PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | Episode 27 – The Awe and Wonder of Life in the Womb, Part 4
Episode 27: The Awe and Wonder of Life in the Womb, Part 4
FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell
Rocky: Welcome to the podcast, FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.
Nancy: Dear ladies, we continue our wonderful description of the baby in the womb from Psalm 139.
I’d like to read to you Ecclesiastes 11:5: “As you do not know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God, who knows everything.” This Scripture talks about God naming the bones in the womb of the mother. We talked about that last time, how God creates the bones of the boy baby stronger than the female. Yet God, who knows all things in His plan, the way He wants us to live, He made the male with stronger bones. He has 50% more brute strength than women.
He made the woman, although she doesn’t have that same physical strength, He gave her another strength. He has put within her an ability to be able to, often, resist infection and diseases. Of course, we can all succumb to sickness, but somehow, we will get through it in a way that often males can’t. When there’s stress, the birth of a baby, if it’s a male, it’s more scary because a little baby girl will always survive more than a male baby.
There’s something about a survival in a woman, right from birth. This is right from birth, and God has done that because a mother needs to have that survival ability, as she has to care for her children in the home. Even when she does feel ill and sick, somehow she has to keep going. Not in maybe the same way that she usually does, but somehow, she has to keep going. I know you’ve been through that. I’ve been through that so many times, but God enables us.
Did you notice in that Scripture I read? “You don’t know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child.” Do you notice those words? “With child.” This is how the Bible describes a woman being pregnant.
In Genesis 16:11, the angel said to Hagar: “Behold, though art with child and shall bear a son.”
When Tamar was having a baby, it says in Genesis 38:24, 25 that she was “with child.”
In Exodus 21:22 it says: “If men strive and hurt a woman with child, he shall be surely punished.” This is talking about a woman who is pregnant.
Isaiah 26:17: “Like as woman with child, that draws near to her time of delivery.” And so many other Scriptures. I love that, don’t you? God speaks the truth. God speaks as things actually are. He knows that when a woman conceives, from that moment, she is with child. The little child, the little baby that comes forth from her womb, it was a child even from the very beginning. It’s the same person who will grow up one day to get married and have children of their own. I think it’s good to get the right language, don’t you?
I think of another wonderful word. 2 Timothy 3:15. Paul is writing to Timothy, and he says, “And that from a child,” he uses this word child here. “From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.” How old was Timothy when Paul says, “From a child you knew the Holy Scriptures.”? How old was he? Well, we don’t really know, of course, but it’s interesting to find more Scriptures about that word.
It’s the word brephos. It’s used in other places. It’s used of Jesus when he was in the womb, and it talks about the babe in the womb, and it’s the word brephos. That word can mean a baby in the womb. We read about it in the words of Elizabeth in Luke 1:41, 44: “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe (brephos) leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost . . . For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine years, the baby (brephos) leaped in my womb or joy.”
It talks about Jesus again when the angels said to the shepherds: “You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). That word babe is brephos. This word can mean a baby in the womb, a baby who is just born, and a child who is a little older, perhaps a toddler or getting even a little older. God sees that child. He uses the same word for the child in the womb as He does for the child who can know and learn the Scriptures. There we are reminded again.
Let’s continue, shall we, with our finding out what God says about how He creates the baby.
No. 8: God secretly creates us
This time we are going to read verse 15 again. “When I was made in secret,” Yes, “When I was made in secret.” Wow. What does that mean? That means God secretly makes us. God secretly creates the baby. The New Living Translation says: “Formed in utter seclusion.” The word “secret” is the Hebrew word cether, pronounced say-ther. This is what it means, “covering, hiding place, protection, secret place, sheltered place.”
Here is another word. We have already read of how God covered us in the womb, here it’s even more. Its not only covering; it’s a secret place, a hiding place. What is a hiding place, ladies? When your children play hide and seek, they go away and hide, and they want to hide so that nobody can find them. A hiding place is somewhere where someone can’t find us. The secret place is the same. Its secret from everybody else. This is what the word says.
I think we have sort of forgotten this Scripture in our modern-day society because, with the development of science, we now have ultrasound. Now it has become normal for women who are with child to go monthly and get their ultrasound and check out what’s happening. Of course, when they get to that time when they can find out the sex of the baby, they are going in to make sure they find out what this baby is going to be.
