Some verses in Psalms define for us man's place and dominion. Our understanding of this helps us understand our purpose on earth and our dependence on God.
Some references explain our divine nature and potential.
"4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas."
Old Testament, Psalms 8:4-8
"12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?"
Old Testament, Psalms 34:12
"6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
Old Testament, Psalms 82:6-7
"16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."
Old Testament, Psalms 115:16
"73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 137 Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth."
Old Testament, Psalms 119:73,90,99, 137-138,142
"1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."
Old Testament, Psalms 139:1-18
Other references in Psalms show the weakness and the frailty of the natural man reminding us to not put our trust in the arm of flesh but in the Lord.
"16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength."
Old Testament, Psalms 33:16-17
"4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them."
Old Testament, Psalms 39:4-6
"10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah"
Old Testament, Psalms 49:10-13
"9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."
Old Testament, Psalms 62:9
"21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee."
Old Testament, Psalms 73:21-22
"22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily."
Old Testament, Psalms 74:22
"38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."
Old Testament, Psalms 78:38-39
"47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? 48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah"
Old Testament, Psalms 89:47-48
"5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
Old Testament, Psalms 90:5-6,10,12
"8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear ? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity"
Old Testament, Psalms 94:8-11
"3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."
Old Testament, Psalms 100:3
"14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more."
Old Testament, Psalms 103:14-16 See Mosiah 2:21-25
"8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."
Old Testament, Psalms 138:8
"3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! 4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away."
Old Testament, Psalms 144:3-4
"3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."
Old Testament, Psalms 146:3-4
These verses in Psalms created such a juxtaposition. We are both the children of God given dominion over the earth and a short moment of vanity like a wind that passeth away. Understanding that God knows us down to every thought ( Ps 139 ), we need to trust the Lord that "Thou hast possessed my reins." The Lord has fashioned the circumstances of our lives to our greatest advantage to tutor, teach and exalt us. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." Ps 138:8
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ReplyDeleteI began this section with Psalm 8 What is man that Thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? This verse could be about mankind as I have placed it in this section but Psalm 8 is a Messianic psalm. Paul uses this verse from Psalm 8 in Hebrews 2:6-10 to explain how Christ condescended through his atonement to becomes a little lower than the angels so that He could redeem us.
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