Psalms 139:14, commentary and pictures

The verse declares that human beings are fearfully and wonderfully made, that God's works are marvellous, and that this is reason to praise Him with full conviction of soul. God Himself formed man in His own image with perfect arrangement, breathed into him the breath of life, and still works every moment to superintend and preserve every organ and function. The body so made is a living house and temple fitted for the Holy Spirit to dwell in, and its powers of mind, soul and body are God's property by creation and redemption, not man's to misuse at pleasure. Because it is so made it is to be critically examined and understood, and the study of its wonderful structure should inspire reverence and desire to develop it according to the Creator's purpose. Obeying its divinely inscribed laws in practical temperance is privilege and blessing, keeping appetite under the control of mind and moral faculties so the whole machinery works harmoniously to God's honor and reveals His image.

Words and Psalm Context

The verse declares that human beings are fearfully and wonderfully made, that God's works are marvellous, and that this gives reason to praise God with full conviction of soul. The human body is a marvelous work made with great care and worthy of wonder, and its wonderful design rightly calls forth praise. Understanding the design of the body gives reason for praise, and understanding bodily nature and how to care for health helps in understanding God's word and the purpose of life. Human faculties and talents are gifts to be used well, and weakening mind or body through harmful habits or indulgence of appetite prevents honoring God as should be done. The body is a given habitation whose parts should be carefully examined and understood, with mind and heart as especially important, calling for recognition of its worth rather than ignorance of one's makeup or devotion to degrading pleasures. Those preparing for translation must understand their physical bodies and keep appetite under the control of moral and intellectual faculties, so that the body serves the mind and does not rule it. This same wonderful workmanship brings the duty to care properly for the body and not to damage it through improper eating, drinking, or dressing.

In its psalm setting the verse belongs to praise for God's wondrous work of creation. The psalm calls for reflection on God's presence and knowledge, from whom no one can hide and who fills heaven and earth.

The verse includes God's watch over prenatal formation: human substance was not hidden from Him when made in secret, His eyes saw the substance yet imperfect, and in His book all the members were written when as yet there were none of them. God as a personal, self-existing being formed man in His own image with perfect form in all its arrangements, breathed into the nostrils the breath of life so that man became a living, breathing, intelligent being and a living soul, put all parts of the human machinery in motion under physical law, and by inspiration gave understanding. Human life and understanding come from God, who continually preserves the body and its organs rather than leaving them to function on their own. The body's powers are therefore to be used intelligently and proportionately, since idleness can harm health.

Creator's Design and Sustaining Care

The verse teaches that a personal, self-existing God formed man in His own image with perfect form in all its arrangements, and that human substance was not hidden from Him when made in secret, for His eyes saw the substance yet imperfect and in His book all the members were written when as yet there were none of them. He breathed into the nostrils the breath of life so that man became a living, breathing, intelligent being and a living soul, with all parts of the human machinery put in motion and placed under physical law, and by inspiration He has given understanding. This fearful and wonderful making means people are endowed with God-given capacities, including brain power and strength of ability, which are to be developed and used for God, and though people are like children who must learn, God cooperates with each person who does his best to develop and use them in His service.

God as Master Builder and Architect works every moment, superintending every function and supplying life and strength from the brain to the ends of the fingers and toes to make the body a glorious temple for Himself, a ceaseless miracle-working power. He continually preserves the body and its organs and does not leave them to run by themselves like a wound clock, but His agency is constantly at work to preserve His workmanship. The body performs its functions under His constant supervision, like a building directed by its Master Architect, and is meant to be a temple for Him.

The body is intricate, awe-inspiring machinery with no mistake in its design, where every organ and muscle has room to perform its work without crowding other parts. Teeth, saliva, digestive fluids, stomach, brain, bone, muscle and tissue are all given their share of nutrition, with good food transformed into good blood, and every organ has its own function and its part to perform. The whole is a system of different parts fitted to work harmoniously as one complete whole, with muscles connected to nerves as the means for keeping the machinery in motion, the muscles dependent on brain and nerves for power of action as the mind wills the limbs to move, and exercise of the muscles quickening the circulation of the blood.

Jehovah inscribed His law by His own mighty hand on every part of the physical structure, so the laws governing the body and physical nature implanted in humanity are as truly divine in origin and character as the Ten Commandments. Every movement of the vital organs and of respiration is the Creator's handiwork, done wisely and well when not restricted or hindered by human interference, requiring human cooperation so there is no disorder in the human mechanism. Jesus gave human bodies fearfully and wonderfully made, just as He gave the lily its delicate tints and robe of purity and loveliness.

