“O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8, ESV)

This Psalm is a wonderful devotional meditation on Genesis chapters 1-2.

When a sermon is given on a passage like this, the allusions to Genesis should be brought out along with practical applications about the dignity and responsibilities of men and women made in God’s image. Although this image was marred at the Fall, we still have this dignity and— through sanctification—the restoration process continues (Col. 3:10).

But the Christian exposition of this passage would be incomplete unless there was a recognition of quotations in the New Testament (Psalm 8:2 / Matt. 21:16; Psalm 2:4-6 /Heb. 2:6-8). A resource that usually brings out the New Testament fulfillment of Old Testament passages is the notes of the Grace and Truth Study Bible (Zondervan, 2022). “Rich passage-by-passage study notes are theologically sound, guiding you to a deep understanding of each text, while always keeping in view the transformative affirmation and goodness of God’s nature and redemptive plan.” These notes are also featured in the BibleGateway.com “plus” plan. Here is a sample of the study notes:

Psalm 8:5–8 ” to rule his world and harness its potential (Ge 1:28). Every human being has inherent dignity, value, and purpose as God’s image-bearer (Ge 1:26–27). Our spiritual, rational, and relational capacities enable us to function as God’s representatives on earth. We are like ancient royal statues dotting the planet, portraying the local reign of a global king. The comprehensive list of land and sea creatures reflects the dominion assigned to human beings at creation (Ps 8:7–8; Ge 1:20–28). In the New Testament, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is the first man of the new creation. God is putting everything under Jesus’ feet, as he is the new Adam and the victorious Lord of all (Ps 110:1; 1Co 15:25–27; Eph 1:22). The author of Hebrews interprets Psalm 8 through the matrix of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrected reign. In his incarnation, Jesus was made lower than the angels. Through his crucifixion, he earned a crown of glory and honor. In his resurrected reign, which is inaugurated but not yet consummated, God will put all things under his feet (Heb 2:5–9).”

Pastors would find this Grace and Truth Study Bible to be a helpful expository example and sermon preparation resource.