THREAD: Psalm 8 and God’s Gracious Order
Psalms 1–7 introduce us to a world of contrasts—a world in which the righteous and wicked co-exist (cf. the link below),
much to the chagrin of the righteous.
Psalms 1–7 introduce us to a world of contrasts—a world in which the righteous and wicked co-exist (cf. the link below),
much to the chagrin of the righteous.
As a result, Psalms 1–7 contain many laments.
‘Mah rabbu tzaray!’ = ‘How many are my foes!’ (3.2).
‘Ad-meh’ = ‘How long...!’ (4.3).
In Psalm 8, however, the Psalmist turns his eyes heavenwards,
and composes a psalm of unalloyed praise.
‘Mah rabbu tzaray!’ = ‘How many are my foes!’ (3.2).
‘Ad-meh’ = ‘How long...!’ (4.3).
In Psalm 8, however, the Psalmist turns his eyes heavenwards,
and composes a psalm of unalloyed praise.
The Psalm begins with an exclamation of God’s greatness,
as Psalm 3’s ‘Mah rabbu tzaray!’ = ‘How many are many enemies!’ is exchanged for Psalm 8’s ‘Mah adir!’ = ‘How majestic!’ (8.2).
as Psalm 3’s ‘Mah rabbu tzaray!’ = ‘How many are many enemies!’ is exchanged for Psalm 8’s ‘Mah adir!’ = ‘How majestic!’ (8.2).
The Psalm doesn’t, however, proceed as we might have expected.
We might have expected a list of the wonders of God’s creation—the sun, moon, stars, birds, fish, and so on.
And, in fact, we are later furnished with precisely such a list (8.4, 6ff.).
We might have expected a list of the wonders of God’s creation—the sun, moon, stars, birds, fish, and so on.
And, in fact, we are later furnished with precisely such a list (8.4, 6ff.).
But, first, the Psalmist makes a remarkable claim:
Just as God ‘rested’ (Sabbathed) from his work of creation on Day 7 (Gen. 2.2),
so God will soon ‘Sabbath’ = ‘obtain rest’ from his enemies (Psa. 8.3),
and he will do so, not by his great might or power, but by the words of *infants*.
so God will soon ‘Sabbath’ = ‘obtain rest’ from his enemies (Psa. 8.3),
and he will do so, not by his great might or power, but by the words of *infants*.
8.4–6 continues the thought.
With 8.2’s ‘Mah adir!’ replaced by ‘Mah enosh!’ (‘What is man!’: 8.4), the Psalmist emphasises the weakness of man compared to the vastness of the moon and stars:
With 8.2’s ‘Mah adir!’ replaced by ‘Mah enosh!’ (‘What is man!’: 8.4), the Psalmist emphasises the weakness of man compared to the vastness of the moon and stars:
And then in 8.6 we encounter the odd collocation,
‘You have made man lesser than the heavenly creatures *yet* have *crowned* him with glory...’
‘You have made man lesser than the heavenly creatures *yet* have *crowned* him with glory...’
The Psalmist’s point is as follows:
God’s creation is not a power-ocracy; it is a hierarchy established by God’s gracious decree.
God does not allocate his most important tasks to his most powerful agents.
Rather, he orders his creation/economy by divine grace.
God’s creation is not a power-ocracy; it is a hierarchy established by God’s gracious decree.
God does not allocate his most important tasks to his most powerful agents.
Rather, he orders his creation/economy by divine grace.
Of course, as the author of #Hebrews is quick to point out, we don’t presently see God’s creation subject to mankind.
The first man surrendered his crown for the taste of forbidden fruit,
and a second man has tasted death in order to regain it (Heb. 2).
The first man surrendered his crown for the taste of forbidden fruit,
and a second man has tasted death in order to regain it (Heb. 2).
Important to note here is the consistency of Hebrews’ application of our Psalm.
In Psalm 8, God tells us he hasn’t chosen to silence his enemies by means of strong men, but by means of ‘children’ (‘yonekim’) (8.3).
In Psalm 8, God tells us he hasn’t chosen to silence his enemies by means of strong men, but by means of ‘children’ (‘yonekim’) (8.3).
And, in the fulness of time, a different ‘yonek’ arises—the ‘yonek’ = ‘young plant’ of Isaiah 53.2—, who is (temporally) without ‘majesty’ (‘hadar’),
yet who defeats God’s enemies not by might, but by death,
and is hence crowned with glory (‘hadar’) (per 8.6) by means of death.
and is hence crowned with glory (‘hadar’) (per 8.6) by means of death.
As such, the author of Hebrews continues our Psalm’s themes of weakness and death,
and God’s creation begins as it ends, i.e., ruled by mankind, as is reflected in the Psalm’s structure:
and God’s creation begins as it ends, i.e., ruled by mankind, as is reflected in the Psalm’s structure:
Needless to say, if God’s initial decision to allocate man a position of responsibility over the earth was an act of great grace, then much more so his decision to restore it.
THE END.
THE END.
