Fearfully Made
Psalm 139:1-18
Good morning and happy Mother’s Day.
Wives and mothers are such an important part of our lives, so we should take the time to recognize and appreciate them.
I want to start this morning by giving you a top-five list of things we should not say to Mom.
5. I bought you a gym membership for Mother’s Day.
4. Do you mind if I smoke in your car?
3. I am busy watching Tik Tok, will you make me a sandwich and bring it to me in my bedroom?
2. Why isn’t my laundry done yet, what have you been doing all day?
1. My new mother-in-law is a much better cook than you.
Someone wrote a poem I would like to share with you. “I struggle so deeply to understand how someone can pour their entire soul blood and energy into someone without wanting anything in return.”
Please open your Bibles to Psalm 139.
Because today is Mother’s Day, we are taking a break from our Philippians study. In the Book of Psalms, the greatness of who God is, intersects with the weakness of man.
G. Campbell-Morgan said, “In the Old Testament we have an interpretation of human need. And in the New Testament is a revelation of Divine supply.
In the Old Testament, we have unveilings of the human heart. In the New Testament, we have the unveiling of the heart of God.”
Human life is a gift and miracle from the Lord and it is amazing how He has chosen women to be the vessel He uses to introduce new human life, to the world.
Again, since today is Mother’s Day, I thought we could talk about the miracle of the Lord using the women’s womb as His creative design studio for life.
This message is not just for moms however because there are plenty of applicable things for everyone in today’s teaching about How the Lord loves us and has created us.
Psalm 139 is a Psalm by King David that tells us the Lord knows everything about us.
In this Psalm, David will also explain the mystery behind the creation of a human life.
I. God is intimately involved in my life.
Read Psalm 139:1-6
Even though David realized that the Lord God was huge beyond our comprehension, David was also communicating, that the Lord is a personal God.
If the Lord is all-knowing, He knows everything about me.
If the Lord is present everywhere, He is always with me.
If the Lord created all things, He also created me.
David says, “You know my sitting down and my rising up.”
The Lord knows everything about us, and He is intimately involved in every aspect of our life.
Matthew 10:30 the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Adam Clarke said, “Even these inconsiderable and casual things are under thy continual notice. I cannot so much as take a seat, or leave it, without being marked by thee.” (Clarke)
Then notice David said, “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.”
The fact that the Lord knows our every thought and every word we speak, should cause us to measure our speech.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
But when we use corrupt words, Paul says in, Ephesians 4:30, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. NKJV
What is corrupt speech? Corrupt refers to rotten fruit. Our words can reveal rotten areas in the deepest parts of our hearts.
Matthew 12:34 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. NKJV
Corrupt (worthless, bad, or rotten) talk, then grieves the Spirit because it is the work of the Spirit to build others up.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. NKJV
Speaking before you think is a bad habit that can hurt you and get you into trouble, in the most important areas of your life.
If your words are getting you into trouble, you are showing others, the very worst parts of who you are.
Speaking before you think, presents you as thoughtless, careless, or just plain hurtful.
We need to think before we speak (by using the acrostic for think): T - is it True? H - is it Helpful? I - is it Inspiring? N - is it Necessary? K - is it Kind?
When we become a new creation in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us a new way of thinking, which eventually gives us a new way of speaking, as well!
Our new way of speaking then edifies and builds others up, it is appropriate, and it has a redeeming effect on those who hear it.
Even though the Lord knows our every thought and is acquainted with all our ways, listen to the promise for us.
Re-read Psalm 139:5
A hedge represents God’s protection for His people.
Jeff Cranston said, “A hedge is an apt illustration for what God's protection looks like. The Old Testament Hebrew word really means “wall.”
When it came to a village, town, or city, a “hedge” was a defensive wall often built around a city.”
As David said, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me”, he understood the Lord knew him better than he knew himself.
C.H. Spurgeon said, “Too wonderful for me”, “I cannot grasp it. I can hardly endure to think of it. The theme overwhelms me.
“I am amazed and astounded at it. Such knowledge not only surpasses my comprehension but even my imagination.”
