You
have set your glory above the heavens!
From
the lips of babes and infants you have established strength,
because
of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
When
I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the
moon and the stars, which you have ordained;
what
is man, that you think of him?
What
is the son of man, that you care for him?
For
you have made him a little lower than the angels,
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:
All
sheep and cattle,
yes,
and the animals of the field,
the
birds of the sky, the fish of the sea,
and
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Yahweh,
our Lord,
how
majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
As
the Book of Job closes, God reminds Job just how extraordinary God is:
Where
were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare,
if you have understanding!
Who
determined its measures, if you know?
Or
who stretched the line on it?
What
were its foundations fastened on?
Or
who laid its cornerstone,
when
the morning stars sang together,
and
all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)
This
Psalm reminds us of the existential shock that this extraordinary God Who has
every reason to ignore us nonetheless has promised His everlasting, unflagging love
and attention to us. And unlike the deities
of mythology who attended only to the strong and powerful, in God’s case, the
more sick, poor in spirit, and forgotten you are, the more attention God
lavishes on you.
Image: The
Pillars of Creation Nebula