The fulfillment of the first section of Psalm 2 began with Pontius Pilate and will be ended with the beast, the Antichrist.
In the second section of Psalm 2, God declared that He has anointed Christ as His King upon Zion, His holy mountain. Here we must read Acts 2:36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified.” This is God’s declaration. Now, Revelation 19:16, 20, and 21 say, “He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS...And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet, who in his presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeds out of the mouth of Him who sits on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Then Revelation 20:4 says, “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and of those who had not worshipped the beast nor his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” This declaration of God in the second section of Psalm 2 lasts so long — from the time that Jesus was resurrected and ascended, God made this declaration; it is still continuing and prevailing, and it will do so until the thousand years of the kingdom come. On the other hand, along with His declaration, God has accomplished and will accomplish much destruction upon the enemy: He has destroyed the Roman Empire and many other worldly powers trying to oppose Christ.
The third section of Psalm 2 is Christ’s declaration. Let us read Acts 13:33: “God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; this day have I begotten You.’” “This day” is the day of resurrection. This same verse is quoted in Hebrews 1:5. In Psalm 2 Christ declared that God the Father will give Him all the nations as His inheritance. That word is fulfilled in Revelation 11:15: “The seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Psalm 2:9 concerning Christ’s rule is fulfilled in Revelation 2:26-27: “He who overcomes and he who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he will shepherd them with an iron rod, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces, as I also have received from My Father.” Also, Revelation 19:15 says, “Out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations; and He will shepherd them with an iron rod.”
Revelation 6:15-17 is the fulfillment of the last section of Psalm 2, the gospel preaching, admonishing people to return to Christ, to take refuge in Christ, and to kiss Christ, for His anger will be kindled: “The kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” This is not a direct quotation from Psalm 2, but the thought, the concept, is adopted from Psalm 2. One day Christ will be angered; the wrath of the Lamb will be exercised. The kings must be prudent and take refuge in Him.
If you would properly understand Psalm 8, you must keep Psalm 2 within you. Psalm 2 tells us that Christ is the center of God’s economy, the center of God’s administration. God declared to the whole earth, “I have installed My King / Upon Zion, My holy mountain” (v. 6). Do not care for many things; only care for this: God has declared that He has anointed, installed, and established Christ as the King. I do not think there could be any word more clear than Psalm 2. It is so brief, yet so strong. There is God’s declaration, then Christ’s declaration, and then the gospel preaching.
But after this clear word, there are Psalms 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. What about these psalms? Are they good or bad? It is rather difficult to say. They are a mixture — some parts are good, and some parts are poor. By reading these five psalms — 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 — you may obtain their main concept: the saints, based upon their concept of the law and trusting in God’s righteousness, ask God to judge their adversaries on the earth. Is this good or not? I feel that if we have all become clear concerning Psalm 2, we do not need these five psalms. Immediately after Psalm 2, we may sing, “Victory, victory, Hallelujah!” There is no need for us to plead with God: “O God, You are so righteous; O God, how many enemies I have on this earth! O God, You must do something for me!” This is Psalms 3 through 7. After the decisive and glorious declaration of Psalm 2, certainly such pitiful pleas are not necessary. However, we are guilty of the same thing. Sometimes after we hear a message which is strong and clear, we still persist in crying, “O Lord, O Lord, how terrible is the enemy; he is after me day and night; O Lord, help me!” This is the story of these five psalms. Following Psalm 2, a poor situation still prevails among the seeking saints.
But listen, even in this low level, in this poor situation, the saints still realize that there is something in the house of God, that God has heard their cry and answered their prayer from His holy mountain. What is His holy mountain? It is the very place of God’s house. Sometimes, although we beg God to be merciful to us in this matter and in that, we still realize how good it is to be in the local church. We still enjoy the house of God, the local church. So the saints said, “With my voice I call out to Jehovah, / And He answers me from His holy mountain” (3:4). Again, “As for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness / I will come into Your house; / I will bow down toward Your holy temple / In fear of You” (5:7). They were not so clear, but still they enjoyed the house of God.
Therefore, Psalms 3 to 7 are not too bad, but still they are not so good. When we go on from Book One of the Psalms to Book Two, we will see the improvement. Then from Book Two to Book Three, we will see still more improvement. From Book Three to Book Four there is even further improvement, and from Book Four to Book Five the situation among the saints is improved to the uttermost. When we reach the last book of the Psalms, the begging is over. There is only praising — Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Do not be offended by my remarks concerning the opening psalms. Be patient and read till the end of the book — you will see the issue. I beg you, please hold your judgment until the end.
After Psalm 2 we still have these five, we may say, mixed psalms — not so clear, not so good, yet still containing something of the enjoyment of God’s house.
Praise the Lord that after Psalms 3 to 7 we come to Psalm 8! “O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth!” (v. 1). What a difference is this! “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings [not the giants, but the babes, the sucklings, the little ones] / You have established strength” (v. 2). No begging, no prayer, no supplication, just praise. The little ones, the sucklings, can praise, and this praise silences the enemy. In all the foregoing psalms we read, “O God, O God, many are those who rise up against me! My enemies, my enemies, O Lord, O God!” But when we come to Psalm 8, it is marvelous! The praises out of the babes, out of the sucklings, shut the enemy’s mouth. There is no need for us to beg; there is no need for us to cry and to ask; we only need to praise. Our praises will silence the enemy. Do not say, “Oh, oh, how many enemies there are!” Do not be so foolish. To do so is just as foolish as remaining in a dark room when you have electricity in an electrical light. You would not say, “O God, how dark is this place! O God, be merciful to me; I am in darkness!” You would simply switch on the light! God is in you. Do you not have Him? Do not cry; do not beg; do not be so pitiful. Shout Hallelujah and turn on the “electricity”! To cry and to beg is Psalms 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. To shout Hallelujah and “turn on” the Lord is Psalm 8. “O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth / ...Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings / You have established strength / ...To stop the enemy.” Hallelujah!
