“What is Man” (Ps 8)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (vs3-4)

This psalm applies to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Man whom God's mindful of (Heb 2:5-10; 1 Cor 15:27). He is man in all His worth and perfections.  Now, by His Son, God minds all the elect, causing us to trust in and praise Him.

First, the Lord is worthy of God's mindfulness, for He obeyed God and manifested His glory. Hebrews 2 says, “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”. Now, God causes infants to praise Him, because whatever praises God is worthy of His attention, and the Man Christ Jesus most displays God's faithfulness, uprightness, and power, His glory in salvation. We read, “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 established strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger” (Ps 8:1-2; Matt 21:15-16).  He causes us to praise His Son, so that we can be included in the exaltation!

Secondly, Christ's exaltation is over everything, including death, so that He rules all, and we rule all through Him. We read, “For You have made him a little lower than the angles, 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” (vs5-8).  Christ has power to give life, power to damn, and power unlimited is bestowed on Him. He is rewarded for manifesting God's praise, and His reign is justified, eternal, and complete. Look to Him - to the worthiness of the Son - to be why you're saved, and through Him, receive sonship, becoming someone worthy of God's attention. Soon, just as He does for Christ, He will make all bow to us, even devils, in the end (I Cor 6:2-3; Rev 2:26-27).

Thirdly, this eternal reign smashes pride completely.  We read, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth (vs9)!” We don't have salvation because we're praiseworthy; He is. Therefore, God's salvation humbles, points to Christ, and elevates us by faith in God's Son, rather than beauty and splendor in me.  If I'm saved, I've seen Christ alone as worthy, and by praising and confessing Him, I've entered in.