The objective of this lesson: (a) To focus on God’s worthiness of praise; (b) To note that in no way is the human a rival to God’s worthiness.
When something you use or know is truly great, the probability is strong that you want to share what you have discovered. Have you found something that makes a common job simple? You share it! Have you found a product or tool that genuinely makes an incredibly hard task near unbelievably simply? You want to share! Have you discovered a service offered that is too good to be described by an advertisement? You are driven to share! Consider almost anything—a food service, an affordable vehicle, a floor covering, a handyman, an incredible book, an outstanding service of any kind, a carpenter, a mechanic, a plumber, a kitchen appliance, a store, a product—if it is honestly good (no hype, please), most of us feel a compulsion to share. That is why the best advertisement of any form is word of mouth if the words flow from a sincere, honest, experienced person.
People really enjoy sharing something they consider worthwhile.
Spiritually, you are challenged to see a problem. Note the problem by answering two questions. (a) How would you describe the characteristics of a good congregation? (b) How would you describe the goodness of God?
These two questions are asked to focus those studying on a spiritual problem. It is very easy to focus our efforts on “having to worship God” rather than understanding that God is deserving of worship. Worship is more than a mere human responsibility carried out because we are terrified of the consequences of not worshipping God. God is worthy of worship—gratitude should motivate us to want to worship God because He is so deserving of our praise.
Notice that the “goodness” of a congregation is often centered in how well they meet our human needs (the point is not that Christian fellowship should ignore the needs of other Christians). Praising God should center in His worthiness rather than in our needs.
If you can think of another way to focus on the problem, fine!
Observation #1: You likely would not have to pause to begin talking about the characteristics of a good congregation. You likely would have to pause to think about God’s goodness. Observation #2: The list you gave which have a good congregation’s characteristics would be longer than your list of God’s qualities of goodness. Question: Does that mean that God is less good than a good congregation? It is assumed most of us would answer that question with an emphatic “No!!!” Then, if those two observations are correct, what do they mean?
The purpose of this paragraph is to note that we tend to focus on our concern about our fears and needs, not on God’s worthiness of praise. We tend to be more concerned with our needs than God’s worthiness.
Suggestion: Could it mean we know far too little about God (that we can know through revelation)? Consider some “rarely asked” questions. Answer them to yourself only about your understanding/attitudes. Does God deserve to be praised? If your answer is yes, why specifically do you consider God deserving of your praise? Do you praise God out of a terror of what might happen to you if you do not praise Him, or because you deeply feel moved to give honor to One truly deserving of honor? If you had zero knowledge of hell and were ignorant of eternal consequences, would you still praise God?
Christians can respond to the problem in many ways that range from an intense sense of guilt to an intense sense of appreciation. However, many do not know enough about God to grasp His praiseworthiness. Too many do not understand how deserving of praise God is. Though God is the central character of the Bible, we often study so little about God that we are more knowledgeable about human guilt than we are of God deserving our appreciation and gratitude. Unfortunately, many of our views of God are views handed to us, not views that are the result of our study of scripture.
The psalmist praised God in Psalms 8. His motivation was not the terror of hell. Neither was his motivation a sense of eternal consequences. Jesus had not been born. Jesus’ death on the cross had not occurred. The expressions of grace as you know it, mercy as you know it, sanctification as you know it, justification as you know it, or redemption as you know it had not been revealed. Salvation for all as you know it did not yet exist.
Before you consider the reasons for the psalmist praising God, examine the reasons he did NOT praise God. If all those motivations for praising God were removed from us, would we have any motivation to praise God?
Yet, the psalmist understood that God was praiseworthy. For three reasons, he understood God was praiseworthy: (a) He understood that God was Creator; (b) he looked away from the human sphere of existence and work, and (c) he was impressed with God’s actions on the earth and in the heavens.
The psalmist’s reasons for praising God have little in common with our reasons for praising God. Yet, without many of our basic motivations, to him, God was praiseworthy.
He saw God as having a majestic name, as a Being filled with splendor. From the existence of a human infant to the dazzling display of a clear night sky, he saw the evidence of God’s greatness. In the powerless infant, he saw the strength of God. In the amazing night sky he saw the work of God’s “fingers.” Such displays of power were beyond the power of any enemy.
