Why Does God Perfect Praise out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings?

Psalm 8:2 (KJV)

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Because God loves irony.

The Bible is full of irony, and God does not simply match His enemies’ strength for strength. Instead, He overthrows the enemy’s counsel through weakness, dependence, and unimpressive means.

Great storytellers have followed this same pattern of irony. Tolkien uses Hobbits to overthrow the mighty Sauron. George Lucas uses a small farmboy and furry Ewoks to overthrow a massive empire.

Fans of these stories love the irony as well, because when a weak protagonist overthrows a great enemy through simple means, the enemy’s counsel is exposed as utterly foolish and fragile.

God does not silence His enemies with a display of overwhelming force—though one could point to the flood or the final judgment as exceptions. The story of Jesus Christ and the redemption of fallen humanity is brought about through what Scripture calls “babes and sucklings.” This divine irony utterly confounds God’s enemies, both human and non-human.

God’s rule is ultimately secure and unassailable, not because His servants are impressive or mighty, but because His rule stands firm even when it is mediated through great weakness. That is good news for the babes and sucklings.

When a person grasps this truth about God, it naturally follows that it is good to submit oneself fully under His mighty authority and to become like a dependent child before Him, rather than attempting to wrest authority from His hands in order to run one’s own life.

Jesus Himself applied Psalm 8:2 in the temple.

Matthew 21:15–16 (KJV)

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

The praise and rejoicing of these little children exposed the emptiness of the leaders’ claims to authority. And so, if one desires to overcome an enemy, there is no need to match strength for strength. Instead, one simply rejoices in weakness and trusts in God. This silences accusers and defeats their attempts at vengeance against God’s authority.

Humility and rejoicing in God anticipate Christ’s cross, where ultimate weakness became our ultimate victory and forever silenced the great Accuser. Psalm 8 points to Christ and reveals “the way” for every believer.

So let us lay down our grasp for control, rejoice in God’s strength, and gladly take our place among the babes and sucklings.