This Psalm was quoted by Jesus on Palm Sunday - see underline below.

Matt 21:1416
14 And now the blind and crippled came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple.
15 But when the chief priests and other Jewish leaders saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the little children in the Temple shouting, "God bless the Son of David," they were disturbed and indignant and asked him, "Do you hear what these children are saying?"
16 "Yes," Jesus replied. "Didn't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'Even little babies shall praise him!'"
(TLB)

Ps 8: O Lord our God, the majesty and glory of your name fills all the earth and overflows the heavens.
 You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies!
(TLB)

When I look up into the night skies and see the work of your fingers the moon and the stars you have made
I cannot understand how you can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him!
(TLB)

A few years ago we all saw a comet - 120 million miles away.
It was estimated to be hurtling through space at speed of 43,000 miles per hour.

Astronomers also believe it was last "in these parts" in 2213 B. C. (4,200 years ago)
Ie before Abraham.

Omen? Nothing in Bible about omens

However Bible does refer to  signs in the heavens.

Asteroids come from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 
Comets come from the Oort cloud - farther away than the most distant planet Pluto.

If comets or asteroids are God' signs God must have planned it thousands of years ago.

Do you know why we can calculate these things?
Because the natural  universe is rational and predictable. 

Who made these principles?
Isaiah knew how it worked. 
He said, "Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars,  The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:26 ) 

We perhaps know of the `Wonder of human body.' (See sermon notes on Psalm 139)

But when we see the size of the universe - aren't we very insignificant?

• But does big mean valuable?

• Is a 16 stone man worth twice as much as 8 stone man?

• We are the most significant part of universe.

• Anthropic Principle: Universe's properties seem wonderfully arranged so that humans could exist and observe it, contemplating its meaning.

Choices were made.
• Billions of galaxies - choice of Milky Way.
• Billions of stars in the Milky Way - choice of one - Sun
• Sun has 9 planets - choice of one - earth.
• On planet earth - great love of God revealed - CROSS.

Another example of choices in world history:
• One people - Israel.
• One tribe.
• One family.
• One young woman, Mary is to give birth to the great revelation.

• Were any of these choices made out of favouritism? 
• No - choice was made for the sake of all.

Ps 8:1
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. (NIV)

He is ours! Parents and child belong to one another.

Near and dear yet `above the skies'.

Awe and reverence.

Ps 8:2
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. (NIV)

Foe and Avenger: Enemy.
• Theme of psalms.

• My soul is cast down.
• My enemy rises against me.

• Child like worship especially powerful.
• Get your children to pray for you.

vs. 3 and 4. `What is man?'

2 desires.
1. To be in God's presence. 
2 To be away from Him.

The very fact that we ask `What is man?' means there is something special about man.
Fish ask ...?
Monkey ...?

vs. 5 answer.
Ps 8:5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour. (NIV)

Little lower than God.
Not size, but quality.
Image of God.
God is righteous, loving, full of mercy, truth.

• Not merciful comet. 

• • If it does not hit earth - not being merciful!

• But these are appropriate descriptions for human beings.
• That is our glory and honour.

Something else:
Ps 8:68
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
(NIV)

Authority to care for earth. 
• Responsible.
• Use science, art, technology, literature to make it even better.
• Share with God His creative work.

But what have we done?
• Forgotten God.
• Abused our lives and lives of others and spoilt the world.
• Not been righteous, loving and merciful.
• Misused our freedom.
• All of us have had our share in this.

How did God come to the rescue?
vs. 4 Son of Man.
• Jesus used the term of Himself.
• He represents us all.

He used it to speak of His coming suffering.
SofM will suffer many things and be crucified ... 

• Jesus took our sins to cross.
• For the blessing of all who accept Him - and all of nature.

All authority on heaven and earth ... 
Authority on earth to forgive sins.

He also used the term to refer to Himself at the end of the age:
Matt 24:2933
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

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