PSALM 8:1–2 Out of the Mouth of Babies
READ: PSALM 8:1–2 (MATTHEW 21:12–17)
V. 2 “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength.”
If one were to summarize Psalm 8 with one word, it might be the word “wonder.” This psalm is full of wonder at God’s great works in the vast universe as well as on this tiny planet Earth. Small children are full of wonder, discovering the world with wide eyes and open mouths. Sun, flowers, trees, bugs—they take it all in. And when they hear from their parents that God made it all, they are amazed. They might sing about that, using all the right hand motions, “God made the sun, God made the sea, God made the fisheys, God made me!” And how often aren’t we amazed at what small children say about God?
God has established strength out of the mouth of babies and infants, David writes. And why does he do that? “To still the enemy and the avenger,” he says (v. 2). But what are the babblings of a child in the face of the arguments and loud shouts of God’s foes who, for instance, deny his creation of all things?
But those babblings, in fact, mean a great deal. When Jesus came into the temple just days before his arrest and crucifixion, he cleansed it. And when the merchants and money-changers were chased out, there was room for people to come in. The blind and the lame came to Jesus and he healed them. And when children saw those miracles of re-creation and restoration, they cried out in wonder, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matt 21:15). Those who opposed Jesus, however, were indignant and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” (v. 16). Of course Jesus had heard! And then he quoted Psalm 8:2 to those priests and scribes.
Babies and infants praised God, while the leaders of the people only criticized what Jesus was doing. Children who didn’t know much compared to the rulers were moved by God’s Spirit to praise King Jesus, and that put those enemies to shame. Children could see what they could not. God uses what is weak in this world to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27). And why? So that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Cor. 1:29).
Let us always be like babes and infants and wonder in word and song at God’s marvellous grace in Christ!
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