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Psalm 8 – Praying through the Bible – #172 – A Prayer of Praise About Mankind
Yahweh is a universal God (v.1) because He created the universe: the earth, its inhabitants, and the heavens. Notice this beautiful imagery – “You have covered the heavens with Your majesty” (v.1). Reminds me of Romans 1:20 – “For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made.”
Despite this powerful and glorious gift to mankind, God has adversaries (v.2). God’s defense is not conventional. He chooses as a stronghold “the mouths of children and nursing infants” (v.2). No surprise then Paul also describes God choosing “what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). He who created everything and covered it with His glory can find an advocate for His magnificence in a baby. Who doesn’t marvel at a little one? Some think this analogy is a metaphor for Israel, a small insignificant nation that has defied the continual historical demise of nations by surviving to bring forth the Messiah. If so, let us remember the answer Zimmermann of Brugg-in-Aargau gave King Frederick the Great who asked his physician, ‘Zimmermann, can you name me a single proof of the existence of God?’ The physician replied, ‘Your majesty, the Jews.’”
The psalmist is filled with wonder at God’s vast creation (v.3). When compared to all that is, humanity is insignificant. Despite that, he wonders again:
“What is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet” (8:4-6).
This hearkens back to the creation. Being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) has as one application that both male and female equally “rule” all the earth (Genesis 1:26,28). Mankind glorifies God by taking care of God’s earth! Being made in God’s image and likeness in Genesis, is being made a “little less than God” in Psalm 8:5. Humans rule for God, taking care of His world. By being made a little less than God, we have dignity above even the creation that is covered by Divine majesty! By being given the responsibility to rule the world, we have God-given dignity. Because of what God and has made, and the role humans play, the psalmist concludes, “Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!” (8:9).
Prayer Challenge: We can become so overwhelmed at our own unworthiness that we forget the dignity God gives us. We should also pray that we accept God’s stewardship over the earth, including the animals, by taking care and protecting God’s creation.
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