Psalm 139 Verses 13 to 16 The Goodness of God’s Creation November 24, 2024

Psalm 139 Verses 13 to 16 The Goodness of God’s Creation November 24, 2024 Lesson 8 Sacred Life Series Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

Genesis 1:26–31 (NASB95)

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.

31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Psalm 8:1–9 (NASB95)

1 O LORD, our Lord,

How majestic is Your name in all the earth,

Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength

Because of Your adversaries,

To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

4 What is man that You take thought of him,

And the son of man that You care for him?

5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God,

And You crown him with glory and majesty!

6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen,

And also the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,

Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,

How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Main Idea:

• God intentionally created us with bodies that are good.

Study Aim:

• To learn that God purposefully and intentionally knit us together and our bodies are the result of God’s good creation.

Create Interest:

• This is one of the greatest passages in literature about the miracle of human conception and birth. “In the presence of birth,” said Eugene Petersen, “we don’t calculate—we marvel.” David declared that God is present at conception and birth, because we are made in the image of God and God has a special purpose for each person who is born. We live in and with our bodies all our lives, and we know how amazing they are. God formed us as He wants us to be, and we must accept His will no matter how we feel about our genetic structure, our looks, or our abilities

Lesson in Historical Context:

• Psalm 139 wonders at this process and marvels at the way God was involved in it. Israelites knew that conception and birth were natural processes at one level, yet they also knew that it was God who worked through the natural process. Likewise, Israelites evidently knew as we do that there is a sense in which everything that we will be and do is shaped before we are born—what kind of person we will be, what will be the nature of our strengths and weaknesses, what achievements will be possible for us, and what infirmities will affect us and limit the length of our lives. It is not that everything is predetermined, but the possibilities and constraints are already set. And the fact that God is involved in the shaping of the person means that God also knows about those data and has the information on file. The sheer quantity of data is staggering, as huge as the number of grains of sand on the seashore.

o It embraces my whole life and means that I will still be within God’s knowledge when I get to the end of it.

• The psalm wonders not only at God’s involvement but at the process itself. It is very ordinary but also extraordinary, as extraordinary as the process whereby God brought the world into being and brought Israel into being.

o Talking in terms of being embroidered “in earth’s depths” takes up the image of “mother earth” and turns it inside out—it is as if our mother is the earth.

o The psalm is a piece of poetry and hardly provides a proof text for the conviction that abortion is wrong.

 Yet its wonder at the process that leads to the birth of a baby and at God’s involvement in that process surely makes it hard to see a decision about abortion as merely a decision about a woman’s body.

• It involves a decision to terminate a process in which God is involved, and one would need impressive reasons to do so.

Bible Study:

Psalm 139:13–16 (NASB95)

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

• 139:13–16 / These verses, with their introductory For You formed my inward parts, explain and substantiate the reason for this divine loyalty. God is portrayed as a skilled weaver and the speaker as his handiwork. God’s interest in the speaker from his life’s beginning evidences God’s personal and long-term investment in him. As in the first section, this one also draws attention to the extent of God’s knowledge, spatially (v. 15) and temporally (v. 16). In addition, this section substantiates that God can see equally in light and darkness (as claimed in vv. 11–12). The evidence is that your eyes saw my unformed body, which was in my mother’s womb, in the secret place, in the depths of the earth. Verse 16 does not point to a notion of divine predestination but foreknowledge. In verses 1–12, the speaker reflects a sense of freedom (e.g., “when I sit” and “when I rise,” and “if I go up,” vv. 2, 8). What is divinely determined is God’s inevitable presence and knowledge.

• 139:13 my inward parts The Hebrew word used here, kilyah, can refer to organs like kidneys in sacrificial animals. It is also used metaphorically for one’s inner self and is often used parallel to the heart (see Jer 11:20).

o Jeremiah 11:20 (NASB95)

But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,

Who tries the feelings and the heart,

Let me see Your vengeance on them,

For to You have I committed my cause.

Thoughts to Soak On the Heart😊

• Physical Heart: A vital bodily organ; however, all modern assumptions concerning circulation of the blood, the intellectual and directive functions of brain and nervous system, must be set aside when considering Scripture’s remarkably consistent physiological language. “Heart” (Hebrew léb; Greek kardia) occurs approximately 1000 times, often disguised in translation, and the range of meaning is immense.

