S) "3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4 What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?"
Psalm 8:3-4 (NASB)
O) There are two important things to understand about this passage, represented in each of the verses. This helps form the basis for what is, at its core, a psalm of humility. First, we must understand that the last word in v.3 is not about God creating things, but about God creating a system of things. At this point in history, mankind had begun to understand science on the level of observing and studying what was around them, in order to make it useful. David understood that the moon had cycles, which correlated to tides, even if he didn't understand the causation: its gravitational pull. He understood that the stars had cycles that correlated to seasons, even if he didn't understand the causation: that the earth spun on an axis and revolved around the sun. But, through those systems he understood it to be the evidence of God. These were seen clearly to be the work of His fingers, not some substitutive explanation opposed to creationism. Next, in v.4, the use of the phrases, "What is man," and "the son of man," are speaking to a common understanding of societal values. David was clearly placing man on a much lower level than God, but acknowledging that God was still mindful of men. Then he used the term, "son of man" to emphasize that he was not referring to some kind of special man that God considers. A son of man would be in contrast to a son of God, or even son of god, as many pagan cultures had in their folklore, even at that time. He was humbling the stature of man as far as he could, to make the point clear that God cares for us because it is His will to do so, not because we are special in any way.
A) This passage is really a reminder to take a compound approach to humility. I heard something along the lines of, "Being humble is not thinking less about myself, but thinking about myself less," and this is like that. The humility displayed in these verses is borne from meditating on the greatness of God. So, that's my first step. Without bothering about how humble I am, I should already focus on the vast, impressive, majestic nature of God. Then from there, I will be humbled by the comparison. Along with this humility, comes an appreciation for the breadth of God's love. After all, by recognizing the difference between me and Him, I am also recognizing the distance He came to rescue me in His grace and love.
P) Father, Your ways are so deep, I want to be swallowed by the majesty they reveal. The world around me shouts Your praises! Let me contemplate them longer, and recognize that I still stand on the shores of the ocean of Your character. By realizing how vast You are, in Your thoughts, Your plans, and Your designs, I am confronted with the depth of Your grace toward me, that Yoy desire relationship with me. Who am I, that You are mindful of me? I am Your beloved servant. Be glorified. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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