This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of an exposition of Psalm 8 by Dr. Wellum from Sunday June 29, 2008.

This “Psalm of David” (see superscription) praises Yahweh the Lord for His creation in general and for the role He has given man in particular. The reason for this role given to “man” and “the son of man” is said to be “Because of Your adversaries/To make the enemy and the revengeful cease” (2b). For David, it is this exalted status of the “son of man” over creation and over God’s enemies that causes him to declare (both at the beginning and end of the song), “Yahweh, our Lord,/How majestic is Your name in all the earth” (vv. 1 and 9). As those redeemed for the purpose of being God’s true humanity (something they never quite lived up to), Israel was to rule over creation as a new Adam, and they were to rule over God’s enemies as well. In performing these tasks the name of Yahweh was made great among the nations.

For those weeping by the rivers of Babylon (see Psalm 137) in exile, however, it did not seem as if Yahweh’s name was being made much of in all the earth. In fact, the names Baal and Marduk (Babylonian gods) were probably on the ascendancy. The words of Psalm 8, then, would have been sung in bitter-sweet anticipation of redemption and the restoration of a proper world order; one in which “the enemy and the revengeful cease” (v. 2) and “the son of man” is seen once again as he who is crowned “with glory and majesty” (v. 5). This hope is precisely what is seen in a similar song of Asaph, when he pleads, “Let Your [the Lord’s] hand be upon the man of Your right hand,/Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself./Then we shall not turn back from You;/Revive us, and we will call upon Your name./Yahweh God of hosts restore us;/Cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved” (80:17-19).”

Israel had to wait many years before the creation and God’s enemies began to be placed once again under the feet of the “son of man.” Even after the return of a remnant to the land under Ezra and Nehemiah, they were still under the rule of an enemy nation (Persia). In many ways, we still today (as the author of Hebrews states after quoting a large section of Psalm “do not yet see all things subjected to him [that is, man/the son of man]” (Heb. 2:8). But, as the author goes on to say about Psalm 8’s fulfillment, what we “do see” is “Him…namely Jesus” (v. 9). In Jesus there is one son of man—the Son of Man—who even now is crowned with glory and honor, and who is even now “waiting…until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet” (Heb. 10:13).

Jesus is humanity as it was meant to be, and more. And beyond that, He plans to “bring many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10). Take courage sons of men, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20).

Audio from this week’s lesson: Psalm 8

~DGG