Some scriptures on God’s immanance, God working through nature.
Commentary on each verse provided by https://www.bibleref.com/
I would like to point out the use of “created” (qanah) in Psalm 139:13 is interesting. See separate post.
Psalm 139:13-15
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful,I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
What does Psalm 139:13 mean?
Scripture credits God with creating children long before they are physically born. David addresses God as having formed his inner being before birth. Job says something similar: “You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11).
We know from Genesis 1:27 that we were created in the image of God. This passage also reveals that God wove us together in the womb. We are, therefore, not a product of randomness or nature, but of God’s omnipotent handiwork. God crafted each person in his or her mother’s womb to be a distinct individual. We owe our existence to Him and not to happenstance.
Because of this, human life both before and after birth is sacred. The unborn child is not simply tissue to be discarded at the mother’s discretion. Since every human being is created in the image of God, it is a heinous sin to commit murder, whether by aborting the unborn, killing oneself, or taking someone else’s life in an act of rage. Every person, whether male or female, no matter the ethnicity, age, or political persuasion, is someone made in the image of God and known completely by Him. Believers are called upon to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44); often that begins by first acknowledging their inherent worth as a human knit together by God.
What does Psalm 139:14 mean?
Contemplating the fact that God wove him together in his mother’s womb, David praised God for His omnipotent act of creation. He especially notes how God’s creative power is beyond human comprehension.
The human body that God created in the womb is indeed wonderfully made. For instance, the heart beats about 70 times per minute and pumps about 2,000 gallons—7,500 liters—of blood per day. An average body contains nearly 100 trillion cells. The brain contains 100 billion nerve cells. Human kidneys process daily about 130 quarts—about 123 liters—of blood to filter out waste and water. Our skeletal system has 206 bones connected to an intricate system of tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. The skeletal system not only enables us to move but also helps to produce blood, and it stores calcium.
David recognized God’s creation of man was both marvelous and distinct from the creation of everything else. No two persons are completely identical, and human beings are distinct from animals. David was fully convinced that God had fearfully and wonderfully made him. He wrote: “My soul knows it very well.”
What does Psalm 139:15 mean?
In this verse David mentions his frame was not hidden from God when God made him in secret. “My frame” signifies the strength or framework of the body, essentially meaning the skeletal structure. The expression, “in the depths of the earth,” is a poetic term that describes the womb as being just as dark and hidden from human view as the subterranean caverns.
“Woven,” as rendered in this verse, is from the Hebrew word raqam. This term refers to the skill of an embroiderer or someone skilled in needlework. God’s creation of the human body in the womb is a masterpiece of design and workmanship. Conception and gestation have been designed by God as miracles that lead to birth.
Beyond the physical wonder of the human body, every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). To murder what God creates in the womb is an attack on the image of God, as is any other murder (Genesis 9:6).
In Bible times conception and birth were occasions to celebrate. Children were considered gifts from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). When Eve conceived and bore Cain, she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD” (Genesis 4:1). When Hannah bore a son, she called him Samuel, and said, “I have asked for him from the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20). When she had weaned Samuel, she dedicated him to service in the temple, and she offered praise to the Lord (1 Samuel 2).
Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap,but its every decision is from the Lord.
What does Proverbs 16:33 mean?
This proverb emphasizes the Lord’s sovereign control over all things. Many common English expressions about luck relate to rolling dice. The point of dice is belief that well-balanced cubes will give a completely random result each time they are used. Casting lots in the Old Testament era might have involved one or more methods meant to seek an uncontrolled, arbitrary result. Such techniques are often used when a decision needs to be completely free from human bias (Proverbs 18:18; Joshua 14:2; Jonah 1:7).
The truth is that what human beings call “luck” is merely the sum of all the factors we cannot see or control. No dice roll, or casting of lots, ever takes God by surprise. Some things do happen “by chance,” from the human perspective, as even Jesus noted (Luke 10:31). That does not mean they are arbitrary or random from God’s point of view. Even those things we perceive as determined by chance are in the Lord’s control (Psalm 16:5). This proverb points out that even those things we think of as “pure chance” are still under God’s sovereign control.
Acts 1:26
Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
What does Acts 1:26 mean?
One hundred twenty Jesus-followers wait in an upper room in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 15). After prayer and consideration, they have identified two men, Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias, who are qualified to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles. Both men witnessed Jesus’ ministry from His baptism to His resurrection (Acts 1:21–22). Now the group needs to know which one God has chosen.
The practice of casting lots was an honored tradition in Israel for determining the will of God. Unlike fortune telling or scrying, God ordained and directed the Urim and Thummim that were kept with the high priest (Leviticus 8:8). Lots were used often in the Old Testament, most importantly in dividing up the Promised Land to the twelve tribes (Joshua 18:6). In this case, the names of Joseph and Matthias are probably written on stones and placed in a jar. The jar is shaken until one of the stones comes out.
This is the last recorded case in the Bible of God’s people using lots. Within days, the Holy Spirit will come upon this room and permanently dwell inside the hearts of the people (Acts 2:1–4). As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit will guide Jesus-followers into truth; lots are no longer needed (John 16:13).
There is great discussion as to whether God really wanted Matthias to be the twelfth apostle or if he was a placeholder until Paul was converted. Everything points to Matthias. Although Paul saw Jesus after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:1), he did not witness Jesus’ baptism or travel with Him during His ministry, as Peter stipulated (Acts 1:21–22). There were many godly men and women in that room, and thousands more came after God sent the Holy Spirit. Each of them had specific roles, chosen by God (Ephesians 2:10). Matthias’ role is that of an apostle.