Through Children and Infants God Wins!

Psalms 8:2 (NIV) – Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

This is not an easy text to interpret and get the meaning. The text is in a context where it stands alone as it is. Sometimes context is used for interpretation, and it’s the best hint. However, it get difficult when the text to be interpreted has no relation with surrounding texts.

Another challenge in interpreting this text is the first obvious meaning. Interpretation requires that the first obvious meaning makes sense and be considered before any other hidden meaning. The first obvious meaning here is that children of three years and below are praising God. How can infants praise God? If it was older children or teenagers, it would make sense. Infants?

The third and last challenge is that the word praise used here also means strength. Strength of infants. Praise of infants. Then the rest of the passage ends by telling us about strongholds of the enemy. These suggests that the word may refer to strength more than praise. That takes us to the second problem, how can infants have strength against the enemy? This is some of the reasons why Theologians study Biblical languages in order to interpret tough texts. Is it strength or praise? Both are not easily done by infants.

We quickly conclude that the meaning is not obvious. We therefore must read the Bible further to see how the same wording has been used and look for a hint on what this text could mean. If you don’t understand, don’t get stranded, read further ahead.

Matthew 11:25 (NIV) – At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Jesus uses this same concept. Jesus says God has made a revelation that the wise and learned can’t understand, yet little children or infants understand. The wise and learned were the religious leaders of His time. They were indeed learned extensively. The disciples of Jesus were uneducated members of society.

The disciples of Jesus had known Him as Messiah, yet people learned in religious matters were struggling to understand and accept Jesus. Therefore, infants here is not a reference to age but to competence and ability. The ordinary people with lesser religious competence had quickly understood and accepted God’s revelation.

Infants therefore is a reference to anyone including adults, who are considered weak, helpless and incompetent. Infants should not be interpreted in such contexts as strictly referring to little children.

Psalms 8:2 (NIV) – Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

David wrote this psalm. David killed Goliath. Praise could also mean strength. Goliath was a huge bodied experienced fighter. David before Goliath was but like an infant in war matters. Yet through the strength of this infant, God won against His enemies and silenced them.

This text means that when you seem weaker than those you are confronting, do not be afraid. God has proved that through infants He can win and silence opponents. In your weakness and helplessness, you can win by God’s power against the strongest enemies!

Matthew 21:15-16 (NIV) – 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Jesus cites the same text of consideration today. He tells knowledgeable religious leaders that God will be praised even if they do not praise Him. The children saw Jesus healing and helping people, and they praised Him. Religious leaders saw the same thing but were blinded by envy and anger. Children saw what they the adults couldn’t see and they praised God.

In this passage, the word is used as praise and not strength. In this passage, it refers to God achieving His ends through the impossible. God is still praised even by children. God can achieve what He wants through the weakest of vessels. Weakness doesn’t stop God from achieving.

Luke 19:39-40 (NIV) – 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

If they stop praising God, God will still be praised even by non-living things such as stones. God will have His way. What God wants to happen will happen even if no one is able or willing to do it.

Psalms 8:2 (NIV) – Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

God silences His enemies using children. God wins against His enemies using the least expected means – infants. God will ultimately have His way. Nothing stops God from winning.

What a God we serve! Even when everything is against us, He gives victory out of the least expected places or people. With our God victory will take place in times and places when experts and experienced people have declared it impossible. Nothing stops God from winning!

Trust God in your impossibilities. Impossible health situation. Impossible financial situation. Impossible academic situation. Impossible social situation. Impossible relationship situation. Impossible spiritual situation. Out of infants, so to speak, God will grant unprecedented victory to you and me. God will silence enemies permanently. May it be so, even today, in Jesus’s name, Amen!

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