A Pro-Life Ethic, YCR Sunday

A Pro-Life Ethic

Call to Worship Text - Job 10:11-12

Job 10:11–12 KJV 1900

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And hast fenced me with bones and sinews. 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

Text - Psalm 139:13-16

Psalm 139:13–16 KJV 1900

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Introduction

Genesis 1:26-27: The imago Dei establishes human dignity from creation, applicable to the womb.

Exodus 21:22-25: The Mosaic Law imposes penalties for harming an unborn child, affirming its value.

Job 31:15: “Did not he that made me in the womb make him?”—God’s universal creation of life demands respect.

Isaiah 44:2: “Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb”—God’s formation begins prenatally.

Luke 1:41-44: John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, evidencing personhood and responsiveness before birth.

But in our passage in Psalm 139, we are provided with a theological foundation that underscores the dignity of life from its earliest stages, demonstrating God’s meticulous providence and eternal decree.

God’s Sovereign Lordship Over Life

Psalm 139:13 KJV 1900

For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

The psalmist declares, “Thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.” The term “reins” refers to the innermost being, signifying God’s intimate ownership and authority over the individual even before birth. God’s sovereignty extends to every detail of creation, including the formation of human life in the womb. The verb “covered” (Hebrew sakak, to weave or cover) implies a deliberate, protective act of creation, akin to a craftsman weaving a tapestry. This is no mere biological process but the purposeful work of the divine Artisan. A pro-life ethic flows naturally from this: if God claims lordship over life in the womb, humanity has no right to usurp that authority by ending it.

The Imago Dei and Intrinsic Worth

Psalm 139:14 KJV 1900

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works.” Here, the psalmist marvels at the complexity and dignity of human life, a direct result of God’s creative power. In Reformed thought, humans bear the imago Dei (Genesis 1:26-27), the image of God, which imparts inherent value regardless of stage or ability. The descriptors “fearfully” (with reverence) and “wonderfully” (distinctly set apart) affirm that even the unborn child is a work of divine artistry, not a disposable object. To terminate such a life is to deface God’s image and defy His glory, a grave sin against the Creator’s covenant with mankind.

Providence and Preordained Purpose

Psalm 139:15 KJV 1900

My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

“My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect.” The phrase “lowest parts of the earth” is a poetic reference to the hiddenness of the womb, yet nothing escapes God’s omniscience. “Substance, yet being unperfect” (Hebrew golem, an unformed mass) indicates the embryo in its earliest stages—still unfinished, yet fully known to God. This aligns with the Reformed doctrine of providence: God’s foreknowledge and care extend to the unformed child, proving that life is sacred even before it is fully developed. Abortion, then, interrupts God’s providential design and rejects His right to shape what He has begun.

Eternal Decree and Covenantal Continuity

Psalm 139:16 KJV 1900

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

“In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” This verse reveals that every aspect of a person—every limb, every day—is inscribed in God’s eternal counsel before physical formation begins. God ordains the existence and purpose of each individual. The unborn are not potential humans but persons already accounted for in God’s plan. To end a life in the womb is to act against the divine will, violating the relationship between God and His creation.

Application to a Pro-Life Ethic

From this passage, a pro-life ethic emerges as a non-negotiable stance:

Life is Sacred from Conception: The unborn child, though “imperfect,” in form, is under God’s sovereign gaze and purpose, possessing dignity as His creation.

Human Autonomy is Limited: Because God alone “possesses the reins,” decisions over life and death belong to Him, not man. Abortion usurps divine prerogative.

The Church’s Calling: We are called to defend the helpless (Proverbs 31:8-9), including the unborn, as an act of obedience and worship.

This ethic, grounded in Psalm 139:13-16, reflects the truth that life is a sacred trust, wholly owned by God, and demands our reverence and protection.