By Jeremy Bell
I am going to highlight theocentric perspective using Psalm 8 as well as the reference to it from Hebrews 2: 6-18. All scripture is God breathed, written through His uniquely made people. People use it to learn to be people of God. Scripture is NOT people breathed to uniquely create God. Theocentric perspective is simply believing that God reveals, and people understand. It rejects that people understand and reveal to themselves, God.
The Humanist
Psalm 8 reads to me like an argumentative naturalist’s dream. According to Britannica, naturalism affirms that all beings and events in the universe (whatever their inherent character may be) are natural. Consequently, all knowledge of the universe falls within the pale of scientific investigation. Naturalism denies the existence of truly supernatural realities, it makes allowance for the supernatural, provided that knowledge of it can be had indirectly—that is, that natural objects be influenced by the so-called supernatural entities in a detectable way.
If one looks at creation while taking out the supernatural, one still has only theories that are yet to be proven to exist at all. Most of science believes in the cause-and-effect philosophy scientifically. Except with the creation of the universe. There is refusal to recognize that the order the Universe exhibits comes from an orderly creator. So, order from chaos. And after that, order causing more order simply makes sense.
Theory
An orderly creator of creation is left out as supernatural, so, more theories must exist. Enter the Hartle–Hawking state to explain the origins of the universe. A universe as an effect without cause. The theory is that the Universe has no origin as we would understand it: the universe was a singularity in both space and time, pre-Big Bang. However, Hawking does state “…the universe has not existed forever.”
Fantasize for a moment that the concepts are too huge for regular people to understand and that somehow a ‘state’ can exist without being created. It’s important to note that singularities are predicted to exist in black holes by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which is a theory that has done remarkably well at matching experimental results. The problem is that infinities never exist in the real world.
According to Stack Exchange and many other sources, singularities don’t exist and can’t exist. Somehow, they are not labeled as supernatural and are rather applied as the explanation for creation. To be clear, what began the universe doesn’t and can’t exist. This is somehow a better explanation to some rather than believing all the evidence that God the creator, outside all laws of created physics, gave to show that He is the cause and beginning of all creation. It is of no wonder the jaded and cynical view humanists give as truth. Re-reading Psalm 8 from the humanist view would contain the following ideas. I have heard these broadcast throughout society, perhaps you have too.
The Humanist Psalm 8
There is nothing above the heavens! The heavens consist of the moon and stars. Babes and infants establish nothing outside the evolutionary pattern of existence. Man is nothing special and angels don’t exist. Adversaries exist only in one’s mind as chaos reigns without advantage. Humans dominate in knowledge and so dominate and ruin all creation. Sheep, cattle, birds, and fish are bred by humans inhumanely for retail. Majesty only has meaning when comparing the inequality of like things. Unjust greed is a name uttered throughout all the earth! Honor is for the privileged.
This is certainly one world view. Frankly, there are some serious problems in facts and logic. But it is a world view held by many and taught by many more. They teach that if the supernatural were to be introduced, there would be more hatred and war. So, they exchange the truth for a lie that makes them feel more at ease and in control. This worldview certainly promotes doom and hopelessness while preaching a ‘humane’ mantra. There is another worldview that makes more sense and has less fantasy about truth. In addition, the worldview promotes true hope because it’s rooted in truth and a creator who desires restoration.
Worldview True
A majestic, glorious God created the heavens and the earth. Being outside time and space, only He was able to create such things. He is the cause of the effect of all energy and matter. There is evidence of this in the things created, the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is evident in the order and interconnectedness of all energy and matter. It is even evident in the consciousness of humans. There is evidence in the drive for moral perfection and evident in the observable and recordable effect of the supernatural in people’s lives across time.
Babes and infants are helpless yet grow to have dominion over the works of the creator on earth. While they have choices in how they exercise that dominion, certainly one choice is to care for it and nurture it, as so many do. This imperfect existence we all live in is not a signpost of chaos, it is a signpost of the perfect, the holy, the righteous, the supernatural. The extended generations of broken people point to a solution, which came as a person.
Observable Jesus
An observable person born according to what was written about Him hundreds of years before He was born. Observable by hundreds of people who would write about His scripture fulfillment and works of healing and forgiveness. He was observable as one who died and one who rose from the grave. Observable by hundreds, some of which recorded the events. Further observation continues hundreds of years later among every tribe and nation throughout the earth.
From my personal motif analysis, Psalm 8 is in Verse Pre/Post form. This Psalm is primarily a verse structure that contains the primary ideas, and is surrounded by a prelude and postlude. A verse is one idea that still has a breakdown of pattern, but those patterns are contained in one idea. Just like a story often has a prelude to get the setting in place, so this is used here as well. A postlude summarizes and/or finishes the entirety of the idea conveyed. These motifs are color coded in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization.
Hopefully that gives some perspective and things to consider while preparing to hear or read this Psalm. They are by no means the only perspectives or considerations, just the ones right now. So… without further hesitation, here is Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2: 6-18.
[ Psalm 8 ]
Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
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!
[ Hebrews 2: 6-18 ]
One has somewhere testified, saying,
“What is man, that you think of him?
Or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the angels.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that he (God) subjected all things to him (people), he (God) left nothing that is not subject to him (people). But now we don’t see all things subjected to him (people), yet. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.
For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,
“I will declare your name to my brothers.
Among the congregation I will sing your praise.”
Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.” Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
When I Consider
‘When I consider.’ This is a great moment to pause. How often do we take time to consider? God created each person on earth on purpose and knit them together with special attributes. To some, He gave great insight and intelligence into the work He did. It is good to understand and learn from them. It is better to consider and be wise. Consider what has been put forward. Do we esteem intelligent people so far as to believe whatever they theorize? Are we quick to dismiss the supernatural working of God because we lack experiential proof but willing to accept the concepts of the intelligent man who scientifically builds on the non-existent?
Once again, a person has a choice, and must make it. It determines the actions and perspectives of their lives. It’s as simple as looking at a chair and making the decision that it is indeed a chair, or a hallucination constructed in the minds of billions of people at once for some random and unconnected reason. There is no doubt of the truth yet we each have the capability to deny that truth if we wish and even act on it. If pessimism runs your daily thoughts, if disgust and disdain control your view of your fellow humans, it’s time to reconsider your worldview and truth.
God Offers Help
God did not make us to be left on our own to figure things out. He gave us knowledge of natural and supernatural truths. He is personal and He sent His Son. I urge you to learn from intelligent people, but consider it all in wisdom, according to what God has said in His word, the Bible. The nature of human knowledge without God begins with partial truths that end in hopelessness, death, and judgement. Knowledge with God begins with whole truth that develops and blossoms. This truth always leads to hope and forgiveness. This truth is revealed in Jesus and is in fact, the Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Life Strategy Steps Created in Root Cause Abundance.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.