God pledges to keep the organs in healthful condition if the laws implanted in nature are obeyed and soul, body and spirit are surrendered to His control in harmony with His law. Health requires keeping in harmony with God's law and cooperating with God rather than acting against the laws of life, and many who are sick could be well if they did so, with clean hands and a pure heart giving peace and contentment of mind that is conducive to health. The organs are to be kept healthy and ready for use under the command of the human agent as a free moral agent, acting with intelligent knowledge in power derived from God in cooperation with God to preserve them, and this calls for understanding and caring for the body rather than misusing it.

Body as Temple and Trust

The body is a habitation given by God, a carefully fashioned living home for the mind and a building and temple fitted by the Lord for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. It is meant to be a dwelling place for the revealing of His glory, with its physical powers to be cared for, developed, studied, understood in their needs, and preserved from harm and defilement. The mind and heart are its especially important apartments, not to be filled with sensual and debasing pleasures but opened to welcome Jesus to dwell within.

As God's building and temple of the living God, the wonderfully made human frame is to be carefully guarded, preserved, cared for and developed in obedience to the laws of life. Such care reveals people as temples of the living God and as God's handiwork. It shows to the heavenly universe and to the apostate race that they belong to God.

The organs and powers of mind, soul and body are not human property as if humans created them, but are God's property by creation and redemption, given as gifts to be appreciated, valued and wisely cared for. Therefore no one has a moral right to do as he pleases with his own body, to misuse it, or to violate the laws of life and health. The living machinery with its wonderful mechanism is to be understood, every part carefully studied, and self-preservation practiced as a law of self-respect for the Lord's property that also leads to respect for one's neighbor. To weaken or impair any faculty by intemperate appetite in eating and drinking, by gratifying appetite and passion, breaks nature's laws and dishonors God, bringing the penalty of weakened mind and body and difficult, impaired functions, while practical Bible religion and temperance preserve the machinery and secure the highest culture of intellect.

Human facilities, talents and powers of mind and body, operating by laws to be understood, are gifts from God to His sons and daughters. They are to be preserved in the best condition, made the best use of, kept strong and healthy, and used and developed in His service, including brain power and strength of ability, with each person cooperating with God as a learner doing his best. This calls for standing in individual dignity and individual consecration before God with the whole being dedicated to Him, keeping the physical system in perfect order so brain power stays keen and strong, rather than making any human being the criterion. Weakening mind or body by wrong habits, harmful indulgences and perverted appetite makes it impossible to honor God as should, to present the body as a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice without blemish, and diminishes personal influence.

The mind directs the whole person, and its thoughts give rise to actions, worship of God and fellowship with heavenly beings. Health of body is essential for a healthy mind, an even temper, growth in grace, formation of moral character, intellectual excellence and a strong, well-balanced religious experience. This is because mind and body are closely related, the brain and nerves are in sympathy with the stomach, the stomach has a controlling influence on the whole being and on the health of the whole body, food that taxes it perverts the finer feelings of the heart, and erroneous eating and drinking produce erroneous thinking and acting, so that recklessness in bodily habits reveals recklessness of moral character. Remembering this fearful and wonderful making therefore requires careful thought, an active conscience and sound judgment, with attentive thinking about the body's needs and preservation of the laws of life and health kept as personal and religious duty.

Duty to Study Body

The verse teaches that the body God has given as a dwelling is to be critically examined, understood and cared for in all its parts, with its organs, muscles and nerves arranged to perform their work, and with its apartments and especially the chambers of mind and heart as the most important to be diligently studied. Self-knowledge is the science of being good and doing good, more valuable than any other branch of science or language, because the physical frame, structure and laws must be wisely guided in cooperation with God who will keep the body in order. The right use of God-given powers is a special responsibility requiring practical temperance in all things and denial of selfish desire, with body and soul and all faculties consecrated to His service and kept healthy by careful, strictly temperate habits. Rather than remaining ignorant of its worth or filling mind and heart with sensual and debasing pleasures and living in the basement of the house, the body as a building made for His own habitation is to be kept for Jesus to dwell within.

Seeing this wonderful making through study of physiology and the human system should inspire reverence for God's handiwork as temple and a desire not to harm it but to develop self and all abilities in keeping with the Creator's purpose and plan. Such study reveals the wisdom, goodness and love of the laws by which the marvelous organism is governed and the blessings that come from obeying them. Keeping the laws of health is thereby changed from hard duty, sacrifice or self-denial into a privilege, blessing and inestimable blessing, giving something better to talk about than the faults and weaknesses of others. Understanding bodily nature and how to care for health in this way helps to understand God's word and the purpose of life.

