What is Man that You are Mindful of Him?

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Imagine yourself out in the middle of a field far away from any lights of town on a clear night. Have you ever looked up at all the stars sprinkled throughout the night sky and felt overwhelmed at the vastness? It seems David was doing this exact thing when he was writing Psalm 8.

The Question Asked in the Old Testament (Psalm 8).

David writes: 

O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

David had many questions. Why has God been mindful of us? Why has God visited us? Why has God made us a little lower than the angels (or, most accurate, God)? Why has God crowned us as the glory and honor of His creation? Why has God given us the rule over His creation? It seems David may not have ever really gotten a full answer to all of his questions. However, when we get to the New Testament, we find something extraordinary. 

David's Question Answered in the New Testament (Hebrews 2:5-18).

Because we are the Father’s children, and we are Jesus’ brethren, the Almighty Perfect Holy God Who created the heavens and the earth sees us as His family.

The inspired writer of Hebrews wrote the following to Christians:

"For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” 

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:

“I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. 

Some 900 to 1,000 years after David asked all those questions, God supplies the answer. What is mankind that God is mindful of us? He sees us as His family, His children. He loves us dearly. 

Personal Application: I will live my life, knowing that God cares for me as one of His own children.

Whenever we start to wonder why God cares about us, remember that He cares because you as a Christians because you are His family. Therefore, consider Who is your High Priest (Hebrews 3:1), encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:12-15) and hold fast your confession (Hebrews 4:14). Having the answer to David’s question, our response remains the same as his: 

“O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”