When you read Heb.2:6, a critical question is asked: What is man…? What is his purpose and place in the universe…? What is man in relation to God…? The next verse goes to show what a large place he was given in God’s scheme: a place of dominion over all creation (v.7,8). We can see this as we read Gen.1:26-31. In Genesis 1:2, we see what a situation God confronted in creation: a state of emptiness, chaos and meaninglessness. The Lord brought in order, meaning, light and life into the situation. There was need to maintain this order, to fully realize all that God meant by creation. Man was made to that end: to have dominion, to replenish, to define and give meaning, to maintain the order according to God’s thought, to keep creation in that state in which God said “it is very good”. But now we read in Rom.8:20: “for creation was made subject to vanity…” The creation has become meaningless…
Even though God has made man in His likeness, man sought to exercise this dominion independent of God, and outside the boundaries (horizon) of God. And so the tragedy we see. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Rom.3:23. And what a fall it was. We had only to realize what the glory of God is in order to realize how great a fall man came. Think for a moment that man with all his learning cannot discover God. Think of the evil in the world. Man is capable of infinite evils, and except for those who receive salvation, the generality of men will share the fate of devils. Consider Rom.1:18- 32 where a sketch is given as to the depravity that has come into the creation. The writer to the Hebrew summarized it in a few words: “But we see not yet all things put under him (man)…” (Heb.2:8) What a tragedy!