But I wonder about all these things. I am such a stickler for the Word of God that I always come back to it. Of course, I will concede that ultrasound is a modern science that can help save babies, and often, it can be a wonderful blessing to help save a baby’s life. Although, sadly, it can often be the opposite. Today, many women, when they have an ultrasound, will be told that there is something wrong with their baby, that there is something not quite right, and two things happen there.
Number one, this can be such a dampening upon the pregnancy, such worries, such fears, instead of the pregnancy being a time of joy and wonder. The couple are overcome with fears and desperation. It can even be worse. Usually today, doctors will say, “Well, you can terminate this baby if you want.” And so many will do this. If it’s not perfection, they will terminate the baby. How sad how many babies are terminated, killed, because an ultrasound showed something that was perhaps not the norm.
Yet, there are others, of course, who hold on to life, who know life is precious, that life comes from God. No matter what any doctor says, or what an ultrasound shows, they would keep their baby. Sometimes the baby is born with a problem, but this baby is still so precious. This is life, life from God. Many other times, these babies are born and the problem that they saw in the womb is no longer there. The babies are born perfectly. I’ve heard many testimonies of mothers who have shared this.
On one hand, ultrasound can be a blessing. On the other hand, it can be used to end the life of many babies. Often, these babies would be born perfectly. You see, lovely ladies, God is creating the baby in secret. God is the creator. He is doing it His way in His time. Yes, we have science that says that this happens at this time, and this happens at this time in the womb. I don’t think its always exact. God is doing the work, and we must trust Him.
As I said, I do concede that there are times when this can be a saving of lives, but I do wonder about just having to have another ultrasound to find the sex of the baby, to pry into this hidden place, to pry into this secret place, to pry into what God is doing. There are many great artists who will not allow anyone to see their painting until it is finished. There are many great sculptors who will not allow anyone to see their masterpiece until it is finished. I think God is like that.
Now ladies, I am not condemning anyone who is going to do that because I know that we are like sheep. We just give in to what everyone does, and now everyone \goes to find out the sex of the baby. In fact, the sex of the baby and the name of the baby is often brandished all over social media before the baby is even born.
But can I just put a little thought in your hearts? Can we really take notice of the Word that God creates in secret? And I think one of the reasons is that God loves surprises. He loves surprises. This is where we get this idea of giving surprises to your children. As a parent, I’ve always loved to give surprises. Christmastime . . . If my children found out what I was giving them for Christmas, I didn’t even feel like giving it to them. Everything was secret in our place at Christmastime. Everyone was hiding their gifts, and we all had to keep them secret because it was so exciting when they found out what they were going to get. If they knew, well, they just get it; there’s no surprise; there’s no excitement. I think God loves that.
Even in daily life, I would often give my children surprises. When they were little, if they were all getting grizzly and upset, “Children, I want you to all go and hide behind the sofas.” They’d go and find a little hiding place. Then I would make them a special little plate of some snacks because, often a few little snacks, well, it’s amazing how it will change their behavior. I would make some little cut apples, or cheese, or raisins or cookies and arrange them in a smiley face or some other little shape and make it look really attractive. Then I would say, “Ok, time for a surprise!” They would all come out running and here was their surprise. I would do something different each time, and they were so excited. It was just a little surprise, but children love surprises.
I believe that God loves to give us a surprise. He’s creating this masterpiece because every precious baby is a divine masterpiece, and He can’t wait to give this gift to us. He’s waiting so that we can have this surprise. But of course, we already know, so God can’t give us that surprise. I think it’s something to really think about.
But you say, “Well, goodness me, how can we even have our baby shower? I want to know the sex of the baby so that I can do the baby’s room and make it the right color, and everyone needs to know what they can bring me for gifts for my baby shower.” Well, back when I was having my babies, way back then all those years ago, it was either blue for boys or pink for girls, but today, babies wear all kinds of colors. We don’t need to rely so specifically on the colors.
