What is Man?

by Sergio Valori

he third verse of Psalm 8 suggests that David asked the question about man during a time of meditation, perhaps a time of gazing into the vastness of the heavens. Upon seeing the enormity of the universe, he asks about this creation called "man", the Hebrew word "enosh", meaning something weak and frail. He wonders why God is "mindful" of him [Hebrew: "marked for constant remembrance"] and why God "visits" him [Hebrew: "to oversee and care for"]

Why is God so interested in this weak and frail creature and why does He care for him so lovingly and unreservedly?

Have you ever asked the questions: "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What is the purpose of living?"

I believe all these questions are common to man and all of us go through life attempting to find answers that will satisfy. We meditate, read books, look on others' lives, try diverse pursuits, dabble in religion - all in an effort to discover life's meaning. When one is honest with himself, he finds that after exploring all earthly avenues and even many religious ones, he comes up empty. In the vast realm of the natural and in religion fabricated by man, there are no satisfying answers to those deep-rooted questions which gnaw at the soul.

But God has an answer for us.

"It is this revelation of God's purpose we must follow and pursue."

As David meditated, God heard him and sent an answer into his spirit. "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands…" (v.6)

We are not sure, but the answer may have overwhelmed him, seemed too lofty or unattainable. When we, ourselves, hear the answer, we also may have the same reaction and wonder how this can be.

But, as we explore the scripture, we find this answer is deeply entwined in the revelation of God's eternal purpose.

First, let us remember God's intention at the time of the creation. In Genesis 1:26, He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion…" God did not make Adam to be a gardener but to share with Him the administration of a coming Kingdom.

In this verse lies the awesome two-fold purpose of God for man, the likeness of Christ and dominion. It becomes our lode-star, our guiding light. It is this revelation of God's purpose we must follow and pursue. Our bearings in the journey of life must come from this declaration of purpose. Any deviation from this guiding light will cause us to miss the mark.

In the preaching of the gospel today, we have the emphases of "getting saved and going to heaven", "faith and prosperity", "divine healing" and many others. But, any gospel emphasis that is not rooted in God's purpose for creating man falls short of His ultimate intention.

As we move through scripture, we must also consider God's purpose in choosing Israel to become a special people. This is necessary because the story of Israel is a blueprint, a type of our journey in Christ. We must carefully follow the blueprint.

Many ministries today major on bringing God's blessings to the people. Just as the multitudes flocked after Jesus because they were fed the loaves and fishes, so multitudes today pack huge auditoriums to be blessed, healed and delivered. Was Israel chosen simply to become a blessed people? Was their ultimate destination, Canaan, just a place where milk and honey flow? No, they had a destiny far greater than that.

As the younger generation was ready to enter into the land of promise, God gave them the following statements of purpose: "…thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee…" (De. 15:6.) "And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only and thou shalt not be beneath…" (De. 28:13)

As we trace their history, we find that in the early days of Solomon, they finally became a dominant people. Solomon had dominion and the glory of God in their midst made an impact on the entire civilized world. This is a picture in type of God's purpose for His Church. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." (Ps. 56:2)

The writer to the Hebrews takes up the same subject we are presenting. In the passage, Hebrews 2:6, is found a direct reference to Psalms 8:4. "What is man?"

In the context of Hebrews 2:1-10, we obtain a clear declaration of man's calling and mission: to rule with Christ in His coming Kingdom! (v.5)

"What Jesus attained to as a man becomes our inspiration and source of motivation."

Then follows the obvious: "But now we see not yet all things put under him." (v.8) How true this is! Man in general cannot even govern himself, let alone govern God's Kingdom! It appears that fallen man and even saved man is far from the fulfillment of this awesome destiny. One could very easily conclude that the revelation of man's high calling as seen in scripture is unattainable.

But wait! Something else follows: "But we see Jesus!" What does this mean? We see Jesus - a man - crowned with glory and honor because of suffering. (v.10) We see a man who emptied himself, left God's throne, walked triumphantly through every human test and made it back to glory. As the first-born among many brethren, he is our pattern, our lode-star.

What Jesus attained to as a man becomes our inspiration and source of motivation. We are weak and frail, insignificant, base, lowly - yet God is mindful of us! He cares for us, meets our needs, oversees our every step and leads us onward in the path to glory. We also can make it to glory, even as Jesus did, not because of any means of our own, but because His grace will attend our every step.

What is the real significance of the gospel message? What is the "so great salvation" spoken of in Hebrews 2? Is the main focus the gift of eternal life, divine healing, abundant blessings? No. The main focus has to do with man's ultimate destiny of being called to bear the image of Christ and to have dominion. Jesus came to bring many sons to glory. That doesn't mean "heaven when we die". It means a life of intimate relationship with Him!

In Rev. 3:21 we find a call and a promise. The call is to overcome - not only sin, the world and the devil - but the conditions in the church world which have become a stench in God's nostrils. The promise is sharing the throne of God with the first-born Son, Jesus. This has nothing to do with titles and/or positions, but a ministry in the Spirit that will address the work of principalities and powers. (Eph.3:10,11)

There is a people in the earth today who are hearing the call and are rising up out of the confusion, narrowness, limitation, corruption and shallowness of much of the church world. This remnant is journeying toward fulfillment of its destiny. They are embracing their cross. They are experiencing maturity. They are acquiring character. They are qualifying for the throne.

May you and I be one of them.