The Lodestar

The psalmist presents a multi-tiered view of his world. First are the celestial bodies—stars and the moon; then are the heavenly beings, who are inferior to God but above humans; and third, the planet Earth and all its creatures.

The question, “What is man?” reverberates in these three spheres. Human beings are insignificant compared to the size and splendour of the celestial bodies. They are far away and cannot be reached, and their light illuminates the skies. He admits that human beings are lower than the heavenly beings in status. However, human beings are still “crowned with glory and honour.”

However, human beings are unique in that they are the masters of what the Lord has created. “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas” (Psa 8:6—8).

In all probability, Psalm 8 is a group song sung by a community gazing at the starry sky. Imagine a community in the days when there were no artificial lights, where nocturnal animals roamed, and people had to look through the windows at the pitch-black, frightening darkness.

But instead of fear, they have faith in the creator God, who not only created the wild animals but put them under the authority of human beings: “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands.”

Faith is weak when we miss the creator of this universe. Life is fearful when we ignore that the Lord has given authority over all he has created. Creator God gifted the created order to the children of God to enjoy and care for.

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