Topical Bible: Man: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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Topical Encyclopedia

The phrase "fearfully and wonderfully made" originates from Psalm 139:14 in the Bible, where the psalmist David praises God for the intricate and marvelous creation of human beings. The verse in the Berean Standard Bible reads: "I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well."

Creation of Man

The concept of man being "fearfully and wonderfully made" is deeply rooted in the biblical account of creation. According to Genesis 1:26-27 , God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." This divine declaration underscores the unique status of humanity in creation, being made in the image and likeness of God. This imago Dei (image of God) sets humans apart from the rest of creation, endowing them with inherent dignity, value, and purpose.

The Complexity of Human Design

The phrase "fearfully and wonderfully made" reflects the complexity and intricacy of the human body and spirit. From a biological perspective, the human body is a marvel of engineering, with systems and processes that work in harmony to sustain life. The psalmist's use of "fearfully" suggests a sense of awe and reverence for the Creator's handiwork, while "wonderfully" highlights the extraordinary nature of human design.

Spiritual Significance

Beyond the physical, the spiritual aspect of humanity is also encompassed in this phrase. Humans are endowed with a soul, capable of relationship with God, moral reasoning, and spiritual understanding. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men." This eternal aspect of the human spirit points to a divine purpose and destiny beyond earthly existence.

Moral and Ethical Implications

The understanding that humans are "fearfully and wonderfully made" carries significant moral and ethical implications. It affirms the sanctity of human life, suggesting that every person is valuable and worthy of respect and protection. This belief underpins many Christian ethical stances on issues such as the sanctity of life, human rights, and the inherent worth of every individual, regardless of their status or condition.

The Role of Humanity in Creation

Being "fearfully and wonderfully made" also implies a responsibility towards creation. Genesis 2:15 describes man's role in the Garden of Eden: "The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it." This stewardship role reflects humanity's duty to care for and manage the earth responsibly, honoring the Creator by preserving His creation.

Redemption and Restoration

The fall of man introduced sin and brokenness into the world, marring the original perfection of creation. However, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ offers restoration and renewal. Ephesians 2:10 declares, "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life." Through Christ, believers are restored to their intended purpose, reflecting the glory of God as His "fearfully and wonderfully made" creation.

In summary, the biblical concept of man as "fearfully and wonderfully made" encompasses the physical, spiritual, and moral dimensions of human existence, affirming the unique and sacred nature of humanity as part of God's creation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 139:14
I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Exhaustive Knowledge of Man.
... He feels, as he never did before, that he is fearfully and wonderfully made, and
cries ... to wield; would that I had been created a worm, and no man, then, I ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/gods exhaustive knowledge of man.htm

The Sea of Glass
... Thou art fearfully and wonderfully made, though thou art but a poor mortal man.
And is not God more fearfully and wonderfully made than thou art? ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxxiv the sea of.htm

What is Man?
... "What is man?" Psa.8:4. 1. Nay, what am I? With God's assistance, I would consider
myself. Here is a curious machine, "fearfully and wonderfully made." It is a ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 109 what is man.htm

Signs and Wonders.
... the man who wrote the 139th Psalm. He needed no prodigies to make him believe. The
thought of his own body, how fearfully and wonderfully it was made, was ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xix signs and wonders.htm

The Hearing Ear and the Seeing Eye
... wisdom, let him read any book which describes to him the eye of man, or even of
beast, and then say with the psalmist, 'I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon vi the hearing ear.htm

June 5 Evening
... and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are ...
/.../anonymous/daily light on the daily path/june 5 evening.htm

The Song of the Three Children
... eyes without the help of a microscope, but is as fearfully and wonderfully made
as you ... nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/the good news of god/sermon iv the song of.htm

On the Fall of Man
... Was there, till now, any other inferiority of the woman to the man than that which
we may ... "Dust thou art:" But how fearfully and wonderfully wrought into ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 57 on the fall.htm

The Christian Man
... Without man the whole material universe would have been dark and unintelligible,
mechanical and ... Matter, however fearfully and wonderfully wrought, is but ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study iii the christian man.htm

A Whitsun Sermon
... For there ought to come to that man a sense of God's presence, of ... the Psalmist"'I
will give thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon xix a whitsun sermon.htm