What is Man that You Think of Him?

O YHWH, our Elohim, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The exclamation which begins and ends this psalm, enclosing it as a jewel in a setting, determines its theme as being neither the nightly heaven with all its stars, nor the feebleness of man, but the character of YHWH that is proclaimed by both. (The Expositor’s Bible, esword commentary)

What a beautiful summary of a beautiful poem!

In this study, we will examine the structure, comparisons, and contrasts of Psalm 8 to mine additional jewels from this beloved song.

On the surface this is a simple poem written in awe of YHWH’s creation. Reading it, you almost hear the sheep bleating their last calls for the night. You can imagine David there with you, humbled by the vastness and majesty of the night sky. You are overcome with a very clear understanding that everything we have has been given to us by YHWH, master of all the universe. These ideas alone, make Him worthy of our praise.

But, digging a bit deeper, we realize the simple parallels of this poem reveal hint at a future theology of Yashua. The double meaning of “son of man” teaches us that at creation, Yashua was one with the Father, and was later made “a little lower than angels” by becoming human. Humans, simultaneously part of creation and separate from it, were elevated to be “a little lower than the angels” when given dominion over earthly creation. The elegant use of numbers highlights and blurs the contrast between YHWH and humanity. We were made in the image of God, but we are not God. We are infants placed in a position of authority by His grace. However, we find hints at the unification of human and divine in the eternal kingdom.

The intertwining structure of this poem reveals an elegant weaving of the earthly and the heavenly, contrasting the temporal nature of one and the eternal nature of the other, while validating the role of each in YHWH’s plan of salvation.

Reading this poem on a surface layer alone is meaningful. It reminds us to be awed, teaches us to be thankful, and demonstrates how to give praise. The deeper readings and understanding are just that – additional layers of understanding. We see YHWH’s plan of salvation in place from the beginning. We see the unity of the Scriptures, all pointing to our redemption through Messiah. YHWH’s majesty is made known from the deepest of space, to the smallest letter on page. Wherever we look, He is calling us to Him, to His ancient paths.

How merciful are you O YHWH that you consider us!

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