Deeper Reflection
Verse 4 contains a searching question that has been pondered by theologians and philosophers across the ages: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” What is the nature of man, and what is our place in the universe?Two secular philosophical schools answer this question. The first is secular humanism, which has a very high view of man. Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer explains that, according to humanism, “man is the measure of all things”.²⁵ Man is at the centre of his universe, and achieving human happiness and flourishing are key. The second school, anti-natalism, has a low view of man. Anti-natalists believe that human beings should not even reproduce, because in their minds the world of nature is better off without human beings!²⁶The Christian worldview provides a strikingly different perspective. Psalm 8 invites us to understand humanity by understanding humanity’s Maker. The Psalmist’s rhetorical question “what is man?” overflows from a heart of gratitude toward a great and gracious God. Peter Craigie says it well: “In contrast to God, the heavens are tiny, pushed and prodded into shape by the divine digits; but in contrast to the heavens, which seem so vast in the human perception, it is mankind that is tiny.”²⁷ Why then would the Creator of the vast universe care for tiny and finite creatures like us? We should not matter in the grand scheme of things! We do not deserve God’s loving attention! And yet He loves us, as the pinnacle of His own creative work. How awesome is that?

²⁵ Francis A. Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005). ²⁶ “Anti-Natalists: The People Who Want You to Stop Having Babies,” BBC News, August 13, 2019, sec. BBC Trending, accessed January 19, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-49298720 ²⁷ Craigie, P. C. (2004). Psalms 1–50 (2nd ed., Vol. 19, p. 108). Nashville, TN: Nelson.