Fri Feb 20

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the word name.

Reading

Psalm 8:1-9—The Excellent Name of our God

Optional Reading

Phil 2:5–11

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Our Lord’s name is most excellent in the whole earth.
We should proclaim His great name.
We should live worthy lives since we have been given His name.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

How is our covenant God’s name excellent?
What do we know about Jesus’s name?
How can we proclaim the excellence of our LORD’s name?

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

What is your name? Do you like it? Do others like it? Is it a good name? Is it an excellent name? What does it mean when we are told, at the beginning and end of this Psalm, that our covenant God’s name is an excellent name? Calvin explains that name is here to be understood of the knowledge of the character and perfections of God, in so far as he makes himself known to us. So, this phrase tells us that God’s character and perfections are excellent—they are high—higher than any other character and perfections.

The New Testament tells us that Jesus is given the highest name (Phil 2:9)—so in Jesus we see the excellent character and perfections of the triune God. Jesus’s name is the only name in which we can find salvation (Ac 4:12). As Wilcox puts it, the LORD, the God of Israel and the Bible, is not just our Lord, [the Psalmist] says, but the name, the only name, to be honoured in all the earth and even above the heavens.

How can we proclaim the excellence of our LORD’s name? Of course, by not taking it in vain (Ex 20:7). Of course we should not use it as a swear word, but we also should not take it and live like those who are not named by the name of our Lord Jesus. Take His name as Christians and live like Him in increasing measure. And tell all who will listen about His name—about His character and His perfections and His gracious salvation (Mt. 1:21).

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 8b, 65c

Prayer

Praise God for His excellent name.
Pray for the hearing of God’s word preached this Lord's Day.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.