Children are to be taught how their bodies and muscles are made and how to care for them, and to understand the living processes so they know how the body works. Mothers and parents are to teach the construction and healthful action of their own bodies, including organs, muscles and nerves and their function, with the muscles by connection with the nerves the means for keeping the machinery in motion and every organ serving the mind and having its part to perform. Brain, bone, muscle and nerves must be brought into action to keep the machinery in working order, since the muscles depend on brain and nerves for power of action as the mind wills the limbs to move, and exercise of the muscles quickens the circulation of the blood. They are therefore to be trained to find chief exercise and recreation in cheerfully bearing the burdens of the home so every part is exercised. The body is a carefully fashioned living home for the mind and a temple fitted for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where the mind directs the whole person and its thoughts give rise to actions, worship of God and fellowship with heavenly beings, while violating the laws of the body brings suffering and disease.

Remaining ignorant of one's own makeup is rebuked, for even those educated in the sciences and in the theory of truth may not understand it. Thousands upon thousands remain ignorant of the ceaseless miracle-working power beyond comprehension without a knowledge of God, in which every person should become intelligent about the house he lives in and study cause to effect in the living machinery. Even those in positions of influence prize less important learning while neglecting this study and continuing in sensual debasement. The body with all its organs and faculties is made with awe-inspiring skill as God's workmanship, with faculties and talents given to sons and daughters to be put to the best use and preserved by practical Bible religion and temperance for the highest culture of intellect, so that to weaken them by wrong habits and perverted appetites makes it impossible to honor God as should.

Understanding the physical frame gives reason to recognize this fearful and wonderful making and to praise God with the soul knowing it well. Knowing one's frame helps govern appetite and keep the body subject to the mind, with the body to serve the mind and not rule it under control of the moral and intellectual faculties. Such self-knowledge is necessary to fit God's people for translation, as those preparing for translation must understand their physical bodies.

Obeying Laws Through Temperance

Obeying the laws of health in cooperation with God is a privilege and blessing, not merely sacrifice or self-denial. The human frame is wonderful, fearfully made machinery with structure and laws that must be understood and wisely guided, and the Creator pledges to keep the organs in healthful condition if the laws implanted in nature are obeyed. This requires practical temperance in all things, denial of selfish desires and self-denial, and surrender of soul, body and spirit to His control so that physical, intellectual and moral powers work together as perfectly, nicely adjusted machinery to His honor and glory. The laws governing physical nature are as truly divine in origin and character as the Ten Commandments, Jehovah having inscribed His law by His own mighty hand on every part of the physical structure with every organ given its own function, and studying the human system reveals the wisdom, goodness and love of those laws and the blessings of obeying them.

Those preparing for translation must understand their physical bodies and keep appetite under control of the moral and intellectual faculties, with the body to serve the mind and not rule it. Knowing one's physical frame helps govern appetite and keep the body subject to the mind, preserving physical, intellectual and moral powers to work together as perfectly adjusted machinery to God's honor. No faculty is to be weakened or impaired by intemperate appetite in eating and drinking, for abusing the delicate organs breaks nature's laws while practical Bible religion and temperance preserve the human machinery, secure the highest culture of intellect, and lift life higher and still higher.

Weakening mind or body through harmful habits or indulgence of appetite prevents honoring God as should. Human facilities, talents and powers of mind and body operating by law are gifts to be used well, preserved in the best condition, kept strong and made the best use of as sons and daughters of God. Weakening them by wrong habits, harmful indulgences and perverted appetite makes it impossible to honor God as should and to present the body as a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice without blemish, and indulgence diminishes influence. The body as God's wonderful handiwork made with great care should not be marred but cared for, developed in health, and presented to God as a living sacrifice.

Abusing the delicate organs breaks nature's laws and pays the penalty in weakened mind and body, while practical Bible religion and temperance preserve the human machinery and secure the highest culture of intellect. Violating the laws of the body brings suffering and disease, and misusing the body to gratify appetite and passion dishonors God and makes its functions weak and difficult. When God's natural laws are obeyed the image of God is revealed, but violation through harmful appetites and substances disorders and cripples the functions, and intemperance and abuse impair the functions and the mind. Teaching children about the body and its living processes so they can understand how it works and care for it belongs with this praise of His wonderful making.

Neglect gives Satan opportunity to defile the body and keep a person out of heaven, for belief in God's Word leads to recognizing this fearful and wonderful making and to intelligent care of the body. Overtaxing and abusing the stomach must be avoided through self-denial and temperance in all things, lest God's building be abused and the temple misused into a habitation of devils. Good food transformed into good blood nourishes teeth, saliva, digestive fluids, stomach, brain, bone, muscle and tissue each given its share, while God as Master Builder and Architect works every moment superintending every function and supplying life and strength from brain to ends of fingers and toes to make the body a glorious temple for Himself.

