What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; Psalm 8:4-6 "What is man?" This is probably one the most universally important questions that can be asked. And the way we answer this question determines what we will seek to accomplish with our lives, how we will behave, what we will value, what we will despise, etc. In short, the answer we give to this question determines everything about our lives. So, what are we? Are we the random product of chance and survival? If so, there is no such thing as morality, meaning or purpose. All is random material and happenstance. We are not a mistake or a random collision of chemicals. The first thing that the Psalmist says is that we are "made". If we have assumed the meaninglessness of chance and survival as I mentioned a moment ago, this one concept of being "made" ought to be enough good news to keep us going for weeks on end. You have a purpose because you were made deliberately. You did not simply "happen" accidentally. Sadly, sometimes parents refer to particular children as "accidents" and we may have received that label, but it is not God's label. You are created, not accidental. What were you made to be? According to the Psalmist, you were made with a job to do, but you were not made a slave. The Psalmist says that you were made "a little lower than God", and that you have been crowned "with glory and majesty" and you have been made to rule over the works of God's hands. This is not a position of a slave but of honor. You are NOT God, which is sadly sometimes an important point to make, but you ARE made in God's own image to represent Him to creation. In the world of the Ancient Near East, according to John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, most people believed that the gods that ruled the world needed human beings to do tasks that they could not do, or didn't want to do. But not so, says the Psalmist. The Psalmist does not perceive God has having any needs that we must fulfill. Rather, the psalmist sees God as granting to His creatures, the opportunity to share in His creation project. We have a job to do, in other words, because He loves us, not because He needs us. What do you believe that you are? Does your answer lead you to self-satisfaction? Do your closest friends and family agree with your own personal estimation? How do you know who or what your are? If you would be willing to accept the testimony of the Psalmist, and if you are able to comprehend the incredible gift that your own life is to yourself, I guarantee that you will join the psalmist in saying: "O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!" (From Psalm 8)
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