When he looked at an infant or the glory of a night sky, he was overwhelmed by God’s glorious power. We become so engrossed in the “how” that we do not see the obvious message. When we obsess about the methods, we lose sight of the message. Too often we affirm things scripture does not affirm.
The psalmist was so dazzled and impressed by the evidences of God’s greatness, people looked vastly inferior. When he compared adult people to what God had done, the comparison was pitiful. It was more than pitiful—it was astounding! The infant did not cause God headaches! The stars did not cause God headaches! It was the rebellious adult person that was the source of God‘s problems on earth!
There was so much difference between the human adult and God that there was no comparison. The human adult was the source of earth’s rebellion against God.
The question: Considering God’s obvious power, why does God endure rebellious human adults? Considering human problems are the result of human mistakes, why does God even care about humans? Why not just allow adults to endure the consequences of their behavior? By the investment of God, people have amazing potential! Given the position of the human adult in this world, the human potential defies imagination! The human adult ruled over all God made including sheep, oxen, wild animals, birds, fish, and creatures in general.
The obvious question to the psalmist was not about “how did God do it,” but about why would God even care about what happened to the human adult? Though the human rules over all earthly life forms, the human adult only does what God gave him the potential to do. God is praiseworthy, not the human adult.
Everything, including the infant human, gave witness to God’s greatness and praiseworthiness! All God made bore witness to the majesty of God. (Nothing bore witness to the praiseworthiness of the human adult.)
To the psalmist, the witness of greatness was to God, not to the human adult.
Most adult humans seem to be impressed with themselves. They particularly seem to be fond of their accomplishments. They surround themselves with what they have done, and they forget what God has done. The more urban they become, the more forgetful they become. The more they limit their exposure to nature, the more impressed with themselves they seem to be. The more they focus on, “Look what we did!” the less they see what God did.
Humans are prone to arrogance. They are easily impressed with themselves. Greatness lies in them, not in anything else.
God made and the adult human utilizes what exists. Everything the adult human utilizes existed thousands of years ago. There is a vast difference between making and utilizing. Though the psalmist did not know or utilize the things you do, he was amazed at God’s majesty. He was most unimpressed with the adult human.
Everything the adult human utilizes today existed long ago. All that has changed is the understanding of human adults.
For Thought and Discussion
1. When something is truly great to use or utilize, what is a strong possibility?
The possibility is strong that the person wants to share his findings.
2. Spiritually, you are challenged to note a problem by asking what two questions?
a) How would you describe the characteristics of a good congregation?
b) How would you describe God’s goodness?
3. Give the two observations presented.
a) We could describe the characteristics of a good congregation more easily than we could describe the goodness of God.
b) Our list for the characteristics of a good congregation would be longer than our list of God’s goodness.
.
4. What suggestion is made?
Could that mean we know far too little about God’s revelation of Himself?
5. Give four rarely asked questions concerning praising God.
a) Does God deserved to be praised?
b) Why, specifically, do we regard God worthy of praise?
c) Do we praise God because we are in terror of what will happen to us if we do not praise Him, or because we feel God is truly deserving of our praise?
d) If you were ignorant of hell and eternal consequences, would you still praise God?
6. In Psalms 8, what was NOT the psalmist’s motivation for praising God?
a) He did not know the terror of hell as you know it.
b) He did not know eternal consequences as you do.
c) Jesus had not been born.
d) Jesus’ death on the cross had not occurred.
e) The expressions of mercy, grace, sanctification, justification, redemption, and salvation as we know them had not been revealed.
7. The psalmist found God praiseworthy for what three reasons?
a) He understood God was Creator.
b) He looked away from the sphere of human existence and work.
c) He was impressed with God’s actions on the earth and in the heavens.
8. When the psalmist looked at God, what did he see?
He saw a majestic name and a Being of splendor.
9. What was the question?
The question was, “Why does God endure rebellious human adults?”
10. Most adults seem to be impressed with what?
They seem to be impressed with themselves.
11. There is a vast difference between what?
There is a vast difference between making and utilizing.
Link to Student Guide Lesson 4
Copyright © 2010
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