Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 8

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 8 A Messianic^ Psalm of David—He says that babes and sucklings praise the Lord—He asks: What is man, that thou art mindful of him?*	A Messianic Psalm which speaks of the 'Son of Man' ascribed to King David—He states that babes and sucklings in their nature and being praise the Lord—He asks that leading dualistic question: 'What is man, that thou art mindful of him?', which underlies the whole of the purpose and mission of the Messiah.	*^ ~ Messianic:** Most often we erroneously limit our definition of the 'Mission of the Messiah' only to the mortal life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In truth the mission of the Messiah extends from the 'beginning' to the 'end' in that from the time Jehovah was calles as Jehoshua his greater and extended Messianic Mission began, from the mortal temporal creation, the Old Testament administration of the God Jehovah, the mortal and post-mortal ministry of Jesus Christ, to the great Millennial Reign and Final Judgment does the Mission of Messiah extend.
To the chief Musician upon Gittith. A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of ^ababes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I ^aconsider thy ^bheavens, the ^cwork of thy fingers, the ^dmoon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is ^aman, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man^a, that thou ^bvisitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little ^alower than the ^bangels^a, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. What Is Man? This is a question which ought to underlay the whole of the Plan of God, that is God's Plan of Happiness, even the very Plan of Eternal Progression. 'This is my work and my glory to bring to past the immortality and eternal life of man.'(Moses 1:39) We are God's work, but not only that, we are God's Children, His sons and daughters, His Spirit Children. As such we are of the race of God, of that 'Man of Holiness'. Too often we allow the matter of fallen man to dominate our thinking and perspective of who we are. True that the nature of this creature, the mortal temporal physical body of man which we find ourselves temporially confined within is but corruptible and carnal in nature. But that true essence of who we are, our spirit within is of an eternal nature after the order of God and that ought to prevail not only in our thinking about ourselves but also in that manner of life we live, the spirit prevailing over the natural being in living according to God and after that nature of that glorious celestial imortal being of eternity we call Our Father in Heaven.	4^a the son of man There is a dualist inference here. One the 'sons of man' are the sons of God, also the 'Son of Man' is that particular Son of God who is Jehovah, even Jesus Christ. He is our selected ministering God and Redeemer. He is made a little lower than the angels in that condescension of mortality in which he ministers the mission of the atonement unto the needs of fallen man. Here in mortality he is/was 'a little lower than an angel' from the immediate presence of God. Yet of course he is also greater in that he was and is Jehovah the God of the Old Testament and our Lord unto Salvation. And with that glory and honour will he stand to judge us at the great and final day. 5^a thou hast made him a little lower than the angels The question is who or what are 'angels'. They are those who administer out of heaven according to God's instruction unto man. But we know that only those who pertain unto this world do minister unto it (D&C 130:5). So that means that any one of the children of God; spirit child who has not yet come, deceased child who returns on a mission, resurrection child also administering a purpose from God, or even in fact one who is living who administers in the name of God to the needs of mankind. This it would seem that the diference between 'man' as the natural being of this temporal mortality and an 'angel' it the matter of communion with God to the effect of acting for God in God's name to perform some type of 'administration'. In terms of 'church' service this would include acting in one's calling, assignment and/or performing a priesthood administration. Indeed in this we are but a 'litte lower' than angels and sometimes we are 'angels' or at least acting as such when we act by the Spirit of God unto the service of our fellow man.
6 Thou madest him to have ^adominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All ^asheep 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. 9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!