A Word about our True Identity

Today I want to share a word about our true identity, as I comment on Psalm 8.This passage reads:

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

One of my favorite, but also most embarrassing, memories of returning from Iraq to the United States was when I went to a big box store for the first time after my return stateside. This was during the Christmas Season of that year, and as I was approaching the store, I saw someone standing outside the door in a uniform. I automatically reached into my wallet to pull out my identity card to show him who I was, just as we had to do before going into the post exchange or the dining facility at Camp Victory. To my chagrin, but later amusement, the person standing outside the store was a Salvation Army bell ringer! He would have been glad for me to put money in his kettle, but he wasn't interested in me showing him my ID card.

It is interesting to note that the United States and the United Kingdom are among the few countries in the world that don't require their citizens to always carry a national identity card on their person. This element of personal freedom is an important one for people who prize their liberty, but it brings to us other questions about our personal identity.

Why are we here? Why do we exist? How can my life have meaning? These are enduring questions which have intrigued mankind for centuries. It would be the height of arrogance to claim to have the complete answer to this conundrum, but Christians believe that a satisfactory answer can be found.

Some people have tried to answer these existential questions with many different answers. Some pursue power to give their lives meaning, while others seek out comfort and pleasure. Often, people become altruistic and self-sacrificing to justify their existence to themselves and others. Excessive consumption and prosperity are used by many to dull the ache of not understanding how they relate to the universe. None of these things satisfactorily explain why we are here, so we must look beyond our own intellect to discover our reason for being. We must look to God.

A good place to start is the 8th Psalm, which succinctly describes mankind's place in creation.

People are Created Beings:

Verses three through five of Psalm 8 clearly indicate that God created humans. Along with all of the rest of creation, God spoke, and Adam came into existence. Because God created people, He invested Himself in mankind in a special way, thus giving a special meaning to man's existence. 

First, only God can create. The word translated "create" is a Hebrew word which means to create out of nothing. In other words, God willed humanity to come into existence, and we did. Our existence as people and as individual persons is solely because of a specific and intentional act of Almighty God!

The special impact of being a creation of God is that He also imparted a part of Himself to us. The Book of Genesis tells us that God breathed into Adam's nostrils and brought Him to life. This means that we are similar to God in many aspects. To be like God is to be significant by definition!

People are Glorious Beings:

Because mankind is made in God's image there is a dignity in human existence which is not found in any of God's other creations. This is attested to in Psalm 8:5 as it states that man is "a little lower than the angels" and is crowned with "glory and honor."

An important fact to realize is that the word "angels" is really the Hebrew word "Elohim,” which is usually translated "God." The Psalmist is actually asserting that mankind is just a little bit lower than the Almighty God who created the universe! What an awesome and uplifting thought! And what a challenge as well!

As the works of God, we are His handiwork, and "God don't make no junk!" That's poor grammar, but good theology. It is important to note that Genesis records that God proclaimed His creation "very good" after He'd created Adam, but only stated that the rest of His work was "good."

The best cure for a low self-esteem (which is the root of many human problems) is to know you are the best of God's wonderful creation! No, people are not simply another animal, far from it. We are a special and unique work of God and play a vital role in His creation and His plans. Because He created us, we have meaning, and we must always be aware of our role in the universe. 

People are Steward Beings:

Psalm 8:6-8 sheds a little light on one purpose God had for creating mankind: we are to be His stewards. But what is a steward? This was a common term in Biblical times but has generally fallen into disuse.  James Freeman, in Manners and Customs of the Bible states that the position of steward in a rich man's household was an honorable one. Only old and faithful servants were made stewards, for the steward was ruler of the household and had charge over the rich man's heir.

God has made mankind to be His stewards over creation. As the Psalmist put it, we have dominion, or rule, over all the works of God's hands. We have charge of all the birds, fish, and beasts of the field. This is a great honor and a very large task.

As God's stewards, we are to manage creation for God, and to preserve it for His glory. Unfortunately, we are not doing so well at this vital task, yet it shows just how important mankind is to God. He placed us over some of His most prized possessions, something most of us wouldn't do!

This might be a good place for each of us to pause and ponder what skill or talent God has blessed us with. How can we use that ability to be good stewards and thus bless God? Considering that God took the time and effort to create us, to place us in this wonderful world, and to entrust us with the stewardship of His glorious works, it is the least we can do.

Conclusion:

Humanity stands apart from the rest of the creatures in this universe because of our relationship with God. People are created and glorious beings which have been made a steward over the rest of creation by God. The only, and tragic, blemish on mankind's existence is our sin, a condition which has resulted in both physical and spiritual death and which only God can resolve in our lives.

Mankind's fate and meaning is bound up in our relationship with God. It is powerful to note that the writer of Psalm 8 begins his song and ends it by praising the Lord. Unless our lives are surrounded by God's power and enclosed in His love, they have no meaning. Our meaning can only be found in our God!

Every blessing, 

Dr. Otis Corbitt