What does Psalm 139:16 mean to you?

[Neostarwcc]

Psalm 139:16 - "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

I used to think David was talking about God knowing all of our days ahead of time therefore he wrote them down. But that is not what David is saying at all, he is saying that our days were formed by God. To figure out the exact meaning of the word formed or ordained in some Bible translations here we look at the Hebrew (I don't know Hebrew and use blue letter bible for my study of the Greek/Hebrew in the Bible)

The Hebrew word used here is yāṣar which means:

1. to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)


So in other words David was saying that his days were pre-ordained and planned out by God which could potentially mean that our days are preordained and planned by God. After all, if God planned the days of David why wouldn't he plan out the days of every believer or person who walked the planet? After all, we always complete the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. God knows us intimately from before we were even born as David points out. It's just so beautiful and wonderful! But, enough of what I think the verse means. What do you think it means? How does this ordination calculate with our freewill? Do we have freewill? Looking forward to your comments!

 

[BobRyan]

Your eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in Your book were written
All the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

 

[Brother-Mike]

To me this verse is something of an indirect pointer at predestination: David's grasping the fact that his days are "ordained" (NET) or "formed" (ESV) by God before they began (note that he's not saying "... before ALL CREATION" so it could be argued that the ordaining of days could have occurred right before conception), but seems to stop somewhat short of the full implications here. That is, how can God pre-ordain your days, from beginning to end, without first knowing how you will be conceived and how you will die? Doesn't the arc of your life have to then fit into the whole of all other arcs, of your parents, the drunk driver that's part of your unfortunate demise?

My two cents at least...

 

[Brad D.]

Psalm 139:16 - "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

I used to think David was talking about God knowing all of our days ahead of time therefore he wrote them down. But that is not what David is saying at all, he is saying that our days were formed by God. To figure out the exact meaning of the word formed or ordained in some Bible translations here we look at the Hebrew (I don't know Hebrew and use blue letter bible for my study of the Greek/Hebrew in the Bible)

The Hebrew word used here is yāṣar which means:

1. to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)


So in other words David was saying that his days were pre-ordained and planned out by God which could potentially mean that our days are preordained and planned by God. After all, if God planned the days of David why wouldn't he plan out the days of every believer or person who walked the planet? After all, we always complete the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. God knows us intimately from before we were even born as David points out. It's just so beautiful and wonderful! But, enough of what I think the verse means. What do you think it means? How does this ordination calculate with our freewill? Do we have freewill? Looking forward to your comments!

The only way to live out the reality of that verse is to abide in the true vine. I am the true vine (John 15:1) Anything else is the false wild unruly vine of self. It is an altered life an imposter. To come into who we were really made to be is to give up all rights to self. He divides soul and spirt and disentangles us from all that is false, to work in us that which is good.

We are a word spoken by God. Each day has it's appointed work. He knew each one from the foundation of the world. His work in us has been finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3). This is the only way I believe Psalm 139:16 is completed in us. It is speaking of the pure expression of who He intended us to be. It is the full of expression of the life and glory of His son in us. But in order for it to be fulfilled, the old has to handed over crucified, put to death daily, that the new can live (2 Corinthians 4:11)

Our free will can take that away at anytime. Then we become an imposter. That is what must be taken, put to death, dismantled, and made new by the life of Christ in us. I am the vine ye are the branches He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, but apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

 

[Clare73]

Psalm 139:16 - "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

I used to think David was talking about God knowing all of our days ahead of time therefore he wrote them down. But that is not what David is saying at all, he is saying that our days were formed by God. To figure out the exact meaning of the word formed or ordained in some Bible translations here we look at the Hebrew (I don't know Hebrew and use blue letter bible for my study of the Greek/Hebrew in the Bible)

The Hebrew word used here is yāṣar which means:

1. to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)
45:7, 54:16,

So in other words David was saying that his days were pre-ordained and planned out by God which could potentially mean that our days are preordained and planned by God. After all, if God planned the days of David why wouldn't he plan out the days of every believer or person who walked the planet? After all, we always complete the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. God knows us intimately from before we were even born as David points out. It's just so beautiful and wonderful! But, enough of what I think the verse means. What do you think it means? How does this ordination calculate with our freewill? Do we have freewill? Looking forward to your comments!

Pretty much the same thing that Ex 4:11, Dt 32:39, 1 Sa 2:7, Is 45:7, Is 54:16, Job 14:5 mean.