These verses affirm that human beings have been given a royal status. We have been crowned with glory and honor. The royal function human beings have been given by God is to exercise dominion over “all things” here on earth. These verses are clearly recalling the purpose human beings were given in Genesis 1, which was to have dominion over the same creatures mentioned here in Psalm 8. Here we see that the sovereign God of the universe has bestowed sovereignty (power and authority) upon human beings! While the phrase “image of God” does not occur in Psalm 8, it is clear that human beings are to be God’s representatives here on earth. Take a second and think about that.
This truth has profound implications for us! It changes how we understand both God and ourselves. We have been made partners with God in the care of His creation because He decided to make the risky choice to share His power with human beings. In our world today, words like rule, have dominion, and exercise authority are words that often have a negative connotation. Why is that the case? Well, many people have experienced firsthand those who have abused this God-given responsibility to rule in a way that caused profound harm. For followers of Jesus, the important question remains: how are we representing God in the positions of authority and leadership He has given us?