• Psychological Heart. The heart attends intellectually (e.g., Jer 12:11); it also perceives (Jn 12:40), understands (1 Kgs 3:9), debates (Mk 2:6), reflects (Lk 2:19), remembers (Lk 2:51), thinks (Dt 8:17), imagines (Lk 1:51), is wise (Eccl 1:17 KJV) or mad (Eccl 9:3), has technical skill (Ex 28:3 KJV), and much more.

• Emotionally, the heart experiences intoxicated merriment (1 Sm 25:36), gladness (Is 30:29), joy (Jn 16:22), sorrow (Neh 2:2), anguish (Rom 9:2…

• Psalm 51:10 (NASB95)

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

• Proverbs 4:23 (NASB95)

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,

For from it flow the springs of life.

• Jeremiah 17:9–10 (NASB95)

9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?

10 “I, the LORD, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give to each man according to his ways,

According to the results of his deeds.

• Ezekiel 11:19 (NASB95)

19 “And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. And

I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of

flesh,

Moving on………………………..

• 139:14.. The language is figurative in that creating and knitting describe God’s sovereign superintendence over the natural process of reproduction (on knitting; cf. Job 10:11).

o David would have us know he is not just getting carried away with his own writing. He is not indulging in poetic license. He says it is the deep conviction of his soul that all God’s works are marvelous (v. 14).

 This fact prompted the psalmist to break forth in praise over the thought of how marvelously he had been made.

o He rejoiced because he was fearfully and wonderfully made.

 By fearfully, he means that God’s careful, loving creation of him inspired David to stand in awe of God and revere Him.

 By wonderfully, he means that God’s creation of us is a wonder, a marvel, something so great that it is beyond our comprehension. God’s workmanship in making us is amazing—a truth that David said he realized fully.

• 139:15/ Note: The verb “covered” (v. 13, KJV) means “woven together” (see Isa. 32:12), and “intricately wrought” in verse 15 is translated “embroidered” in Exodus. In the mother’s womb, the Lord weaves and embroiders a human being, and abortion interrupts this miracle. What a tragedy!

o Verse 15’s reference to being shaped in the lowest parts of the earth echoes the creation story in Genesis 2, where we read, “then the LORD God formed the human (ʾāḏām) from the dust of the ground (ʾadāmâ)” (Gen. 2:7).

• 139:16/ The Lord did more than design and form our bodies; He also planned and determined our days.

o This probably includes the length of life (Job 14:5)

o This also includes the tasks He wants us to perform (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12–13).

• This verse has been difficult to translate and interpret, as is seen in the variety of versions. “All the days of my life were foreseen by thee, set down within thy book” (Moffatt). “In thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me” (RSV). “In Thy book all was recorded and prepared day by day” (Berk.). “In Your record were assessed the days that were intended for me” (Harrison).

o The analytical modern mind has some difficulty reconciling God’s foreknowledge of life with the real freedom of choice left to man, but the biblical writers felt no such difficulty. Note the following:

o With them, it was sufficient to proclaim that God knows the end from the beginning without thereby predetermining that end. Yet even modern man, fully convinced of freedom of choice, can find comfort in the truth that nothing takes God by surprise. He knows the future unknown to us and can therefore guide us through its trackless ways if we are responsive to His leadership.

o This is not some form of fatalism or heartless predestination, for what we are and what He plans for us come from God’s loving heart (33:11) and are the very best He has for us (Rom. 12:2).

o Psalm 33:11 (NASB95)

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

o Romans 12:2 (NASB95)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Thought to soak on:

How can we ignore God when He has given us such a marvelous body and planned for us a wonderful life?

• If we live foolishly, we might die before the time God has ordained, but God’s faithful children are immortal when their work is done, as they exhale their final breath into the arms of Jesus and receive their glorified body.

• Life is not a prison, it is an exciting pilgrimage, and the Lord has prepared us to join Him.

• Our responsibility is to yield ourselves to Him daily, ponder His thoughts found in His Word (92:5; Isa. 55:8–9), and walk in the Spirit. God thinks of us! (Jer. 29:11). Should we not think about Him?

o Isaiah 55:8–9 (NASB95)

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

o Psalm 92:6 (NASB95)

A senseless man has no knowledge,

Nor does a stupid man understand this:

o Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB95)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Let’s pause and focus on a few questions😊

• What is something about you or your personality that is totally unique?

• Why do you think the conflicting views on abortion matter so much to people?

• What does this psalm reveal about God’s care for His people throughout their lives? (139:15–16)

• What does this psalm teach us about God’s character?

