by Mike Bennett

This is just one of six times in the Psalms and seven other places in the Bible we are told to magnify God, or where the words magnified or magnifies are used about God’s name.

We need to magnify God and His works because we are myopic, short-sighted humans, and we are far from Him. It’s like we need a telescope to see what should be plain to us. We need magnification, not because God is small, but because our spiritual eyesight is so bad.

Magnifying God’s name is the opposite of using it in vain (breaking the Third Commandment). “You shall not” take His name in vain gives the negative; you shall magnify His name gives the positive spirit of the law.

God’s greatness is far beyond what humans can imagine or express in human languages. But it is only fitting that we try to expand our thinking and grow in our appreciation and praise of our great Creator. Magnifying and exalting His name, which means detailing to ourselves God’s qualities and character, is a way we can try to grasp some part of His awesome majesty and power.

For more about God’s names, see “Names of God.”