Enlightened Hope

“Conception is the physical manifestation of the person that God already knows”

There is debate in the secular community as to when a baby is acknowledged as a human and having human ‘rights’ rather than being a foetus or a piece of tissue that can be discarded.  I suggest, from God’s point of view, looking at the Bible, that the soul of a person is in the mind of God even before conception.  Therefore, life is divinely given, and has a soul (here on this Earth at least) from the time of conception.  Here are some verses to consider.

It is God who knits us together in the womb…

“You knit me together in my mother womb”

Ps 139:13-15
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

We where in God mind before we were physically conceived…

“You saw me before I was born”

Ps 139:16a
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. NLT

As God knew and formed Jeremiah, he also knew us and formed us and even set us apart (all those who are in Christ)…

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother womb”

Jer 1:5
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” NLT

Esau and Jacob jostled each other even before birth…

The babies jostled each other within her; “Two nations are in your womb”

Gen 25:21-26
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.   26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.  Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. NIV

Hos 12:3
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. NIV

See how the Lord announces himself to Isaiah…

“He who formed you in the womb”

Isa 44:2
2 This is what the LORD says — he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: NIV
Isa 44:24
24 “This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: NIV
Isa 49:5
5 And now the LORD says — he who formed me in the womb to be his servant NIV

Even before John the Baptist was born (from the womb) he was filled with the Holy Spirit…

“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth”

Luke 1:11-17
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” NLT

John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth.  Perhaps that is why he lept for joy when he met the pregnant mother of Jesus…

“The baby in my womb leaped for joy”

Luke 1:39-45
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” NIV

Our Lord Jesus humbled himself to the point of being conceived in the womb of Mary.  The physical embreaking of the Kingdom of God through Jesus on this Earth began at conception…

“You will conceive and give birth to a son”

Luke 1:30-36
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. NLT

God’s ultimate plan.  For us to be conformed to the image of His Son, through His Son, for His glory…

“God knows His people in advance, He chooses them to become like His Son”

Rom 8:29-30
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. NLT

Father, your divine ‘handywork’ is all over conception, formation and birth of babies.  No wonder Satan wants to destroy your creation, even before birth.  Father, I praise you for life.  I praise you for the miracle of conception, formation and birth of babies.  You know us even before conception.  All our days are recorded even before we take our first breath.  Father, be with babies of miscarriage and babies of abortion.  There voices are small compared to the ‘roaring lion’.  Protect them, comfort them, love them in your arms.  Forgive those that would harm them, in Jesus name, Amen.