• Do you feel yourself threatened or encouraged by the idea of God’s being always present with us?

• Are we comfortable with praying ‘Lord, search me’?

• What might make us reluctant to pray in this way?

• Does this psalm have anything to contribute to ethical debates on issues like abortion or euthanasia?

Thoughts in Closing😊

• God’s power is evidenced by his creation of each individual. God created our ‘reins’ (our innermost being, that is, those things that control us—minds, hearts, wills). He ‘covered’ us while we were in the womb. The word ‘covered’ may also be translated ‘knit’ or ‘wove’. By using this term the psalmist pictures himself as a fine piece of art and God as a skilled craftsman.

• The psalmist’s conclusion is that he is ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’. Henry writes: ‘… we may justly be astonished at the admirable contrivance of these living temples, the composition of every part, and the harmony of all together.’

• Some of the newer translations render this phrase as a description of God; ‘You are fearfully wonderful’, that is, a God who is so marvelous and wonderful that the only thing one can do is stand in awe of him.

• It isn’t all that important which of the two translations we follow. A fearfully wonderful God can only do fearfully wonderful works.

Thoughts to soak on as you go your way😊 Consider and discuss……….

What have you received of His grace and mercy?

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• Even though you may still be unconverted and going your own way, you have received much out of the ocean of His fullness. You have received the pulsing life that beats in your bosom.

o You have received the brilliant mind and brain within the protective covering of your skull.

o You have received a memory that strings the events you cherish and love as a jeweler strings pearls into a necklace and keeps them for you as long as you live and beyond.

o ‌All that you have is out of His grace. Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, is the open channel through which God moves to provide all the benefits He gives to saints and sinners.

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• And what about the years, the rest of your existence?

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o You cannot believe that you have earned it.

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o You cannot believe that it has something to do with whether you are good or bad.

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• Confess that it is out of His grace, for the entire universe is the beneficiary of God’s grace and goodness.

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Psalm 139:13–16; Matthew 5:45; John 1:14, 16

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Christ the Eternal Son, 18. by A. W. Tozer

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• To the child of God, there is no such thing as accident. He travels an appointed way. The path he treads was chosen for him when as yet he was not, when as yet he had existence only in the mind of God.

• Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way; but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God’s hidden providence and so cannot discover the ends at which He aims.…

• The man of true faith may live in the absolute assurance that his steps are ordered by the Lord. For him, misfortune is outside the bounds of possibility. He cannot be torn from this earth one hour ahead of the time which God has appointed, and he cannot be detained on earth one moment after God is done with him here. He is not a waif of the wide world, a foundling of time and space, but a saint of the Lord and the darling of His particular care.

Psalm 37:13–16, 23–24; Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5

We Travel an Appointed Way, 1, 2., by W. Tozer

More Questions to Soak On in Your Spare Time😊

• In light of this passage, what attitude should we have toward ourselves? toward the Lord?

• How does this psalm motivate you to praise the Lord?

• How have you experienced God’s care for you?

• Why does the Lord test us?

• What attitude should we have to the Lord’s discipline in our lives?

• In what area of your life do you desire God’s leading?

• What gift of praise could you give to the Lord today?

• How could you thank God for His creation?

• How could you remind yourself each day this week of God’s presence with you?

• What is something about you or your personality that is totally unique?

Grace and peace to you this day

CONSIDERING ABORTION

Would you consider abortion in the following four situations?

1. There's a preacher and wife who are very, very, poor. They already have

14 kids. Now she finds out she's pregnant with her 15th. They're living in

tremendous poverty. Considering their

poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider

recommending she get an abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. They have 4

children. The 1st is blind, the 2nd is dead, the 3rd is deaf and the 4th

has TB. She finds she's pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would

you consider recommending abortion?

3. A white man raped a 13 year old black girl and she got pregnant. If you

were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She's not married. Her fiancee is not the

father of the baby, and he's very upset. Would you consider recommending

abortion?

____________________________ANSWERS_____________________________

If you have answered "yes" in any of these situations:

1. In the first case, you have just killed John Wesley, one of the great

evangelists of the 19th century.

2. In the second case, you have just killed Beethoven.

3. In the third case, you have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel

singer.

4. If you said yes to the fourth case, you have just declared the murder of

Jesus Christ!

Something to think about and pass along. From Clergy/Leaders Mailing List

by Rowland Croucher [e-mail]

BreakPoint with Charles Colson

Commentary #010102 - 1/2/2001