Much sickness could be avoided by harmony with God's law and cooperation with God, and many who are sick could be well if they kept in harmony with it. Clean hands and a pure heart give peace and contentment of mind, and this is conducive to health and promotes health. Remembering this fearful and wonderful making requires careful thought, an active conscience and sound judgment in caring for the body, and preserving the laws of life and health is a personal duty and a religious duty. The body is a wonderful structure with intricate, precious, finely ordered machinery that must be carefully protected and kept in good order, not misused or strained, so brain and nerves stay keen, strong and able to function well and the whole religious experience and spiritual character stay healthy and strong.

Practical Care in Life

The verse teaches that the body is God's wonderful workmanship with no mistake or crowding in its design, every organ and muscle given room to do its work without pressing on another, and as God's property it is to be guarded, kept sound, and presented as a living sacrifice rather than altered to meet fashion. Tight-lacing, tight clothing, waistbands and girding of the waist constrict the waist, crowd the heart, cramp the lungs, limit breathing, hinder vital organs and their proper harmonious action, and therefore abuse the design, harm health, rob vitality, deform the form, and dishonor the Maker. Such practices contribute to consumption and early death and rob even children of vitality, while turning from fashion plates to study the organism shows that God does not will premature disease and death but wills life with every organ free in obedience to the laws of life. Christian mothers especially are to preserve mind and body in condition to train children for eternity, keeping every organ unbound and able to breathe fully, dressing healthfully, and holding undivided loyalty to God rather than to fashion, self, and the world.

The physical system must be kept in perfect order so that brain power and mental powers stay keen and strong, since the precious organs and finely ordered machinery were not made to be misused or strained. Placing needless burden on the stomach by hearty eating without exercise or by rich food clouds the brain, leaves a person sleepy and unable to truly grasp ideas, judge, or gain the highest education. Bringing diet into harmony with natural laws produces a marked and great change, and this calls for standing in individual dignity and consecration with the whole being dedicated to God instead of making any human being the criterion for how to live. Health of body is essential for growth in grace, an even temper, and formation of moral character, because the stomach has controlling influence on the whole being and on the health of the whole body, with brain and nerves in sympathy with the stomach. Food that taxes the stomach perverts the finer feelings of the heart, erroneous eating and drinking produce erroneous thinking and acting, every movement of the vital organs is handiwork done wisely and well when not hindered by human interference, and recklessness in bodily habits reveals recklessness of moral character.

The fearfully and wonderfully made design is abused and dishonored by improper eating, drinking, and dressing, by tobacco, coffee, and tea indulgences, and the delicacy and wonder of the living organism is reason not to introduce strong drugs into it. Human powers set in motion by God are kept in health and soundness by intelligent, proportionate work, with more dying from idleness than from overwork, and the whole being is to be worked proportionately so every part acts in harmony with the others. God does not leave the body like a wound clock to run by itself but constantly preserves His workmanship, designing the body as a system of different parts fitted to work harmoniously as one complete whole under the command of the human agent as a free moral agent acting with intelligent knowledge in cooperation with Him. Misuse and violation of nature's law overworks some parts and leaves others weak through disuse, while schemes bringing disorder through disregard of physical law and perverted ideas, customs, and fashions of a degenerate age weaken and depress the machinery so it cannot act its part; therefore simplicity is to be preserved and the natural form and motions maintained by God-given intelligence. Muscles with their connection to nerves are the means for keeping the machinery in motion, every organ serves the mind and has its part, muscles depend on brain and nerves for power as the mind wills the limbs to move, and exercise quickens circulation, so children are to be taught the construction and healthful action of their bodies and find chief exercise in cheerfully bearing home burdens.

The body is a habitation and building God made for His own dwelling, entrusted to each person with every part and apartment to be critically examined, understood, and cared for in strictly temperate habits, with body, soul, and all faculties consecrated to His service. The chambers of the mind and heart are the most important parts, to be opened to welcome Jesus and Christ to dwell within rather than filled with sensual and debasing pleasures or given over to degrading pleasures in the basement of the house. Continuing in ignorance while prizing less important learning is rebuked, and the formation of the body can itself be taught as a basis for healthful living and temperance. Made with fearful and wonderful care to be preserved holy and maintained as a temple where the Holy Spirit can abide, the body is defiled and its purity destroyed by self-abuse. As living machinery it is to be brought under training to exactitude, order, and promptitude, and the mind improved by diligent use of time rather than neglected under excuses, because being perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect is due to Christ to whom believers belong, with all words, actions, and use of time kept in books of record by an ever-present witness for the day of judgment.