-Seventh Anniversary Issue-

"HOW EXCELLENT IS THY NAME, O LORD, IN ALL THE EARTH,

WHO HAST SET THY GLORY ABOVE THE HEAVENS."

Text: Psalm 8

The Glory of God encompasses all creation. As His name antedates creation itself, so it will endure "world without end," seeing His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2) His excellent name is testified, first, by His creation (verse 3), and secondly, by His attention to the likes of you and me (verses 4-8).

The theme of the Eighth Psalm is the Excellency of His name: it both introduces as well as concludes the Psalm --"0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth Who hast set Thy glory above the Heavens." "His name alone is excellent." (Psalm 148:13)

Job tells us "He is excellent in power," and one not far removed from our generation has said, "The universe leans upon His eternal—arm."---Professor Robert Flint, who taught at St. Andrews University and Edinburg University, has said, "Astronomy presents numbers and proportions so far reaching, it appears as if nature were a living arithmetic in its development and a realized geometry in its repose.... The telescope shows no end of simple, majestic order.... (There are millions of solar systems), Each (of which) is doing what if unchecked would destroy the whole." "How excellent is Thy name, 0 Lord, in all the earth: who hast set Thy glory above the Heavens."

When we learn the earth tilts upon its axis at a 23 1/2 degree angle, and not a rounded 24 degree angle, nor a solid 25 degree angle --when we learn the earth rotates on this axis every 23 hours and 56 minutes, and not a good 24 hours --and when we further learn the earth revolves around the sun every 365 1/4 days and not every 365 days nor a rounded 366 days --it is as if the "great, the mighty, and the terrible God who keepest covenant and mercy wished to show He has all things under His absolute dominion. (Nehemiah 9:32)

The Sun is not situated directly in the center of the earth’s orbit; instead, the earth is closest the sun when the Northern Hemisphere experiences its winter season. At this time the earth approaches as close as 91.5 million miles from the sun. The mean speed of the earth in its journey around the sun is 18.5 miles per second or 66,600 miles per hour. But God, in His wisdom, has ordained that when the earth approaches "perihelion", or its nearest distance to the sun, the earth actually accelerates in speed. Similarly, when in the summer time for the Northern Hemisphere the earth reaches 94.5 million miles from the sun, or its position known as "aphelion" --its speed decreases. At any given time, the earth travels only so fast as to keep it from the sun’s gravitational field. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory ABOVE the Heavens." If God has set His glory ABOVE the Heavens, then it is needful for us to consider the glory of the Heavens before we can begin to consider the glory of Him Who "built" the Heavens.

Not only does the earth revolve: the planets do likewise. Planets and their satellites generally revolve in elliptical orbits; however, the moons of Jupiter revolve in circles. Again, the excellency of Jehovah is evidenced. Once again, they usually revolve in a counter-clockwise position; however, to further convince mankind who it is that controls them four of the 12 moons of Jupiter, and one of the 2 moons of Neptune revolve clockwise! The planets and their satellites are so balanced as to weight, size, mass, and distance, as well as to the plane of direction that the whole is so stable and secure that seedtime and harvest never fail. In fact, the earth is so proportioned to its moon, that even the times of the tides can be known.

The sun, our nearest star is estimated to have temperatures registering 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and is so large it is further estimated that it would take 1,500,000 earths to fill its cavity. Yet the star Betelgeuse (pronounced "beetle juice") in the constellation of Orion the Hunter is said to be 400 times as large, while the star Rigel is estimated to be 50,000 times as bright as our sun.

The sun is racing through space at a speed of 140 miles per second, or 504,000 miles per hour. It takes 200 years to make one complete revolution around its orbit.

The galaxy also is revolving. The estimated 100 billion stars in the Milky Way comprise an area so large, we are told if we would cross it, it would require 100,000 years traveling at the speed of light which is 186,000 miles per second. The galaxy we are told is traveling 150 miles per second or 720,000 miles per hour and would require 200,000 years to complete its orbit.

And, the universe is revolving, too. It is moving, we are told, at the incredible speed of 52,000,000 miles per hour, and the further away it travels from the other galaxies, it revolves faster and faster. "0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory ABOVE the Heavens."

Is it any wonder that Johannes Kepler, the renowned astronomer once prayed, "I thank Thee, my Creator and Lord, that Thou hast given me this joy in Thy creation, this delight in the works of Thy hands. I have shown the excellency of Thy work unto men so far as my finite mind was able to comprehend Thine infinity! If I have said aught unworthy of Thee, or aught in which I have sought my own glory, graciously forgive it!"

Isaac Watts exclaimed,

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise;

That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, that filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with His Word, and then pronounced them good.

"Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’re I turn my eye;

If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky!

"There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God, art present there."

TO BE CONTINUED -----

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The following are taken from TEMPLE TIMES, the publication of Calvary Temple, East Point, Georgia, where Brother Bob McCurry is pastor:

"GOD BANNED FROM U.S. ARMY"--According to the Evening Star, Washington, D.C. of March 28, 1979, the Army has ordered chaplains to eliminate all reference to God and religious philosophy in lectures aimed at instilling moral responsibility in its soldiers. The American Civil Liberties Union is behind this decision and has also asked the Air Force and Navy to take similar steps. An Army spokesman said, "Anything that could be construed as teaching religion will be removed." --The Witness, April, 1979

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