Topical Bible: Man: Insignificance of

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The theme of man's insignificance is a recurring motif throughout the Bible, highlighting the vast chasm between the Creator and His creation. This concept serves to remind humanity of its humble position in the grand scheme of God's universe, emphasizing the need for reliance on divine grace and wisdom.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, the insignificance of man is poignantly expressed in the Psalms. Psalm 8:3-4 states, "When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?" Here, the psalmist marvels at the majesty of God's creation and questions why such a magnificent Creator would even consider man, underscoring human frailty and smallness.

The book of Job also addresses this theme. Job, in his suffering, reflects on the vastness of God's creation and his own limited understanding. In Job 7:17-18 , he asks, "What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him, that You attend to him every morning and test him every moment?" This passage highlights the transient and fragile nature of human life in contrast to God's eternal and omnipotent nature.

New Testament References

The New Testament continues this theme, often contrasting human weakness with divine strength. In James 4:14 , the epistle writer reminds believers of the brevity and uncertainty of life: "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." This metaphor of life as a fleeting mist emphasizes the temporary and insubstantial nature of human existence.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently acknowledges human limitations. In 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 , he writes, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence." This passage illustrates how God uses human insignificance to demonstrate His power and wisdom, ensuring that no one can boast before Him.

Theological Implications

The recognition of man's insignificance is not meant to demean humanity but to foster a proper understanding of one's place before God. It serves as a call to humility, urging individuals to depend on God's strength rather than their own. The Bible consistently teaches that while man is insignificant in comparison to God, he is still valued and loved by the Creator. This paradox is central to the Christian faith, where human weakness is met with divine grace.

Practical Application

Understanding the insignificance of man encourages believers to live lives marked by humility and dependence on God. It calls for a recognition of human limitations and a trust in God's sovereignty and provision. This perspective fosters a spirit of gratitude and worship, acknowledging that every good gift comes from the Creator, who, despite man's insignificance, chooses to engage with and care for His creation.

Nave's Topical Index

Job 4:18,19
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
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Job 15:14
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
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Job 22:2-5
Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself?
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Job 25:4-6
How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
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Job 35:2-8
Think you this to be right, that you said, My righteousness is more than God's?
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Job 38:4,12,13
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.
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Psalm 8:3,4
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;
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Psalm 144:3,4
LORD, what is man, that you take knowledge of him! or the son of man, that you make account of him!
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Library

The Overcoming of Insignificance
... of the two-talent man is his envy; the risk of the one-talent man is his ... Now Christ's
first appeal to this sense of insignificance is {134} this,"that in the ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/liv the overcoming of insignificance.htm

How Contempt of Himself Can be Produced in a Man, and How Useful ...
... Furthermore the more a man recognises his own insignificance, the more he fully
and the more clearly he becomes aware to the divine majesty, and the more a man ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/albert/on cleaving to god/chapter 15 how contempt of.htm

Man's Greatness and God's Greatness.
... In the next place we are taught the heavenly character of condescension. It is not
from the insignificance of man that God's dwelling with him is so strange. ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/xviii mans greatness and gods.htm

God's True Treasure in Man
... And so, my brother, all the insignificance of man, as compared with the magnitude
and duration of the universe, need not stagger our faith that the divinest ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/gods true treasure in man.htm

Religion a Weariness to the Natural Man.
... Truly it is a weariness to the natural man to serve God humbly and ... which we are
deficient; wearisome to learn modesty, love of insignificance, willingness to ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon ii religion a weariness.htm

Man Now Deprived of Freedom of Will, and Miserably Enslaved.
... is his exaltation, so the confession of our insignificance has its remedy provided
in his mercy. I do not ask, however, that man should voluntarily yield ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 2 man now deprived.htm

The Scheme of Necessity Denies that Man is Responsible for the ...
... a work in which he combats many of the doctrines of Locke, the insignificance of
his ... the representative of Locke, says: "Liberty is the power that a man has to ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/chapter i the scheme of.htm

Whether we are to Believe that God, as He Has Always Been ...
... Lord of, if there was not always some creature, I shrink from making any assertion,
remembering my own insignificance, and that it is written, "What man is he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 15 whether we are to.htm

The System of the Moral Universe not Purposely Involved in ...
... Does the insignificance of an egg-shell appear from the fact that it cannot contain ...
more clearly shall we see the greatness of God and the littleness of man. ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/section iii the system of.htm

Three Good Reasons for Abstaining from Certain Kinds of Food.
... And, for their sakes, even those who were stronger, and had faith enough to see
the insignificance of these ... Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? ...
/.../chapter 14 name good reasons.htm