Back in our day, we never ever had a baby shower before the baby was born. We always had the baby shower after the baby was born. There’s something special about that too because then you can celebrate the baby, and everybody can see the baby. Then they know what it is and can bring the appropriate gift to you. That’s another thing too about the surprises. When someone you know well is having a baby, and you know what sex it is, you know what the name is, and then they have the baby and you hear, oh, they’ve had their baby. “Oh great, well that’s wonderful,” but there’s not the same intensity of suspense and surprise. “Oh, what is it? What is it?” There’s something so amazing about what this baby is going to be. Is it a boy or a girl? Even to find out the name is exciting too. We save ourselves having a lot of wonderful surprises, don’t we?
I better give you some more Scriptures where this word is used, this word cether.
Psalm 27:5: “For in the time of trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret place of his tabernacle shall he hide me.” Well, if God is wanting to hide us and protect us and cover us in a secret place, do you think everybody wants to pry into that secret place? No.
Psalm 31:20: “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man.” These are all the same Hebrew words of how God creates the baby secretly.
Psalm 32:7: “Though art my hiding place.”
Psalm 61:4: “I will abide in thy tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of thy wings.” It’s good to see other Scriptures, isn’t it? Where the same word is used because it gives us the full understanding, and we know what it really means.
Did you get that? I wonder if you’ll think about it. Do you think you could really last out for God’s surprise at the end? I wonder if you could.
No. 9: God skillfully creates us
Verse 15. “I was skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” Can I give you some other translations?
God’s Word Translation: “skillfully woven in an underground workshop.” I like that.
The New English Translation: “was sewed together.”
The Contemporary English Version says: “I was secretly woven together, out of human sight.”
The English Standard Version says: “I was intricately woven together.”
Another translation says: “embroidered with great skill.”
Another: “when I was wrought with a needle in the depths of the earth.”
This is a very poetic description. It’s a poetic description of God sewing together the veins and the sinews and the muscles and the nerves. A beautiful tapestry. In fact, Charles Spurgeon says: “What tapestry can equal the human fabric?”
What is the Hebrew word? It’s raqam, and it means “to variegate, color, to embroider, to do needlework.” Ok ladies, this word, Hebrew word, is only used nine times in the Scripture. Here in Psalm 139:15: “I was skillfully woven” and all the other times speak of needlework or embroidery. Six times it translated needlework, two times embroidery. God was the first embroiderer and He creates us with needlepoint accuracy.
Something even more wonderful, ladies; I want you to get this. The other eight times this Hebrew word is used, it’s only used in the context of the tabernacle, God’s sacred dwelling place. This time, in God’s sacred place of the womb, where He creates the baby, where He sews it together with his divine needlework. All these Scriptures are in the environment of the sacred place. God chose Bezalel and Oholiab to work in the tabernacle, to embroider the priest’s clothes and the curtains of the temple. It was so intricate; it was very, very intricate work. They actually couldn’t do it unless God was with them.
I’ve got some Scriptures here. Exodus 28:29 (ESV): “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen. And you shall make a sash of fine needlework.” This was talking about the high priest’s garments. They couldn’t do this—Bezalel and Oholiab wouldn’t have been able to do it unless God with them.
The Bible says in Exodus 35:31-35: “God filled both Bezalel and Oholiab with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge in all manner of workmanship.” It goes on to say that He filled them “with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer.” God filled them with His spirit to enable them because they were doing something for the sacred inner sanctuary. It had to be so perfect, just as God perfectly, skillfully creates the baby in the womb.
Now, another amazing thing here. As I said, this all happened, all the other references to this needlework and embroidery were all for the tabernacle, the Holy Place, where God dwelt in His shekinah glory.
When God told Moses how to build the tabernacle. He told him how to build the Holy of Holies. In 1 Kings 6:16, He told them to make an inner sanctuary, the most holy place. Where did He tell him to do it? At the far end of the temple. Actually, this Scripture is now catapulting to the time of Solomon because now we are no longer in the tabernacle. Now Solomon is building a temple. It’s the same pattern as the tabernacle, but now it’s the temple. Exactly the same pattern, but he is doing it at the far end of the temple.
The Amplified Version says: “at the very rear of the temple.” The word in the Hebrew is eureka which means, “in the very recesses, in the inner part.” God wanted His Holy of Holies not to be out in the open, not be where everybody could come in and be there with God. Oh no. When you came into the tabernacle or the temple, first of all, there was the brazen altar where they sacrificed the animals. Then you went into the Holy Place, and then you went into the Holy of Holies, AT THE VERY FAR END. It was secluded, it was at the end, it was hidden because God was in the hidden place.
