The psalmist writing more than 30 centuries ago had made an important discovery. How he did so we’re not exactly told. But David wrote a hymn which included that discovery. It was probably direct revelation that came from his own personal experience of God’s love as he worshipped …
Psalms 8:3-4 (NIV)
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, 4 what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?”
Maybe he was gazing up at a deep, dark starry night and was suddenly filled with the realisation – we only get the small clue, “whenever I consider …”, or, “whenever I survey the night sky and see those millions of stars, the moon …” And his realisation results in praise and worship, and wonder and awe at God’s values scale. Psalm 8 is one of my favourite psalms. These are truly insightful words that reveal an important truth. They reveal something very special and reassuring about how God has set down His scale of values – what is truly important and precious to Him – are not measured in physical size, or breadth, or width, or material expense, or monetary wealth. No. Jesus, I think, echoed the psalmist’s discovery in part when He said,
Mark 8:36 (NLT)
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
Jesus was talking about the same thing as the psalmist had realised – one human soul is worth far more than the whole universe. God’s scale of values. There is a very different scale of values in God’s economy of things. In that scale of values we human beings are extremely precious, incredibly valuable to Him – worth redeeming with the blood of His son. We are no mere dot inside a giant galaxy amongst millions of other galaxies. In the entire universe God’s eye is on us human beings, “You are mindful of them” – always thinking about us, always caring.
David seems to struggle to comprehend God’s values scale … “[But] what is mankind that You even care?” He is blown away. And so am I.
These are simple, magnificent words filled with encouragement and assurance that, no matter what, God’s eye is on us, and He is ever mindful of us, always caring … Maybe we are just meant to receive this psalm and enjoy it, not try to comprehend it or overthink it, and worship our mighty God accepting His values scale by faith. And live in the comfort of it each day. He loves us with an unfailing love. And we have a special place in His heart.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
God’s mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning, new every morning;
great is your faithfulness, O Lord,
great is your faithfulness.”
- Edith McNeill (1920-2014)
Revelation 5:9-10 (NLT)
“And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And You have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”
Think on these things … and be encouraged.
Ps Milton
[Sources: eSword Commentary, WBC Series Vol.19 – Psalms 8]