What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:4-9, NASB The third question answered by the psalmist in Psalm 8 is this, “What is man?” The context of his question is considering man in light of the heavens - the moon and the stars of the firmament. Think on this for a moment as you get your mind into the right frame to think as the psalmist did. The following is from Jon Courson’s commentary on the Bible. If the sun were hollowed out, one million three hundred thousand earths could fit inside. But the sun is small compared to the star, Anteres, because if Anteres were hollow, it could hold sixty-four million suns. Anteres, however, is nothing compared to the star, Hercules, which, if hollow, could hold one hundred million Anteres. Yet the star, Epsilon, dwarfs Anteres, for if it were hollow, it could hold three million Hercules. The numbers involved in comparing earth to the star Hercules are pretty much beyond our understanding. It would be multiplying 1,300,000 X 64,000,000 X 100,000,000. That number written out is 832,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That is 832 septillion earths could fit inside the star Antares. I’m afraid we are not capable of honestly assessing how big that number is. But . . . it is something we should consider when thinking about one human on the face of one of those 832 septillion earths that it would take to fill up just 1 star in God’s created universe. Pretty insignificant is what we would have to surmise when thinking about this. That is what the psalmist is thinking - what is man in light of the universe? The God Whose creative genius and power made this earth with only His words - is far greater and more astounding than even Anteres. Yet God does take thought of mankind. Yet, says the psalmist, You, God, have made Him a little lower than God. When we truly consider this, we are left with our mouths hanging open. God made us to be image bearers! We can know Him and respond to Him - and even reflect His glory in our lives. We are truly crowned with glory and majesty. In verses 6 and 7 we see all that God intended for man to do. We were made not just as image bearers, but also as co-regents with God to rule over this earth. All that is no the earth is put under mankind’s feet - with a list of sheep and oxen first as domesticated animals - and then the beasts of the field - birds of the heavens - and all sea creatures as well. That is how we were originally made. It is enough to make the psalmist repeat what He said at the beginning of the psalm about how Jehovah, our ruler has a majestic name in all the earth. If we were not to have the New Testament - this would simply be a song that reminds us to praise God for His person - His creation - and for His wonderful gift of life and dominion to mankind. But even without the New Testament this rings a little hollow to those who live on earth now. It is hard to consider that we rule over the beasts of the field when we are terrified of many of them who are predators. Allow a man to happen on a grizzly bear or one of the huge cats like a lion or tiger - and our thoughts don’t turn to mastery - but rather to terror at what they can do to us. The same is true when we face great whales, killer whales, or sharks in the seas. And let’s not even get started with what nature can do - with things like tornados, hurricanes, lightning, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. It certainly does NOT look like we “rule” over all things. But then we are reminded of sin and the Fall of mankind. We did rule over all things at one time. Then we chose sin rather than obedience and fellowship with God. We decided we could run the earth better than God. We wanted to be our own god - making our own rules and doing things as we see fit to do them. The end of that foolish experiment is the world in which we live today. Psalm 8 - in fact this very part of Psalm 8 is quoted in Hebrews 2:5-8 where we read this: For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. But one has testified somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. Hebrews 2:5-8 We certainly do not see all things subjected to him - to man. But why does the writer of Hebrews quote Psalm 8 then? It is because he is about to tell us what we DO see at this present time. But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9 What we DO SEE is JESUS! We see Him made a little lower than the angels. Jesus Christ is God - fully God - and yet He was made a little lower than the angels when He came in the incarnation. He is the God-man - perfect God and yet man. He humbled Himself as a man - and subjected Himself to suffering and death. He chose to pay the penalty that we deserved because we had sinned. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus also “tasted death for everyone.” He faced not just death in general - but death as the punishment for sin. It is because of this that Jesus was crowned with glory and honor. You can read it all in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 10. And it was because of this death that the grace of God was given to us. Salvation from the certainty of God’s wrath poured out in punishment for our sinful rebellion against Him. So we ask again, in light of the second chapter of Hebrews, the question of this psalm - What is man? The answer is both beautiful and majestic as well as horrific and tragic. The answer is both devastating and fear-inducing as well as astounding and that which should cause us to worship our Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity. Man is the special creation of God, crowned with glory and majesty and given wonderful dominion over all God has made in this world. Man is also an infinitely tragic figure as he chose to throw it all away for a lie that he could be as God. Man is encased in a world that now reminds him daily that he has lost his exalted position, as death, destruction, decay, and ultimately damnation is his lot left to himself. But - by the grace of God - and by One Who was made a little lower than the angels, even though He is God - there is the hope of redeeming grace. There is One Who has suffered and died the death man deserves - so that man may by grace receive a life he does not deserve.
