What Does Psalm 8:4 Mean?

What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 8:4(NASB)

Verse of the Day

As he contemplated the vast expanse of God's glorious creative handiwork where, by the might of His power and His wisdom, God spoke time, space, and matter into being (from nothing), the Psalmist utters words that confound all God's children: "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" "Who am I," David asks, "that God should care for me and who are you that God should take note of you?" What is man, that God should visit him and bestow on him such grace and favour?"

The indescribable greatness of our Heavenly Father finds stark contrast with the insignificant and inconsequential role of sinful man who is dead in his sin, at enmity with God, and without hope in the world.

The majesty of His glory and depth of His wisdom stands in sharp contradistinction with created humanity, and yet God has an intimate interest in each one of us, and a dear desire that none should perish but that all should come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

It was man that God created in His image and likeness. It was man that God formed from the dust of the earth, and it was into man's lifeless body of clay that the Spirit of God breathed the breath of life. It was man and not animals, angels, or any other created being to whom God gave dominion over the works of His hand, and it was when man had been finally fashioned and formed by the hand of his Creator, that God pronounced that everything He made was "very good."

But man sinned and disqualified himself from his privileged position as God's chosen representative on earth, and the effects of sin continue to reverberate around the universe to this day. No wonder the Psalmist cried in astonished amazement: "What is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

But God in His grace had purposed that man should rule and reign over His creation, and nothing can hinder the decree of the Almighty. Nothing can halt the ultimate fulfilment of God's perfect plan.

The first man (the first Adam) was of the earth, and disqualified humanity from God's sovereign purpose. The second Man (the last Adam) is the Lord from heaven, and by death He conquered the one that had power over death. He is Jesus Christ our Lord, and He has been crowned with honour and great glory - and today He is seated at God's right hand.

Soon, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to take up His God-ordained dominion over the works of God's hand, which were forfeited by they first man but which will be fully restored by the Second Man.

What is man, that the eternal Son of the living God became the Man Christ Jesus? For a time, He made Himself a little lower than the angels so that He could take upon Himself the form of a man and die to pay the price for our sin - and in so doing became our precious, Kinsman-Redeemer. What is man that God should care for us? What is man that God Himself should die so that I might live?

My Prayer

O Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. Thank You that You are mindful of me, mindful of man. I am astonished that You should love this race of fallen man so much that You sent Your Son to become a Man and live a perfect life so that I might be saved from my sins by faith in Him. Thank You that by grace through faith in Christ, we will witness the full and final restoration of man’s appointed position as Your chosen representative, when Christ returns from heaven to rule and reign. Thank You for all that You have done for me. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

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Psalm 8:4 Further Study

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