Compare Job 25:1 with Psalm 8:4. How do both passages view humanity? The Verses Side by Side • Job 25:1 – “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered.” – Bildad’s very next words define his outlook: vv. 4, 6 “…How then can a man be righteous before God? …man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!” • Psalm 8:4 – “what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?” Shared Reverence for God’s Greatness • Both texts spring from awe at the Creator’s majesty. • Each uses the paired terms “man / son of man” to stress our finiteness before the infinite God. • The common question—“What is man…?”—admits we are tiny next to the heavens He made (cf. Job 25:2–3; Psalm 8:3). Humanity’s Smallness: Bildad’s Voice in Job 25 • Emphasis: moral impurity and insignificance. • Language of worthlessness—“maggot…worm” (v. 6). • Application: fallen humanity cannot measure up to God’s holiness (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23). • Lesson: endless dominion belongs to God alone; our pride must collapse in repentance. Humanity’s Dignity: David’s Song in Psalm 8 • Emphasis: undeserved honor from a caring God. • God “mindful” and “care[s]” (v. 4), then “crowned him with glory and honor” (v. 5). • Humanity is set “a little lower than the angels” and given stewardship over creation (vv. 5–6). • Anticipates the ultimate “Son of Man,” Jesus, who fulfills this dominion perfectly (Hebrews 2:6–9). Two Complementary Truths 1. We are morally incapable of reaching God on our own (Job 25). 2. Yet God grants real worth and purpose to us (Psalm 8). 3. Both converge in the gospel: the Lord humbles the proud, then lifts the humble in Christ (1 Peter 5:5–6). Taking These Truths to Heart • Cultivate humility—remember Bildad’s reminder of creaturely frailty. • Celebrate dignity—rejoice that the Lord thinks of you and calls you to rule under Him. • Live responsibly—exercise God-given stewardship with the meekness that knows any honor is grace. |
    |