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WHAT
IS MAN, THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?
( A sermon by
brother Tarran Dookie)
MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN ANGELS
Heb. 2:6-8 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man,
that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou
madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownest him with glory and
honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things
in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him,
he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not all things
put under him.
The Hebrews
writer was quoting the psalmist David (Ps.8:4-6) who asked, 'What is man, that
thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?' How does
God view man? Why was man created?
We learn from
Ezekiel ch.28 and Isaiah ch.14 of the fall of Lucifer. We are told that he was
perfect in beauty and full of wisdom and was in the
However, God in
His counsel chose not to finish off Satan. He wanted to teach Satan a lesson.
God was desirous of using an instrument lower than Satan to conquer Satan. This
being would not be perfect in beauty from the day he was created. Instead he
would be formed out of dust. And so Adam was created, made a little lower than
the angels.
Let us understand
that man is of the dust (Gen.2:7). We have no wings with which to fly, our
body is fragile, we are limited by space and time. 'For what is your life? It
is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away'(James 4: 14).
MADE TO HAVE DOMINION
Gen.1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And
God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the
earth.
Adam was created
on the sixth day. When Adam was created everything was in place. There were all
types of animals and plant life. Adam was told to subdue the earth and have
dominion over all other creatures. Though there were great whales and beasts
man had dominion. This he was able to do by his fellowship with God.
God allowed Satan
to tempt Adam. God wanted to prove and test Adam. What God
created including man was good; good but not perfect. God wanted to
perfect man. Adam failed the test and Satan gained control of the earth. He is
called the god of this world. Sin resulted in spiritual death and physical
death.
Genesis chapter 5
tells us that Adam lived for 930 years, Methuselah for 969 years and according
to Gen.9:29 Noah lived for 950 years. In Noah's time sin reached to a place
where God was grieved. And God reduced man's days to 120 years (Gen.6:3). After
the flood sin still abounded and God further reduced man's days to 70 years
(Ps.90:10).
God wanted man,
living in the Spirit, to rule the earth and conquer Satan. He wanted mere man,
made from the dust of the earth, to have dominion. The man in a body of flesh
but living in the Spirit would conquer.
THE LAST ADAM
Heb.2:8-10 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For
in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under
him. But now we do not see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was
made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb.5:8-9 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things
which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him.
Jesus Christ was
made in the likeness of men. Even though He was the Son of God He was found in
fashion as a man and He came as the Son of man. He was tempted in all points as
we are. The first Adam failed the test but the last Adam did not fail. The
first Adam brought death to man but the last Adam has brought life and
immortality.
The Lord Jesus is
God's perfect man. He came to taste death for every man so that we would have
salvation. But God is not only concerned about salvation from sin. He wants to
save us to the uttermost (Heb.7:25). He wants to make us more than conquerors.
He wants to make overcomers of us.
God still desires
to perfect man. Jesus was made perfect that He might perfect us. He is the head
and we are the body. Has He not told us that we shall do greater works? God
still wants to use man to defeat Satan and teach him a lesson. He wants His
creation from the dust to rebuke the one who did seal up the sum and was full
of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Shall we not satisfy God's heart?
THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD
Rom.8:18-19 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the
earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons
of God.
Rom.8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
It was not God's
intention to leave man in a tabernacle of clay forever. Hence He planted the
tree of life in the midst of the garden of Eden. But Adam ate of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, and although he lived long yet he died. A
day is coming when long life will be restored. 'There shall be no more thence
an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days' (Is.65:20).
Creation shall rejoice in that day. But all of this waits for the manifestation
of the sons of God.
The angels are referred to as the sons of God (Gen.6:1-2, Job 1:6, Job 2:1). As many as receive Jesus Christ, to them He has given power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name (Jn.1:12). Man was created to worship God. Lucifer and the angels that followed him chose to rebel against God and discontinued worshipping the Most High God. Those who choose the broad way shall go into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Those who choose the narrow way shall inherit eternal life. 'And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God; being the children of the resurrection.'(Lk.20:34-36) We shall be equal unto the angels and we shall die no more. Mortality shall put on immortality and we shall be like Him, our risen Lord. The redemption of our body means that corruption shall put on incorruption. Let us worship our God who is mindful of us and does visit us. 'And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.' (Rev.21:3)
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