Glory in weakness

O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who displays Your splendor above the heavens!
From the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established;
What is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen, and also the animals of the field,
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8

Introduction

Even if you are not familiar with the Psalms, you might recognize that Christ quoted verse 2 when the children were praising Him after cleansing the Temple and healing the blind and lame (Matthew 21:16). “Out of the mouths of babes” has even become a proverbial saying when a young child says something insightful or profound (or maybe particularly silly). But here in the full context of the Psalm, we see why Jesus quoted it. His adversaries stood against Him, but were silenced by the praise of children. This is how God works when He makes the wisdom of this world foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:19). He takes the things that we see as lowly and weak, and makes them an untouchable strength.

Now, as a good prayer does, this Psalm is loaded with praise for God. In fact, the entirety of this Psalm is praise. Even when it turns its attention to man, it is in praise of God’s grace toward mankind.

The Son of Man

In verse 4, David compares the glory and majesty of God to the lowliness and fragility of mankind. Once again, we see God’s glory displayed in weakness. David does this by asking what man even is that the most magnificent One over all creation would care for him. There is no obvious reason we would be so favored by God. We are not the largest of the creatures, nor the longest living. We are tainted and stained with sin, and our rebellion is recurring and near constant. Yet God cares for us anyway.

In fact, He cares for us so much that He has made us only a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory! We are the stewards over all creation despite our rebellion, and this causes David to praise the Lord.

But you might have noticed that verses 4-6 are quoted in the New Testament. Hebrews 2:6-9 directly quotes this Psalm and applies it to Jesus Christ Himself. The title Son of Man is used over 80 times in the New Testament in reference to the second person of the Trinity. It is also used over 100 times in the Old Testament, but most often there it is used to reference mere men. In fact, in Numbers 23:19, it is used to demonstrate what God is not.

God’s deep and abiding care for mankind did not end at His setting our post above the rest of creation. Despite being utterly unlike us, God was not content to allow us to remain a rebellious people enslaved to sin. He sent His Son to become a man like us and put on flesh (John 1:14). And as the epitome of glory God set for man, the enfleshed Christ fulfilled these verses perfectly. He really was made a little lower than the angels for a time, and having completed His mission to redeem a people for Himself and defeat sin and death, He has been crowned with glory and sits at the Father’s right hand (Acts 7:55).

Co-heirs with Christ

Christ suffered and died. And in that, He was victorious in a way no one expected (1 Corinthians 2:7-8), because the expectations of the sinful mind are always oriented toward power and might. But the glory of God is different from that. His power is so incredible that He is able to make weakness into strength. And if you belong to Christ, you are made into a co-heir with Him in glory (Romans 8:17). All that He accomplished at the cross was accomplished for you and for the glory of God.

The dominion man exercises over creation in eternity will look very different than it does today. In this day, we fall into extremes. We exploit the earth and its abundance for our own gain, or we exalt the earth as a deity to be worshiped in and of itself. But in eternity, we will subdue and cultivate the earth to God’s glory instead of our own. We will steward it well as good and faithful servants to our God and King.

And as God accomplishes His strength by means of weakness, you will see that your faith being like a child’s is the strongest faith; that there is power in being meek (Matthew 5:5); and that suffering is glory (Romans 8:17). So if you wish to be with Christ in eternity and share in His glory and dominion, you should be prepared to suffer as He suffered. Be prepared to empty yourself as He emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7), and do not cling to what only appears secure but is instead a wisp.

May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.