God Saw Me Series

Text: Psalm 139:16

Theme: “You saw my unformed body”

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am happy that the Lord has given me the opportunity to preach this morning on the theme ‘the foreknowledge of God’ under that broad theme we were meditating on various perspectives. Today let us understand the greatness of our Creator God.

This sermon has three major sub-themes and some minor themes to understand very clearly.

A. I am not a product of Evolution

B. I am product of Eternal Determination

C. I am proud of my being as Human

A. I am not a product of Evolution

Naturalist Charles Darwin in his book "On the Origin of Species"(1859) wrote about organisms change over the times as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. Evolution took place by three ways, such as, divergent, convergent and parallel. However, I don’t want to degrade myself to a monkey or donkey. I am dignified human being. I wouldn’t approve somebody calling me monkey or an animal. I was not born out of animals, and I am not a product of evolution.

B. I am product of Eternal Determination

Psalm 139:16: Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect (KJV).

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (NIV).

This verse has the words substance, imperfect or unformed. It reminds that how God took the substance and seen it closely and shaped beautifully.

(i) Substance

is ‘shapeless thing’, embryo (Ellicott). It is a mass, a rude mass and entangled, and not unfolded into proper form. Therefore all my members have continuance fashioned (Joseph Benson).

Albert Barnes says that "my substance, yet being imperfect," it’s a single word translated as ??? go^lem. It occurs only in this place: The verb - ??? ga^lam - is found in 2 kings 2:8, where it is used in reference to the mantle of Elijah. Elijah took his mantle, and "wrapped it together". That is, he rolled it up, or he folded it. The noun means that which "is" rolled or wrapped together; that which is folded up, and hence, is applicable to anything folded up or undeveloped; and would thus most aptly denote the embryo, or the fetus, where all the members of the body are as yet folded up, or undeveloped.

(ii) Seen by God

John Hill describes the word seen by God beautifully that the book of God's eternal mind, and his designs, the plan of the human body was drawn, all the parts of it described, and their form, places, and uses fixed, even when as yet not one of them was in actual being; but in due time they are all exactly formed and fashioned according to the model of them in the mind of God; who has as perfect knowledge of them beforehand as if they were written down in a book before him.

(iii) Shaped by God

Three examples can help us to understand about this with our limited knowledge:

Potter and the Clay:

When the clay is kept on the potter’s wheel but the potter has very clear picture of what kind of vessel he wants to make from that lump. While as yet the vessel was upon the wheel the Potter saw it all (Charles Spurgeon).

Architect and Building:

A skillful architect before he builds draws a model, or gives a draught of the building in his book, or upon a table; there he will show you every room and contrivance: in his book are all the parts of the building written, while as yet there are none of them, or before any of them are framed and set up. In allusion to architects and other artisans. Everything is in his mind and comes out beautifully.

Weaver and the Cloth:

One of my friends supplies silk saris to important shops in Chennai and other cities. When I visit him he explained on how he arrives that beautiful design. Only a silk ball is seen at his hands. Then at length arises an unexpected beauty, and an accurate harmony of colors and proportions. Further Adam Clark explains with an illustration of an embroidery work, pattern and carton.

Likewise, the Lord knows not only our substance, but our shape: This is substantial knowledge indeed. The Lord's observation of us is intent and intentional. It’s not hearsay acquaintance, but the knowledge which comes of sight. The Lord's observation of us is intent and intentional, the divine mind discerns all things as clearly and certainly as men perceive by actual eye sight. His is not hearsay acquaintance, but the knowledge which comes of sight.

so, by a method as exact, revere all my members in continuance fashioned, i.e., from the rude embryo or mass they daily received some degree of figuration under the artificer's hands, there at length arises an unexpected beauty, and an accurate harmony of colors and proportions." unformed lump containing all essentials of the human frame, but not yet distinguished or reduced into any form or order; yet the eyes of the Lord see it and all its parts distinctly.