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why do we exist?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Psalm 8:3-6

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man, that you care for him? What is the son of man, that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and honor. You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:”

This is a hymn of praise, likely used in worship, reflecting on humanity's place in the vastness of creation. The psalmist, perhaps looking at the night sky, marvels at God's cosmic power and then pivots to consider the seemingly small place of humans within that grandeur.

How does recognizing humanity's smallness in the universe connect with its unique value or purpose?

Then — the setting

Psalm 8 is an ancient Hebrew psalm, probably from the monarchic period (10th-6th centuries BCE), composed for liturgical use in Israel. It expresses a profound sense of awe at creation and humanity's paradoxical role within it. The 'son of man' (בן אדם, *ben 'adam*) here simply means 'human being.' The psalmist isn't claiming humans are divine, but rather that they are endowed with a unique status that sets them above other creatures, yet below God, entrusted with authority over creation.

Across the Testaments

This passage from the Old Testament sets a foundational understanding of humanity's purpose as divinely appointed stewards. The New Testament, particularly in Hebrews 2:6-8, directly quotes Psalm 8 to argue that while humanity was given dominion, this was not fully realized due to sin. It then posits that Jesus Christ, as the 'son of man' par excellence, perfectly embodies this crowned glory and honor, and through his suffering and resurrection, he ultimately fulfills the dominion over creation, inviting humanity to participate in this restored purpose.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Genesis 1:26-28
Describes humanity being created in God's image with dominion over creation.
John 1:3
States that all things were made through the Word (Jesus), and without him nothing was made.
Romans 8:19-21
Connects humanity's ultimate destiny with the restoration of all creation.

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