Class Lesson January 17, 2016

Priceless: Finding Your Value In God

 

This week's lesson is the last in our series on "How can I know my value to God?" It is entitled: Cherished In God's Eyes. Have you ever looked up into the night sky and taken in the majesty and awesomeness of our Creator and then considered this question: What is mankind that You are mindful of them?

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Most people instantly recognize the great value of gold. But what about aluminum?


Randall Lawrence inherited an old desk when his father, a former employee of the Denver Mint, passed away. Because he wasn’t interested in the few coins his dad had left in the desk, Lawrence sold them to a local coin dealer. Those coins included a 1974-D penny cast from aluminum—one of the rarest coins in the world.

Later, the dealer called Lawrence and offered to split the proceeds from the sale of this one penny. Its value? $250,000! It would have been sad if such a rare treasure had been overlooked or cast aside. Yet, tragically, something far more valuable than an aluminum penny gets cast aside every day: people. Children, the elderly, the weak, and the helpless too often become victims in a society that places too little value on human life.

As we explore Psalm 8, we’ll see that God has an entirely different perspective regarding the value of human life.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Psalm 8:1-8 (NIV)
1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 

 

Stronghold (v. 2)—The Hebrew term gives the meaning of power and strength in this context of God overcoming and silencing all His enemies.

Human beings (v. 4)—The phrase is used in common Hebrew parallelism, where the same idea is repeated using different wording. What is stated with mankind in the first line of the verse is restated using human beings in the second line for emphasis.

Psalm 8:1-2

Do you remember the first time you saw a mountain rising majestically from the horizon? Or the first time you stood on the beach and saw nothing but ocean expanding before you? Experiences like that arrest our attention. They make us want to shout with David in verse 1: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

That’s because the greatness of creation reflects the greatness of the Creator. God is magnificent, and His magnificence is not hidden. The planet we live on shouts this truth in a million wondrous ways. David wrote of the One who created all we see and sustains it by His will—by His majestic power.

“You have set your glory in the heavens” (v. 1). The more we learn about the universe, the more we realize how it shouts of God’s glory. Our Milky Way galaxy has hundreds of billions of stars, and scientists now consider it to be one of the smallest systems in the whole universe. The miniscule things in our universe also point to Him. Your DNA is made up of four chemicals, abbreviated by the letters A, T, G, and C. These “chemical letters” are arranged in each human cell something like this: GTATTGACTGAC. Each cell in your body knows what to do because of the order of those chemicals. Oh, and that code happens to be three billion letters long—in each cell. The presence of something that massive and detailed in something so small shouts of God’s majesty.

In his psalm, David mentioned “children and infants” (v. 2). Though small and often dismissed by others as being of little value, they point to God’s glory. We might think of them as the weakest in all humanity, but their weakness in human eyes diminishes neither their strength nor their great worth in God’s view. Even the tiniest infant, incapable of coherent speech, is “a stronghold” who speaks mightily of God “to silence the foe and the avenger” (v. 2).

Unfortunately, these are also the people among us that are the most easily dismissed. Abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia are attacks on God’s glory and creation.

Around the world, more than 40 million abortions occur annually. That means that while you are in your Bible study, more than 5,000 unborn babies will die.

God can do great things through those people the world calls weak, helpless, or unnecessary. Indeed, God has chosen the weak things of the world to defeat the mighty (see 1 Cor. 1:27). Since the unborn, the weak, and the helpless are a part of His creation, He has made them for His glory, too.

Psalm 8:3-8
After establishing the magnificence of God’s glory, David contrasted that with the relative insignificance of humanity. Yet God bestows honor and dignity on each person He creates.

Since God is so majestic, “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (v. 4). David may have felt small and insignificant as He observed the universe, but David knew he was not insignificant at all in God’s eyes. “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor” (v. 5).

We are not equal with God or the angels, but neither are we simply on the same level with animals. Indeed, God crowned humans “with glory and honor.”

In our position over animals and “the works of your hands” (v. 6)—all that God has made—we have been given dominion. God said at creation, “They may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Gen. 1:26). God has crowned us with His glory, and we are to display that glory as we rule the earth.

Does an emphasis on the sanctity of human life really matter? Yes. I’ve seen the difference we can make when we value people as God does:

1. A pregnant, single woman decided to have an abortion. Her neighbor had another idea. If the woman would not abort, the neighbor would help raise her child and provide for both of them. She kept her promise. As a result of receiving that help, the woman gave birth, raised multiple children, and brought them to church every Sunday. I am their pastor, and I have personally seen these children confess their faith in Jesus.

2. A woman found herself pregnant, unmarried, and scared. Her boyfriend wanted her to have an abortion. She was upset and decided to attend church. She had no way of knowing that morning was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. After hearing the message that day, she chose not to have an abortion; instead, she put her baby boy up for adoption. I had the privilege of holding this child who was adopted by a young pastor and his wife.

Many women carry the guilt of a past abortion. Statistics tell us that one out of three women will have an abortion by age 45. So, even as we hold high the sanctity of all human life, we must also proclaim the grace of God that is greater than all our sin. God’s grace extends to those who have encouraged or participated in an abortion, for He deeply loves and values them, as well. 

