"What is man"
[Psalms 8]
On the 15th of November 2005, two people passed away. Both of them were 79 years old. One was my friend's father, and the other was my father's friend who was also a pastor like my father. One person had the funeral ceremony in Buddhiistic way and then cremated. Another person had the Christian funeral service and was buried in the cemetery. As I was thinking about their deaths, I thought about what is man again.
According to the Bible, the prophet Isaiah said that the man is “grass” (Isa. 40:6), Paul said “earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7), and James said “a vapor” (Jam. 4:14). From the eternal point of view, life like grass, like earthen vessels and fog that appear a little while and then vanish away, isn’t as wonderful as we think. In a word, I think that a man is nobody. But the surprising fact is that among these many people, we Christians are loved by God and chosen by Him to enjoy the grace of salvation. So David, the psalmist, says in Psalms 8:4 – “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” So I asked four questions of grace on the subject of "What is man":
The first question, ‘What is man that God has established strength from the mouth of infants and nursing babes?’
Look at Psalms 8:2 – “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.” Here “infants” means a little kid who just started speaking’ (Park). And “nursing babes” reminds a mother’s breast-feeding baby. In other words, ‘You have establishes strength from the mouth of infants and nursing babes’ means that the believers receive God’s revelation and trust His revelation, and to know God by being like a child without prejudice (Park).
God reveals to us and helps us to know Him when we yearn for His word like a little child who humbly seek the spiritual milk, the word of God. What an amazing grace and blessing? What is man that he can know God? God also reveals the power of God (and His word) through us when we humbly yearn for the word of God like the little child and as the suckling baby. Therefore, God makes the enemy and the revengeful cease (v. 2).
What is James that God revealed His promise word of John 6:1-15 for me and of Matthew 16:18 for Victory Presbyterian Church. I am forever grateful for Him for these two promise words of God that He gave to me. Also, I am thankful to God for restoring and reviving my soul when I am discouraged and weak by the power of His promise words.
The second question, ‘What is man that God takes thought of me and cares for me?’
Look at Psalms 8:4 – “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” Here, the word “thought” in Hebrew is ‘remembering’ and it means love. In other words, What is man that God loves him. Also in verse 4, the word “cares” means ‘monitoring or looking after’ (Park). David was amazed by God’s grace in loving and caring for such man as he was considering His heavens, the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars, which God had ordained (v. 3). What do you think? When you look at God's creation, His heavens, the moon, and the stars, do you think that truly small, grass, earthen vessels and the vapor life deserves God's love and care? What is more surprising, however, is that God made only us, human being, in the image of God. That’s why we are receiving God’s love and care. What an amazing grace and love of God?
I am just grateful for the grace of God that such man like me can enjoy the blessing of God's extraordinary love and care because He gave me His image among many and wonderful God’s creations.
The third question, ‘What is man that God crowns him with glory and majesty.’
Look at Psalms 8:5 – “Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” This word has a double meaning: (1) First, it foretells the fact that Jesus, on behalf of mankind, suffered and died and became lower than an angel and then risen and ascended to heaven and (2) Second, it means that the redeemed saints through Christ are fully redeemed to from the image of Christ (Park). The prophetic meaning applied to the Messiah has already been fulfilled. Christ died on the cross, resurrected, ascended, and sat down at the right hand of God. Heavnely Father exalted Jesus. Then the second meaning still remains to us. When Jesus comes back, we will be completely redeemed and Christ will formed in us. At that time, God will crown us with glory and majesty. What is man that he can receive this glorious blessing and honor?
What is James that I will be crowned with glory and majesty? What isn’t if it isn’t God’s grace?
Fourth and last question, ‘What is man that God makes him to rule over the works of His hands?’
Look at Psalms 8:6 – “You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” Before the Fall, the first man was blessed with God’s authority to rule over the works of God’s hands. However, because the man sinned, he lost his authority and in a true sense he couldn’t ideally rule all things. But even on the day when the salvation is completed by the redemption of Christ, humans will come to the place of all rulership (Park). What is man that he can reach that place of all rulership? It’s completely God’s grace.
This reminds me the hymn “I, Know not Why God’s Wondrous Grace”, verse 1: “I know not why God's wondrous grace To me He hath made Known, Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love Redeemed me for His own.” I don’t know why God has redeemed the unworthy man like me, has revealed Himself to me, love and care for me, will crown me with glory and majesty when the Lord comes back and will make me to rule over the works of His hands. I know not why God enables me to enjoy all these blessings, to such man who is just grass, earthen vessel, and vapor.
Without knowing what is man James that God allows me to live in such abundant grace of God,
James Kim
(With earnest desire to labor even more with the power of God’s grace)