Daily Thought

This is one of the messianic psalms quoted a number of times in the New Testament and always applied to the Lord Jesus.

It begins and concludes with a beautiful doxology in the same words. Today’s title commences the section in the psalm which deals with the dominion of man, vv. 4-8. Reflecting upon the question, ‘What is man?’, we offer three answers. Man is: -

Small. We look up to view the grandeur of the moonlit and starry sky. The work of God’s fingers, His embroidery! The Lord made the stars, Gen.1. 16. He knows their number and names, Ps. 147. 4; Isa. 40. 26. In contrast, man is small and insignificant. Why should the Lord concern Himself with mere earth-dwellers in view of His creation of the vast universe? (And to visit us, Ps. 144. 3, 4). Small wonder David is moved to offer praise at the commencement and conclusion of our psalm. Similarly, at the birth of the Saviour, the wise men were moved to worship, not the guiding star, but the One through whom all the stars were made, Matt. 2. 1-12.

Sinful. We look back and note that man was created by God but subsequently sinned against Him, Gen. 2, 3. Our psalm presents feeble and frail mortal man whom God intended to have dominion in the earth. However, through his sin the first Adam lost this position and brought downfall and misery to himself and to God’s fair creation. Nevertheless, the Lord is mindful of failing man, considering us to such a degree as to visit us uniquely in the incarnation of Christ.

Special. We look forward, Heb. 2. 6-12. The awful consequences of Adam’s sin made all his descendants sinners, Rom. 5. 12. However, believers in Christ are brought into the good of His restoring grace through their union with Him. Christ as the last Adam, the second Man, 1 Cor. 15. 45-47, is crowned with glory and honour in contrast to the first Adam who had lost his crown and glory through sin. Only in Christ, the true Son of Man, is man’s dominion and sovereignty restored over a redeemed creation. Truly, Christ has restored that which He took not away, Ps. 69. 4. In Him we are remembered (consideration),visited (incarnation) and exalted (exaltation).