There is hope and life for all of us in Christ. He created all of us to display His glory.

LIVE IT OUT

What will you do to show your belief in the value of human life? Consider the following options for this week:

• Memorize. Commit Psalm 8:3-4 to memory in the days to come. Share this verse with others and tell them how much God values them as His creation.

• Give. There are many organizations that help mothers avoid an abortion by providing needed resources—financial, practical, emotional, and so on. Consider giving your own resources to advance the cause of these organizations in your community.

• Get involved. Make a list of practical ways you can be a light in your community regarding the sanctity of human life. Work with your Bible study group to carry out one of those ideas.

Aluminum is rarely valuable. Gold is often valuable. But human beings are always priceless. Praise God that He values and cares for even the weakest among us!

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This week's Lesson:

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CHERISHED IN GOD’S EYES

God values and cares for even the weakest among us.

Tim Tebow’s desire to reach out to “the least of these,” launched an initiative called Night to Shine, a prom event sponsored by local churches for adults with special needs to experience God’s love for them: “This past February, this nationwide event took place simultaneously at 44 churches in 26 states and 3 countries. Each prom included special elements such as a red carpet entrance with paparazzi, limousine rides, hair and makeup beauty stations, shoe shines, a dance floor, food and much more. Over 7,000 honored guests were celebrated by more than 15,000 dedicated volunteers in their communities on this incredible Night to Shine.”



When have you stood up for someone smaller and weaker than you? When did someone stand up for you?



Obama’s State of The Union Address: The Empty Chair

• During the State of the Union on Tuesday night, President Obama left a seat open in the First Lady’s box to remember victims of gun violence “who no longer have a voice,” the White House announced this week.
• Where is the voice to the other tragic “people” that get cast aside every day: Children, the elderly, the weak, and the helpless too often become victims in a society that places too little value on human life?
• Violence, abuse, oppression, human trafficking, children, elderly, disabled

Why is it easy for our culture to overlook those with special needs/disabilities, particularly when they become adults?

• Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalized and excluded groups of children, experiencing widespread violations of their rights. Discrimination arises not as a result of the intrinsic nature of children’s disability, but rather, as a consequence of lack of understanding and knowledge of its causes and implications, fear of difference, fear of contagion or contamination, or negative religious or cultural views of disability. It is further compounded by poverty, social isolation, humanitarian emergencies, lack of services and support, and a hostile and inaccessible environment. Too often, children with disabilities are defined and judged by what they lack rather than what they have. Their exclusion and invisibility serves to render them uniquely vulnerable, denying them respect for their dignity, their individuality, even their right to life itself.

Do you think that an event like Tebow’s is glorifying to God? Why?



Is there a connection between this event and the Sanctity of Life?



What does it mean to believe in the Sanctity of Life?

• People are made in God’s image, human life has an inherently sacred attribute that should be protected and respected at all times.
• Humanity is more sacred than the rest of creation.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Two astronauts—Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin—spent just under a day on the moon. Before leaving, they left behind messages from 73 world leaders recorded on a silicone disc. One of those selected to write a message was Pope Paul VI. His message was Psalm 8 which is our lesson today.

• Psalm 8 looks at creation and contemplates the Creator. It considers our place in the vast universe.
• In Psalm 8, God has an entirely different perspective regarding the value of human life.
• Psalm 8 shows us we all have incredible worth and value, even those to whom society assigns little or no value. You are of great value to God.

I. God Enables Even the Weak to Declare His Glory

Psalm 8:1-2

1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.



Have you ever witnessed God’s glory in an infant or a child? Explain.



How is the glory of God connected to the sanctity of human life?

• Do you remember the first time you realized how beautiful creation was? Was it a mountain imposing itself on the horizon or a panoramic ocean view? Experiences like these grab your attention, because they reflect the greatness of the Creator. God’s magnificence is not hidden; the planet we live on shouts this in a million mind-blowing ways. The more we learn about the universe, the more we realize how it shouts of God’s glory. Our Milky Way galaxy with its hundreds of billions of stars is thought to be one of the smallest systems in the whole universe. Our best telescopes can detect objects incredibly far away, but even so, we’ll never fully grasp the greatness of the heavens—or of the One who created them.
• Even your own DNA code shouts God’s majesty. Your DNA is made up of four chemicals, abbreviated by the letters A, T, G, and C. These “chemical letters” are arranged in each human cell something like this: GTATTGACTGAC. Each cell in your body knows what to do because of the order of those chemicals. Oh, and that code happens to be three billion letters long—in each cell. The presence of something that massive and detailed in something so small shouts of God’s majesty.
• Psalm 139 reveals the relationship between the glory of God and the sanctity of life by showing how we are known by God, created by God, and judged by God. If God is the author of life, then it changes how we understand issues related to the sanctity of life like abortion. Conclusion: Because we are known, shaped & judged by God, the sanctity of life matters.

What does it say about God’s view of the weak that He triumphs over the enemy through the praise of “children and infants”?