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There are times in life when we feel that the entire world is coming apart at the seams. There are times when those who were close to us may betray us and walk away - times when nothing seems stable. David experienced those times when his son led a rebellion against Him and even sought to hunt him down and kill him. Absalom had declared himself king and the majority of Israel had been led astray to follow after him. He had fomented discontent in the hearts of the people making them think David was no longer accessible to them. David had to flee the palace and leave Jerusalem. It is interesting to note that songs come to us not just in the "good" moments of our lives, but also in times of distress. Country music and the blues do not have a corner on music written in times of trouble, difficulty, sadness, and even depression. David sang to the Lord - in good times and in bad. So what did David do when faced with very distressing times? That is what we learn in Psalm 3 as we listen to him sing this song in the midst of betrayal and dire trouble. David was facing a very real problem. Thus as he begins this troublesome song he begins by facing the problem. He did not seek to hide from it or deny that it existed. "O Lord how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me! Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no deliverance for Him in God!'" The statement among these three that troubled David most was the third. No deliverance for me - not even from God? Could it be true? Could it be that this was a sign that God was finished with David? Could it be that the sins of David's past had come home to visit him for the last time? Was God saying through His providence in all this that He was casting David off - that he need not even call out to God - that the last of his deliverances was used up - and now all that remained was his pitiful demise? This is one of the most deadly things we face in times like David faced. God is through with you! There is no more deliverance for you from Him. Your sins have risen too high and this stroke of bad fortune is proof of it! There is nothing left for you - you are beyond His mercies or His grace! Oh what a pitiful and horrible place to think you have come to in life. That was the talk that surrounded David in these hours that seemed like days. The truly troubling thing to David in these moments was that he might have believed them. He had failed in the Bathsheba incident. He had blown it when he did not deal with the rape of his own relative, who happened to be Absalom's daughter. He failed to act with strength when Absalom took matters into his own hands and killed his brother, the crown prince, for his actions. Then David flip-flopped in his dealings with Absalom, banishing him - then having him return - then not seeing him - then receiving him after Joab interceded for him. It was quite a mess - and maybe that mess is what led God to allow this. Maybe there wasn't any grace or mercy left for David's failures. Those are hard moments for us too. Moments when all our failures are before us - and we begin to wonder if the whispers in our spirit are accurate. There is no deliverance for us in God. He is sick to death of us and all our multitudinous mistakes, blown moments, and failures. We know we would be sick - and indeed are sick of ourselves. Our number of Romans 7 moments mounting up even as we consider praying in our current mess. These are very dangerous moments for us. They can be moments of incredible despair - and moments when we give up hope - giving up the one thing we truly need, which is the ability to turn to God, crying out to Him for mercy and grace in our time of need. What should we do in moments like this? Where can we turn and how do we get to the point of turning? Moses was told by none other than God Himself what Jehovah's true character is. In Exodus 34 after one of Israel's greatest sins, the making and worshipping of the golden calf, God revealed Himself to Moses as He re-wrote the 10 commandments on new stone tablets. This is what God said to him. "Jehovah, Jehovah God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin . . . " What a glorious revelation of Himself God made. I must also state that in the rest of that verse God also promises to not leave the guilty unpunished. But remember this - He had not consumed Israel in His wrath and judgment. If ever there was a moment to let His wrath fly, that was it! Consume all of them in a moment! There would be no deliverance for them in God - they had sinned - they had blown it again and again through the wilderness! You have got to be kidding to even ask for mercy and grace! Yet - there it is - again - and again - and again . . . mercy . . . compassion . . . forgiveness of iniquity, transgression, sin. Moses turned to God in the worst of situations . . . and in the worst of situations God revealed Himself merciful and compassionate and forgiving. The day would come when the wrath and judgment for sin would fall. But not today. Not on David, even in this moment that reminded him of every failure and every blown opportunity. That judgment would fall . . . on a different One. God Himself - in the person of the Son - would pay the price - WOULD take the fall - the ultimate fall. But today . . . the failures of today . . . the problems, difficulties, horrors of sin's past . . . they would receive mercy - compassion - forgiveness. What a God - indeed - what an amazing God! Where are you - troubled saint of God? Has the rising tide of your past failures come to the point of attempting to drown you today? Have you struggled to keep your head above them, all the while hearing whispers in your spiritual ears that there is no deliverance for you in God this time? Oh, precious saint of God - know that even in this moment your wisest choice is to turn to God - crying out to Him in the midst of your troubles. The One Who showed that His lovingkindnesses indeed never cease is near to the broken-hearted. The One Who revealed that His marvelous compassions never fail will hear your call. Amidst the deafening whispers of the wicked one David still heard the still, small blowing of the Holy Spirit. It was that voice that reminded him that even in Israel's horrific moment of "golden calf" sinfulness and failure that God showed His glory to a broken-hearted Moses who cried out to Him. It was in that most horrible of spiritual devastations that God revealed Himself by His endless mercy and grace. Don't listen to the wicked whispers, most precious ones of God. Listen to the glorious roar of God's gentle breeze - to the precious blowing of the Holy Spirit as He speaks of the "praise of the glory of His grace" to you. It is the song that has comforted the spiritual failures of every generation since the fall of man. It is the song that continues to emanate from the very throne of God - through the blood-stained cross of Calvary. Listen, saints, listen! Can you hear it? |
Pastor John LawrencePsalms for Life . . . God moved on several people to write the Psalms. This is a book of songs and poems written by people who were seeking to be devoted to God as they walked though their lives. This is a collection of songs and poems that express the true, wonderful, and often raw emotions that we have as we journey through life with God. I hope you will be blessed and encouraged as you read. But more than that I hope that these expositions and writings will help you to seek Him in the midst of the life you live in this world. It will be at times comforting and encouraging, while at others it will be challenging and awkward. Regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum as you read, it will be a reminder that God invites us into His presence to truly walk with Him, know Him, and at times, pour out emotions of joy, sorrow, frustration, anger, and everything else you can imagine. He not only invites you to do this - He delights in it too! Hope you enjoy your journey! Archives
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