It’s amazing how He talks about the womb; it’s in the hidden part of the woman. It’s not the outward limbs of the body; no, it’s the hidden part. It’s a sacred place where God works. That’s why it’s sacred; that’s why its hidden because this is where God works. When a baby is conceived, God is working in His sacred sanctuary of the womb to create a life in His image.
Wondrously, this same word, eureka, that was used for making the Holy of Holies at the very far end of the temple; God uses it of the woman in the home. I was amazed when I saw this. In Psalm 128:3 it talks about the woman in the home: “Your wife is like a fruitful vine within your home, your children like olive plants all around your table.” The word, “Your wife is like a fruitful vine in the heart of your home” is eureka, meaning “in the recesses, in the inner court”. This is where God wants us to be stationed, in the inner recesses of the home.
Of course, we are going to go out, got to go and get our groceries, we’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that. But this is where our heart is. This is where we mainly live. This is where we make life. This is where we raise our children. This is where we make our home a sanctuary. We are in this hidden part of the home.
Now, not everybody is seeing what we are doing, but we are doing a powerful work. Just like the womb is hidden. It’s a sacred sanctuary, yet, although it’s hidden, it’s one of the most powerful places on earth. Because this is where each life comes forth to fill the world with great blessing, great inventions, and great discoveries, and to bring God and His love and His revelation and His truth to the world. It all comes from the womb, this hidden place, but out from the hidden place comes life that comes into the world. It’s the same in our home. As we raise our children in our home, in this eureka, in the recesses, in this heart of the home, out from the heart of the home, we send children to impact the world. Isn’t it amazing?
Oh, darling ladies, never despise your womb. It is the greatest gift God has given to you, in your body, to bring forth life, to bring forth an eternal soul. Don’t speak disparagingly, don’t speak negatively about your womb or your womanly functions because that can bring a curse upon your womb. Satan is out to destroy the wombs of women, to bring curses upon them, to bring sickness upon them. We mustn’t give the enemy one little inch because he can take a mile. Only speak positively about your womb.
Even to go around, as so many women do, and you may ask them, “Oh, do you plan to have any more children?” They may have one or two, perhaps they’re wanting to have another one.
“Oh no, I’m done.”
What is that saying? “I don’t like my womb. Oh goodness me. We’ve put a stop to that; we don’t embrace our womb.”
“Oh no, I don’t want anything to do with that. Is that really part of my body? Well if it is, I’m going to make sure it doesn’t work.”
What are we doing? We are speaking against God’s creation and against purposes that He has to bring forth children from our womb. Do watch how you speak about your womb; it is so powerful.
Now we haven’t even finished this Scripture yet. It’s amazing. “I was made in secret. I was skillfully wrought in the lowest part of the earth.” Now, here we have another very poetic description. “The lowest part of the earth” also speaks of darkness because God works in the dark, although, light can come into the womb especially as you go out into the sun. Light can penetrate the womb, but the womb is primarily dark.
But the wonderful thing is, ladies, that God is able to work in the darkness as well as the light. I mean, what does it say in Psalm 139? This is exactly the same Psalm. In Psalm 139:2 it says: “Yet the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as if in the day. The darkness and the light are both alike unto thee.”
Daniel said in Daniel 2;22: “He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.” Darkness is like light to God. It doesn’t even change. Ladies, that speaks to us too, in our dark times, in our difficult times. Sometimes we go through dark times. You may be going through a dark place in your life. I want you to know that, even when you’re going through a dark time, God knows. He is with you, and He can bring light to you. The darkness is not darkness to Him. He will bring light to you even in the darkness. Amen?
Let’s pray shall we?
“Father, we thank You again for Your Word, for Your revelation and showing us what You do in the womb. We praise You, and we bless You, and I pray today for every mother, for every wife, for every daughter, every grandmother. I pray that You will pour out Your blessing upon them today. I pray that You’ll draw them closer and closer to Your truth, that they will be those who seek after truth, that they will love Your Word, that they will love truth. Oh God, I pray that You will raise them up to be heralders and raise the banner of truth in their lives, in their homes, and wherever they go. Oh God, it’s time, in this hour in which we live, to be truth-speakers, speaking out Your truth, making it known to our children wherever we go. We ask that You will anoint us to do this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”