• In his psalm, David mentioned children and infants. We might think of them as weaker members of humanity, but where our eyes see weakness, God’s eyes see eternal value. Every human—whether unborn or elderly, special needs or special gifts—is a vital part of God’s creation and plan, and they each bring glory to God. And yet, so many people are easily dismissed. For example, around the world, millions of abortions occur each year.
• God has chosen the weak things of the world to defeat the mighty. Since the unborn, the weak, and the helpless are a part of His creation, He has made them for His glory too. Around the world, more than 40 million abortions occur annually. That means that while you are in your Bible study, more than 5,000 unborn babies will die.
• So what has God done to silence such opposition and to provide a relief for His faithful ones? He has established a stronghold. The Hebrew term for stronghold has the meaning of power and strength, in this context of God overcoming and silencing all His enemies. Jeremiah used this same word to refer to God as his strength and refuge (Jer. 16:19, emphasis added). How has God done this? The answer may seem strange to our Western minds. When we seek help, we tend to look for the strongest, the richest, the smartest, and the most powerful one to deliver us. God does just the opposite. He uses the ones we would consider the weakest (see 1 Cor. 1:27). David said that God uses the mouths of children and nursing infants. How can such powerless persons provide strength and security?
• From David’s view, young children represented more evidence of God’s glory as Creator and Lord. The sounds of small children can remind anyone of the reality of God’s limitless power and love. Who else could create such beautiful and amazing creatures?
• Infants and children are not encumbered by haughty self-deifying pride. Children are able to trust and praise God without doubts or reservations. As we become older – for many this becomes more difficult to do. Ask God to give you a “Childlike Faith.”
• At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. — Matthew 18:1-5
• “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." — Matthew 18:10
• An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” — Luke 9:46-47 (also Mark 9:35-37)
• In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. – Isaiah 11:6

II. God Crowns Us with His Glory

Psalm 8:3-8

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.



When was the last time you were humbled by God’s glory? How did you respond?



How does a person’s view of God contribute to his or her view of human life?

• David may have felt small and insignificant while He observed the universe, but David knew he was not insignificant in God’s eyes. In fact, it stunned him. We are not equal with God or the angels, but we are not on the same level with animals either. God has crowned humans with glory and honor. In our position over animals—and everything else that God has made—we have been given authority. At creation, God crowned us with His glory, and we are to display His glory as we rule the earth.

How can our words and actions reflect that we are crowned with God’s glory and honor?

• Because of God’s glory and worth, He is to be glorified by His created beings. When we glorify God, we draw attention to His greatness by our words and actions.
• Psalm 8 is a psalm that focuses upon God’s glory as revealed in all creation. David, the writer of this psalm and many others, was a man who took time to reflect upon God’s glory all around him (see Psalm 19:1–6). David saw God’s glory in His Word (Psalm 19:7–11). And in response to that glory, he worshiped the Lord his God. The ultimate purpose of your existence is tied up in the glory of God. Indeed, God being glorified is the central issue, the premier purpose of the universe and all that has been done in it. We exist to acknowledge Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6). We exist to know Him, and enjoy Him, and worship Him forever. We were designed and created to reflect His glory.

Why do you think the world fails to see the value in things that God has given great worth?

• David went on to describe man’s position as that of glory and honor. God made human beings with that divine image so that they would reflect His glory. However, when a person is spiritually reborn, that individual is also able to reflect the likeness of Christ (see 2 Cor. 3:18). Sadly, daily events in our world demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the elevated status God has given to His highest creation. Examples include the abuse of children, human trafficking, prostitution, pornography, drug abuse, genocide, slavery, abortion, physician-assisted suicide, terrorism, and on and on. If we’re not careful, we can become numb to the daily reports of such atrocities. As a contrast, God’s ideal is for all people to marvel, as David did, at the glorious status God has given to every single human being.

What are some things God may be asking our group to do in order to protect the unborn?

• What happens when we emphasize the sanctity of human life? Believers act.
• One woman promised to help raise her neighbor’s children if she wouldn’t abort. The woman raised her children, and brought them to church every Sunday. I am their pastor and have seen these children confess their faith in Jesus.
• A pregnant, unmarried woman had a boyfriend who was pressing her to have an abortion. She decided to attend church on the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. After hearing the message that day, she chose to have her baby boy. I had the privilege of holding this child who was adopted by a young pastor and his wife.

As the church of Jesus Christ, we value the unborn, their mothers, and those too weak to fight for themselves. We value these people because God has crowned them with His glory and created them to display His glory.



Close: For several lessons now we have been reminded how much value the Lord places on humankind. He did not create humanity on a whim without any forethought. He had a plan and a purpose, which, if accomplished, would bring praise and glory to His name.



God does not have a hierarchy of importance. Everyone is important to Him, cherished by Him, and valuable to Him. That applies even to the weakest of human beings, babies and infants, the born and yet to be born, and even the infirmed and aged. Compared to the majesty of the universe, we may seem small or insignificant; nevertheless, in the plan of God we demonstrate our worth by service to Him that brings Him praise and glory.

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, my lips too sing out, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth!” Amen.


Hope to see you this Sunday!


In His Love,

David & Susan