But we must realize that this praise is related to Christ. If there is no electricity in the room, regardless of how much we shout Hallelujah, regardless of how much time we spend flicking the switch, it will not work; the room will still be dark, still void of light. Our hallelujahs are based on the electricity; our praises are based on Christ. If there were no Christ in the universe, we would really have cause to weep. We could not praise, and even if we did, it would not work. But, praise the Lord, we have Christ! Hallelujah, we have Christ! And what a Christ! The Christ in this psalm is unspeakable and full of glory. In Psalm 8 we have the incarnation of Christ, the ascension of Christ, the enthronement of Christ, the lordship, the headship, and the kingdom of Christ. In addition to all this, we also have the Body of Christ. Since Christ is such a Christ, we really need to praise. Because Christ is such a Christ, our praise really works.
Do you realize that the Christ of Psalm 8 is incarnated as a man? Without Hebrews 2 it would be difficult to discover the reference in Psalm 8 to Christ as a man. Hebrews 2 discloses that the man mentioned in Psalm 8 is Christ. God made Christ a little lower than the angels — this was the incarnation, and He was a man by the name of Jesus. After the incarnation this man was crowned with glory and honor in His ascension, including His resurrection. Christ was crowned with glory and honor because He resurrected and ascended to the heavens. Therefore, the ascension includes the resurrection. Then it says that all things were put under His feet. This is His dominion over all things. Now Christ has the dominion, the lordship, the headship, and the kingdom. Just this little word feet indicates His Body. He has a Body. Ephesians 1:22 and 23 say that God “subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body.” The two feet are parts of the Body. Hence, we have the incarnation, the resurrection, the ascension, the enthronement, the lordship, the kingship, the kingdom, and the Body of Christ. The Body is the many saints who will be brought into glory according to Hebrews 2. The day will come when He will be the Head in God’s dominion, and we will be the Body under His lordship and in His kingdom to rule over the whole earth. In that day we will all shout, “O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Today we must have foresight to see through to the end. We must not care for today’s situation; we must set our eyes upon that day. Sooner or later that day will come. Sooner or later all these pitiful situations will be past. Praise the Lord!
Have you realized that in Psalms 3 through 7 there is a night prayer and a morning prayer? Psalm 3 is a prayer for the night, and Psalm 5 is a prayer for the morning. When I am going to sleep, I may pray Psalm 3, and when I arise in the morning, I may pray Psalm 5. But if we have really seen something of Psalms 2 and 8, we will have neither a night prayer nor a morning prayer; we will only have praise for Christ. We will say, “Look, there is a man in the glory! He was incarnated, He was made a little lower than the angels; He went to the cross and suffered death; He was resurrected and ascended to the heavens; He was enthroned and made the Head, the King, the Lord over all things. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!” Do you still have some evening prayers and some morning prayers? Are you so pious, so religious? Do you have a breakfast prayer, a lunch prayer and a dinner prayer? If you have seen Christ, you can only say, “O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” In the morning, in the evening, at the breakfast table, lunch table, dinner table, any kind of table, you will say, “O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” You will not have a marriage prayer, and you will not have a funeral prayer. In any kind of circumstance you can only say, “I have seen Christ; I have seen God’s economy in Christ; I do not care for anything but Christ. O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!”
Psalm 2 tells us that Christ is the center of God’s administration in the entire universe. Then Psalm 8 continues by telling us that this Christ is the incarnated and resurrected One, the One who has ascended to the heavens and is enthroned and crowned with glory and honor. He has the lordship, the headship, the kingship, and the dominion over all things with His Body. He is a marvelous Christ! If we have seen this Christ, we can do nothing but praise Him.
In Psalms 3 through 7 the writers were occupied with the adversaries and their own problems, so they asked God to solve these problems. But the answer is in Psalm 8. It is by Christ incarnated, identified with man, crowned with glory, and made, with His Body, to have dominion over all things that the problem on earth can be solved. The solution includes the incarnation up to the time of the kingdom; then when the kingdom comes, Christ with His Body will have dominion over all things. At that time all earth’s problems will be solved. This is the content of Psalm 8. Why is the name of the Lord so excellent in all the earth? Because Christ was incarnated to accomplish redemption, He was resurrected to impart life to His Body, He was crowned with glory, and He was enthroned and made to have dominion over all things with His Body. The day will come when Christ with His Body will exercise His authority. There is no need for you to ask for this and that; just wait praisingly. All the day praise for such a Christ!
During the past fifty years I have been closely observing world history. There have been world wars and other wars. The League of Nations has come and gone. The United Nations has been formed with the attempt to effect world peace. The human race has done its utmost to solve its problems, but the more problems they solve, the more they have. The fact is that no one can solve the problems. You just wait praisingly. Hallelujah, Christ will come back! He has been made the Head over all things to the church. With His Body He will have the dominion over all. At that time, everything will be solved. I am waiting for that. The older I get, the more I am expecting it, and the closer I am to that time. Oh, let us all exclaim, “O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”
