"The handiwork of God"

We had yet another digression from normal Bible study this week, albeit with a much pleasanter topic. Around now, the Church celebrates the Annunciation of our Lord; in accordance with that theme, here is an excellent study on the whys of the Biblical pro-life position.

• Isaiah 43:1 - God is the Creator of life.
• Genesis 1:26-27 - humans were originally in God's likeness (elevated).
• Genesis 9:6 - even after the Fall, human life is valuable.
• Psalm 8:4-5a - man is only a little lower than the angels.
• Genesis 2:7 - "hands-on." God formed and breathed into Adam - not done for any other created thing.
• Genesis 2:22 - God made (lit. "built" - i.e. out of more structured materials) Eve.
• Psalm 139:13-17 - God knit us (picture of intimate involvement).
• Trophoblast cells (outside of the blastocyst, which leads to the placenta) come from Dad. :)
• BEFORE God formed us in the womb, He knew us.
• Consciousness isn't a criterion for value; God's care, however, is.
• Ephesians 2:4-5 - "But God..." - contrasts our sin with His grace.
• Jesus was also originally one cell (but probably only one pronucleus because there was no sperm); the miracle was at His conception. (A sign in Nazareth, not Bethlehem: "Here the Word became flesh.") Why did He have to do this? Answer: Psalm 51:5.
• We also have value because God paid dearly to get us back; God created and redeemed us with His hands.
• God holds our hands: Romans 6:4, Isaiah 42:5, 43:2.