The name of God comprehends a11 eternity. All is lost in its immensity. It concerns all above and all below, all past and all to come. It stretches from the infinite dignities of His throne on high to the deepest depravity of His creation.

His name, like a giant girdle, encompasses all creation. Stretches from the eternal purposes of His plan to the blessedness of its eternal fruition.

The name of God antedates creation for His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting;" and "in the beginning" God was already present. And He will endure everlastingly--"world without end." (Micah 5:2; Genesis 1:1)

The excellency of His name is evidenced in His creation (verse 3) and is discerned more readily in His attention to the likes of you and me. (verses 4-8) His excellent name the theme of this Psalm and in Psalm 148, we are told "His name alone is excellent."

If the Lord has set His glory above the Heavens, then before we can begin to consider His glory, and the reason for the excellency of His name, it is needful to consider the Heavens which are but the "work of His fingers" and only His "handiwork."

Spurgeon calls this "The Astronomer’s Psalm" and Professor Flinte declares "Astronomy presents numbers and proportions so far reaching, it appears as if nature were a living arithmetic in its development, a realized geometry in its repose." He goes on to say, "There are millions of solar systems and each is doing what if unchecked would destroy the whole. Yet, the telescope reveals no end to the simple, majestic order." The universe leans upon His eternal arms. Job tells us that God "is excellent in power." (37:23)

The earth itself tilts on its axis 23 1/2 degrees--not 24 degrees or a firm 25 degrees, but 23 and l/2 degrees. It is as though the Almighty is displaying His lordship.

Our planet rotates on its axis every 23 hours and 56 minutes not every 24 hours, or a flat 25 hours. Again, God reveals that He is in charge.

Our journey around the sun takes 365 1/4 days to complete.

Although we are rotating at the speed of 1000 miles per hour at the equator, we are traveling through space at the rate of 18.5 miles per second, or 66,000 miles per hour.

When earth is nearest the sun, it is 91.5 million miles distant and at a position scientists call "perihelion," Although we are in winter at this particular time each year, the tilt of the earth does not allow us to experience our proximity to the sun. In summer, we are 94.5 million miles from the sun or at the position known as "aphelion."

It is at these two positions known as "perihelion" and "aphelion", that God performs a work of wonder. Our gracious Lord has designed the motion of the earth to accelerate when it approaches it nearest distance to the sun, and causes the earth’s speed to decelerate when it approaches the farthest distance away from the sun. Professor Flinte attests that the speed of the earth is "just enough to keep the earth from the sun."

While Carl Sagan identifies his god as "the god of forces" i.e. the summation of electricity, magnetism, etc. (see: Daniel 11:38), so the God of creation is known by the personal name of "the Lord."

While the earth revolves, so do the other planets. Generally, they revolve in elliptical or egg-shaped orbits, but the moons of Jupiter revolve in circles. The Lord that sits in the Heavens laughs at the confusion of earth’s "geniuses."

Planets and moons generally revolve counter-clockwise, but 4 of the 12 moons of Jupiter, and 1 of the moons of Neptune revolve clockwise. "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth!"

The sun is a star some scientists estimate to be 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Estimates are that the sum is so large that it would take 1,300,000 earths to fill its void. And as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 19, the sun, too, is travelling through space at the speed of 140 miles per second or 504,000 miles per hour in an orbit that requires 200 years to complete. Yet, Betelgeuse (pronounced "Beetle juice") in the constellation of Orion is 400 times as large as our sun; and the star Rigel is said to be 50,000 times as bright.

The solar system, together with the planets and their moons, is balanced as to weight, size, mass, and distance as well as to planet of direction so that the whole is so stable and secure that seedtime and harvest, cold and heat never fail. In fact, the earth is so well proportioned to the moon, that even the time of the sides are able to be calculated with precision.

Our galaxy revolves too. It is estimated there are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and that to travel across it would require 186,000 miles per second. Scientists tell us the galaxy is itself revolving in an orbit that requires 200,000 years to complete, and is traveling through space at the speed of 150 mile per second, or 720,000 miles per hour.

Scientists tell us that the entire universe is revolving, and that while the Milky Way Galaxy is revolving in its orbit, it is actually moving away from other galaxies at the speed of 32 million miles per hour. They insist other galaxies are revolving like our own.

Are these figures inflated like so many "scientists" have inflated the six days of creation? I confess I do not know; but one thing I do know is that the Lord has set His glory "above" the Heavens!

Spurgeon says, "Space is too narrow for the Eternal’s rest, and time too short a footstool for His throne.... How then can I declare Him? Where are words with which my glowing tongue may speak His name? Silent I bow, and humbly adore."

And Johannes Kepler 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."

As the excellent name of the Lord is known by His power, so His excellency is known in that "He hath done excellent things." (Isaiah 12:5) "Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth."

"He sendeth springs into the valleys which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field." "He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man." "The trees ...He hath planted where the birds make their nests." "The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats: and the rocks for the conies." "He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his ‘going down.’" "Thou makest darkness and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God."

"0 Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that Leviathan whom Thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season I That Thou givest them, they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth.

"The glory of the Lord shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in His works. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth: He toucheth the hills and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let: the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, o my soul, praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 104:10-14; 16-35)

The worm beneath our feet is nourished by the hand of God. He perfumes the roses, the lilacs and the dandelions; and He does it with such perfection, that no dandelion ever smelled like a rose, nor a rose like a lilac. As Robert Burns has said A "rose by any other name is a rose."

Job asks, "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?" (58:22) Have you studied the handiwork of God in the singular beauty of the snow. Each flake has 6 sides and is elaborately arrayed with geometric patterns. Scientists tell us that while hundreds of thousands have been studied, no two snowflakes have been found alike!

Consider the beauty that lies beneath our feet! Earth’s most common mineral is silica which we identify in the earth as quartz. Whether it he the clear variety, or the royal purple variety called "amethyst", or the yellow variety called "citrine," or the dark brown variety known as "smokey quartz" or "rose quartz", or "milky quartz" the crystal form is the same. The angles of the quartz crystal measure 94 degrees 15 minutes everywhere in nature. The same is true of other minerals. Every Topaz crystal measures 124 degrees 17 minutes between its major angles.

The excellent name of the Lord while testified in His creation appears even more glorious in His attention to the likes of you and me. "When I consider Thy Heavens, the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" (verses 3,4) Our Lord "obtained a more excellent name than the angels. (Hebrews 1:4)

Consider how excellent is the name of the Lord, and how it is the most excellent name in all the earth! How excellent is the Lord in His incarnation and in His birth! How excellent were His miracles, and how glorious was He in His sufferings, in His death, in His resurrection and in His ascension! "How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings." (Psalm 36:7)

Our Lord was more excellent than Moses and the earthly Tabernacle. "Now, hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises." (Hebrews 8:6)

He "received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.’" (II Peter 1:17) He came from the excellent glory, and has returned to the excellent glory where He "dwells in light which no man can approach unto." (I Timothy 6:16)

As wrote Isaac Watts, so wrote another,

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’er 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,"

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all His angels: praise ye him, all His hosts. Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them forever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass.

"Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: fire, and hail; snow and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling His word: mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: both young men and maidens; old men, and children: let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto Him. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 148)

"Praise Him according to His excellent greatness." (Psalm 150:2)

"How excellent is Thy name, 0 Lord in all the earth!"

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