The Greatness of God

(Psalm 86:8-10)

Mike Johnson

Psalm 86 is a prayer by David, who is experiencing hardships, although he is not very specific about their nature.  However, verse 14 points out that a group of proud and violent people, who had no regard for God, were seeking his life.  Yet, amid his trouble, the Psalmist approaches God in prayer with complete confidence that the Lord will be merciful and deliver him.  The psalm is addressed entirely to God and has elements generally associated with prayer.  They are Petition (1-7, 11, 14-17), Adoration (8-10), and Thanksgiving (12-13).  Although it is a prayer, a strong element of praise runs through it.

In verses 1-7, David makes several requests of God and then gives reasons that God should fulfill them.  Then, in verses 8-10, he enthusiastically praises God and His wondrous works.  The verses say, “(8) Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works.  (9) All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.  (10) For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” Consider some observations from this adoration section

He says, “Among the gods there is none like You.”  Some wrestle with this phrase because he says, “Among the gods . . .”  (Note also Ex. 15:11, Ps. 89:6).  They look at this wording as implying the writer’s acknowledgment of and the legitimacy of multiple gods.  However, we know this is not the case because the Psalmist at the end of this section says, “You are God alone.” So here, David speaks in an accommodative way of gods (i.e., “as they might be called”).

A similar passage is in Galatians 1:6-10, where Paul marveled that the Galatians had so quickly turned away to another gospel.  Then he quickly says there is not another.  Thus, what they had turned to might be called a gospel,  but there is only one.  Further, in 1 Corinthians 1:21, Paul says we are saved “through the foolishness of the message preached.”  Is the gospel message foolish?  It is not!  Earlier (1:18), he explains that the message is regarded as “foolishness” by those “who are perishing.”  Certain ones would call gospel preaching foolish.

Consider also an event that took place during the days of Hezekiah, King of Judah, when a vast army from Assyria surrounded them (Is.  36-37).  Their spokesman ridiculed Judah’s army and God.  At a certain point, Hezekiah prayed to God about the situation.  (It says he “spread it before the Lord.”)  In Isaiah 37:18-20, he prayed, “Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands — wood and stone.  Therefore they destroyed them.  Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.”  Jeremiah 16:20 asks, “Will a man make gods for himself, which are not gods?”

David is not acknowledging the veracity of multiple gods.  Idols are crafted from wood or stone; they have no power and are only material objects.  David believed in only one God.

David knew that God listens and He is merciful and forgives.  Furthermore, he understood that God would be there for His people in times of trouble, which is the opposite of how pagan gods are often portrayed.

He also says to God, “Nor are there any works like Your works” (8b).  Claims made about the works of pagan gods cannot even compare to the works of the Lord.  But, of course, the pagan gods do not even exist.  Consider God’s great work of creation as Psalm 19:1 exclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

The Psalmist continues to praise God in verse 9.  “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.”   In Bible times, there would be regional and local deities whom the people served.  However, God is the creator of all, so it would stand to reason that He is the God of ALL and that ALL should worship Him and glorify His name.  Various passages speak of ALL coming to worship God (Ps. 72:11, 17; 82:8; Rom. 14:11; Is. 45:23).

When would this be?  There were many times when idolaters acknowledged God (Dan. 2:46-47; Josh. 2:11).  Also, speaking of the Messianic era and the establishment of the church, Isaiah 2:2 says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.”  Also, the gospel is for “all nations” and “every creature” (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16).  Therefore, the worship of God would be pervasive among all nations.

Further, the Scriptures tell us that ultimately, at the Judgment, all will bow their knee to God.  Consider Philippians 2:8-11, speaking of Jesus.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Note also Rev. 3:9; 15:4.)

In verse 10, he continues, “For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” While praying to God, recorded in Deuteronomy 3:24, Moses spoke similarly.  He prayed, “O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?”  At another time, while trying to encourage the people to obey God’s Law, he said (Deut.11:7), “ . . . but your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.” In that section of Deuteronomy, he speaks of some things they had explicitly seen.  They saw:

  1. the signs and various acts in Egypt (3);
  2. the parting of the Red Sea, and then how it was closed up again on the Egyptian army (4);
  3. the wondrous deeds God did for the Jews in the wilderness (5);
  4. the swallowing up by the earth of the people during Korah’s rebellion (6).

Today, we can cite many examples of God’s great works.  Consider a few that would immediately come to mind.

  1. Creation (Ps. 19:1)
  2. Coming of Christ & Salvation (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8)
  3. Miracles of Christ (Jn. 20:30-31)
  4. Christ’s resurrection (Lk. 24:1-8)
  5. Establishment of the Church (Mt. 16:16-18)
  6. Prayer (1 Pet 3:12; Jn. 15:7)
  7. God’s Providential Care (Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 3:10-12: Rom. 7:19)

We are awed when we learn about God’s works from the past and witness them today.  God is not one God among many, but as the text says, “You alone are God” (10).