Hebrews 2 (3)

Introduction
“Don’t forget who you are!” This seems to be the focus of the writer’s citing Psalm 8 in our text for today. This was such an important theme for David that he rehearsed it again in Psalm 144, where he expanded on what he had written in Psalm 8. God has made us with a specific duty in mind, to rule over His creation so that goodness and uprightness and glory might fill the earth. But we can only fulfill this charge within the framework of our great salvation. If we drift from or neglect that, we become a people with no true purpose.

Read Psalm 144.

Read Hebrews 2.5-8.

Think it through.
1.  See how highly God esteems His chosen and saved people! He has entrusted them – not angels, powerful as they are – with the care and oversight of His great creation. The phrase “the world to come” is literally “the economy which is now coming”. The word economy means something like household or even administration (cf. Eph. 1.7-14, where in v. 10 the word dispensation in NKJV is the same word as in Hebrews 2, economy). What economy is he talking about (v. 3)? Does our great salvation encompass all of creation and all of life within that creation (cf. Rom. 8.19-22)? Explain. The word put might be easily overlooked. It is the Greek word, ὑποτάσσω, and means “to bring something under the firm control of someone – to subject to, to bring under control” (Louw & Nida). What does this suggest about what God expects of us in our individual spheres of being and influence?

2.  The writer turns to Psalm 8 both to clarify his meaning in verse 5 and to show that this understanding of God’s great salvation has long roots, going back to David and beyond (cf. Gen. 1.26-28). Verses 6 and 7 reflect on human beings as unique beings among all the creatures of God. Humans are a kind of “in between” being, lower than angels (and, of course, infinitely lower than God), but higher than animals. In what sense has God crowned human beings “with glory and honor”? The best Greek texts omit the last part of verse 8, which seems to have been inserted in later texts to tie the reader back to verse 5. What does the idea of creation being put under our feet imply? How much of creation does that include? What is implied by our being crowned with glory and honor to subject all of creation? Does this include all culture as well? And all social and moral life? How great is the salvation that God has given us? If we neglect this salvation in any way, can we expect to fulfill the duty with which God has charged us? Explain.

Meditate.
“For do not suppose, he says, that because they have not yet been made subject, they are not to be made subject; for that they must be made subject is evident. It is on this account that the prophecy was spoken. ‘For,’ he says, ‘in that he has put all things under him, he left nothing not put under him.’ How then is it that all things have not been put under him? Because they are hereafter to be put under him.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.1 Corinthians 3.21-23

As I go into my sphere of being and influence today, O Lord – my Personal Mission Field – give me a vision of how good and upright and glorious this can be, and help me to…

Pray Psalm 8.
As you pray Psalm 8 today, ask God to give you a vision of what your Personal Mission Field will look like as, crowned with His glory and honor, you diligently obey His command to subject all things to Him.

Psalm 8.1-9 (Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
O Savior, how majestic, Your Name in all the earth!
The heav’ns display Your glory, and tell Your wondrous worth! 
From babes and nursing infants, Lord, let Your strength increase, 
Till all Your foes surrender, and all their boasting cease. 

When I regard Your heavens, Your handiwork above, 
Ordained by Your good pleasure, according to Your love, 
Then what am I, O Savior, that You take thought of me? 
Or I should know Your favor and thus delivered be? 

Yet we in Your own image with glory have been crowned, 
To worship and to serve You throughout creation ‘round. 
These works that sing Your glory in our poor hands are placed, 
That we may rule before You to magnify Your grace. 

Let every beast and creature, in sky or sea or field, 
In our hands bring You glory as we Your favor wield. 
Let all things sing Your praises, let all declare Your worth! 
O Savior, how majestic, Your Name in all the earth!

T. M Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.