How does Exodus 21:22 connect with the sanctity of life in Psalm 139? The passage in context: Exodus 21:22 “If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.” Why this matters • The unborn child’s life is recognized in civil law. • A penalty is enforced even when only a premature birth occurs—showing the child has legal value. • The very next verses (vv. 23-25) escalate the penalty to “life for life” if injury or death results, placing the child on equal footing with any other person. The passage in context: Psalm 139:13-16 “For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.” Connecting the two passages • Legal protection (Exodus 21:22-25) and divine craftsmanship (Psalm 139:13-16) converge on one truth: life in the womb is real, valuable, and known by God. • Exodus gives the societal mandate—treat the unborn as persons under the law. • Psalm 139 gives the theological foundation—God is personally involved in every stage of prenatal development. • Together they declare that hurting the unborn is not merely an offense against a mother; it is an offense against a life God is already forming and ordaining. Supporting Scriptures • Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” • Job 10:8-12 — Job credits God with knitting his body together. • Luke 1:41 — John the Baptist leaps in the womb, responding to Christ’s presence. • Genesis 9:6 — Human life carries God’s image and therefore demands protection. Practical takeaways • Every unborn child is both a legal person (Exodus) and a divinely crafted individual (Psalm). • Defending life in the womb aligns with both civil righteousness and worshipful awe of God’s creative work. • Valuing the unborn is not optional; Scripture treats it as a matter of justice and reverence. |
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