The "Small" Biblical universe

I've long wanted to start blogging some of my thoughts about politics, religion, and culture. To begin with, I adhere to the Reformed variety of the Christian faith (Calvinism to the uninitiated), have lived and traveled in Asia, and know a few other languages apart from English.

I will start with a random thought (Hmmm. Aren't we Calvinists supposed to believe that all is predestined, and hence "randomness" does not exsit--at least from God's standpoint?) on some truisms of my not-too-pious upbringing.

"Of course the biblical writers thought that the universe was small. We know better now."

That was told me many times as I was growing up.

Yet, I recently was reading these verses from Psalm 8:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars which thou hast ordained;
What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? (Psalm 8:3-4, KJV)

Clearly, David saw man as small and insignificant as he looked into the night sky and the astronomical phenomena that have fascinated us since creation. He may not have been able to put a number on the scale of difference, as modern astronomers may, but he nonetheless knew something of his proper place.

Well, so much for now. Peace, reader.