The Lord’s knowledge and thoughts of His children are so vast that they are beyond human comprehension.
II. The Lord is present, everywhere.
Read Psalm 139:7-12
During certain times of Biblical history, the Lord physically appeared at different times to different people, but we need to know, that He is always present, even when we cannot see Him.
The Lord is omnipresent, which means He is present everywhere, which is comforting but can also be scary, depending upon your relationship with Him.
Let’s talk about the comforting promise for Children of God, who long to be with the Lord. David said, Heaven is not high enough and Hell is not low enough to escape God’s presence.
As Christians, we can never end up in a place where the hand of God is too far from us, because Jesus lives in us.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. NKJV
When we think we no longer feel the presence of the Lord, we need to remember there are times the Lord allows those feelings of His presence not to be felt, to increase our faith.
Feelings should not dictate our firm belief (i.e., faith in Christ) believing that the Lord is always with us.
If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He actually comes to live within you, at the moment of salvation, through the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? NKJV
For the Child of God, the Lord is present with you whether you feel His presence or not.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
Because of his relationship with the Lord, David was not scared that God knew all about him.
Spurgeon said, “He is not alarmed at the fact that God knows all about him; on the contrary, he is comforted, and even feels himself to be enriched, as with a casket of precious jewels.
“That God should think upon him is the believer’s treasure and pleasure.”
Now, let’s talk about how the Lord is always present for the person who wants to run from the Lord.
In the Book of Jonah, there is a story of a man who was undoubtedly called by God to go and preach repentance to a very brutal and sinful people.
The Book of Jonah describes what took place in Jonah’s life as he tried to run from the call the Lord has placed in his life.
First, Jonah ran to Joppa, which was in the opposite direction of Nineveh, where God had instructed him to go.
Jonah then got onto a boat and headed towards Tarshish.
Then Jonah encountered the first of many consequences for his disobedience, as the ship he was on encountered peril during their voyage.
Once the mariners’ realized Jonah was the cause of all the misfortune they faced, they questioned Jonah.
The crew discovered Jonah had endangered their lives by running away from God, and then Jonah told the crew to throw him into the sea.
The sailors didn’t want to throw Jonah overboard because they cared more about human life than Jonah cared for them, so they rowed harder to make it to land.
But the Lord had other plans in mind. The sea grew more tempestuous, and finally, these men cried out to God.
After crying out to God for forgiveness, the men finally relented and threw Jonah into the sea.
But the Lord had not forgotten Jonah, so He prepared a unique fish, specifically created to fulfill His purpose, that swallowed Jonah.
That gave Jonah some time to decide whom he was going to serve.
After three nights in the underwater aquarium hotel…Jonah 2:10, “So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. NKJV
There is no escaping, the present everywhere, all-knowing eyes, of our God.
David said in vs. 12, “Even the night shall be light about me.”
Thomas Horne said, “Darkness may, indeed, conceal us and our deeds from the sight of men but the divine presence, like that of the sun, turns night into day, and makes all things manifest before God.”
III. God’s creativity.
Read Psalm 139:13-16
For those of us who take God’s Word literally, after reading the Genesis account, realize that the Lord created the first human being from dust and then the Lord created Eve from man’s rib.
But that was thousands of years ago, and billions of humans have come and gone since then.
So, after the Creation Account in Genesis, did the Lord leave the creation of future humans, up to the biology of reproduction and mere chance?
David said in Psalm 139:13, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. NKJV
This verse seems to be communicating that the Lord knew David from before his birth, even before David was a child conceived and developing in his mother’s womb.
Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." NKJV
The Lord is still involved in the reproduction of humans.
Then David said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Crosswalk.com had an article defining being “fearfully and wonderfully made”, some explanations are:
1. Intricate Design: This acknowledges the intricate and deliberate design of each person's body, mind, and soul. It highlights the complexity and precision of human creation.
Any honest scientist has to realize that they cannot explain away the intricate design of the human body, without the existence of there being an Intelligent Creator.
2. God's Work: It attributes the creation of human beings to the work of God, emphasizing His role as the ultimate Creator and Designer.
