Psalm 8

I was recently prompted to contemplate whether reading the Bible should emphasize accuracy or the perspective of the author…

My thought is that in a quest to evaluate accuracy by scientific methods or means, I run the risk of failing to consider the context of the author, as well as the context of the intended original readers, and potentially miss the intended meaning of the text.  While my own context is subject to the time in which I live in addition to sociological and cultural influences, I feel that in order to come to an understanding of the text I’m reading, I must contemplate the biblical passage, for instance, from the writer’s perspective as much as I am able.

As I was writing this entry, Psalm 8 came to mind

1 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

If I read these verses solely from my own perspective, I find myself reflecting on my faith in the infinite nature of God that has created all that we can see, and all that remains unseen to my own eyes.  God is more than my mind can conceive yet still wants care for God’s creative human beings.

If I go back in time and consider the psalmist, was the psalmist talking directly to God?  Was it a prayer or meditation on creation?  Was the psalmist praising God not only as creator, but the God of Israel and the people of Israel?

Instead if my reading was focused on whether this passage was scientifically accurate, I could easily become lost in considering all of the scientific thought, unanswered questions, and controversies, associated with creation, our universe and humanity overall, and thereby completely lose the beauty, praise and God’s love for humankind from the psalmist’s perspective.