3. Awe and Reverence: "Fearfully" suggests a sense of reverence and awe.
Awe and Reverence imply that when we consider the depth and complexity of our own being, we are filled with a sense of wonder and amazement at God's creative power.
4. Uniqueness: Each person is "wonderfully made," indicating that every individual is a unique masterpiece, with their own set of gifts, abilities, and characteristics.
Uniqueness underscores the idea that there is something special and remarkable about every human being.
5. Praise and Gratitude: The verse is an expression of praise and gratitude to God for the gift of life and for the extraordinary way in which He has crafted each person.
In essence, "fearfully and wonderfully made" reminds us that human life is a divine creation, filled with beauty, complexity, and uniqueness.
I didn’t just evolve into what I am. I was created and designed with a purpose.
The blueprints of my body are similar to other human beings, but they are not exactly the same. I am unique, and so are you.
The human body is a unique design of multiple systems that all work intricately together.
The cardiovascular system gives you the energy to move. The muscular system gives you the ability to move, lift, and hold things.
The digestive system processes food into energy and discards waste.
The immune system keeps you healthy.
The eyes cause you to see. The nose lets you smell. The tongue and mouth let you eat and taste. The ears enable you to hear.
And your skin enables you to feel textures.
As humans, we were also blessed with a brain so we can think, process, and create.
Isaac Asimov said the brain is “the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe.”
Your emotions help you to relate to other people and feel compassion. All of these systems (plus many more) were uniquely designed to make you who you are.
Then notice: Skillfully wrought means embroidered in Hebrew. Our bodies are an embroidered design made by the most imaginative artist in the universe.
Matthew Poole said, “Even heathens, upon the contemplation of all the parts of man’s body, and how excellently they were framed…
…both for beauty and use, have broken forth into pangs of admiration and adoration of the Creator of man.”
And notice, the Lord’s perfect foreknowledge not only knew when I would be born, He also knew the number of my days.
In Your book, they were all written, the days fashioned for me.
The Bible commentator, William VanGemeren said, “The Lord’s writing in the book refers to God’s knowledge and blessing of his child ‘all the days’ of his life.
“His life was written in the Book of Life, and each of his days was numbered.”
Finally, I am not only "fearfully and wonderfully made", and “Skillfully wrought.” We should also know…
IV. I am always on His mind.
Read Psalm 139:17-18
If we have a relationship with the Lord like David, we can say, “How precious are His thoughts towards us”. It is amazing, how the Holy God of the universe, has good thoughts toward us.
Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled. NKJV
Before salvation, when Christ came to live within us, we were alienated in our mind from Jesus, i.e., there is a mental alienation between people who are in rebellion and the Lord.
But by placing our faith in Christ, we become friends of God.
James 2:23 "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. NKJV
Through Christ, we are not only reconciled with God, but we also become holy in His sight.
Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
And when exactly did Christ perform the reconciliation?
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. NKJV
Then David said about the Lord’s thoughts towards His children, “If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.”
Think about being on a beach and how much sand we can see.
The grains of sand on a beach is such a powerful image to demonstrate how often the Lord thinks of us.
Spurgeon said, “Thoughts such as are natural to the Creator, the Preserver, the Redeemer, the Father, the Friend, are evermore flowing from the heart of the Lord.
Thoughts of our pardon, renewal, upholding, supplying, educating, perfecting, and a thousand more kinds perpetually well up in the mind of the Most-High.” (Spurgeon)
Finally, David says, “When I awake, I am still with You.”
How many nights have you worried and dwelt about things the Lord has asked you to trust Him for?
Lamentations 3:22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. NKJV
William VanGemeren said, “The thoughts about the greatness of God’s love “…are like a dream…
…but, unlike a dream, God’s love is real. When awake the psalmist knows that he still enjoys God’s presence.”
David realized the Lord God was huge beyond our comprehension so, David was also communicating, the Lord God is a personal God.
If the Lord is all-knowing, then He knows everything about me.
If the Lord is present everywhere, then He is always with me.
If the Lord created all things, then He also created me.
And even though the Lord knows everything about us, He calls us friends because of the relationship we have with God the Son.
