Special 1-week Only Class Lesson February 26, 2023

 

Valued by God

Mary Louise McDonald valued life. She was my mentor, and this godly lady radiated Christ in her countenance, voice, and touch. When I first met her as a college student in the late 1990s, she had just transitioned from a walker to a wheelchair due to health issues brought on in her 30s. She did not allow a wheelchair to limit her from serving her church, sharing the gospel, or being the prayer warrior for thousands of people until her homegoing in August 2020. Her life was full of significance and value.

We say we value life, but more often than not our society places people into tiers based on whose lives offer more to the rest of society. Though our words say that every life is valuable, our actions—and inactions—speak volumes as the unborn, disabled, and elderly are devalued by society. Believers should treasure every life the same way God does.

In Psalm 139, we will see just how much God values each of us. In this psalm, David expressed joy that God made him and knew everything about him. David recognized his life was valued by the One who created him because his Creator had given his life meaning and purpose.

God values life—and so should we.

Ashley serves as Assistant Professor of Women’s Ministries and Director of News and Information at Southwestern Seminary. Her heartbeat is to see disciples make disciples. In her spare time, you can often find her reading, running, and crocheting.

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Valued by God

Question 1:

When have you been surprised by what someone was able to accomplish?

THE POINT

God values life and we should too.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

On October 11, 2021, Chris Nikic crossed the famed Boston Marathon finish line, completing the 26.2-mile race with thousands of world class runners. A month later, he completed the New York City Marathon. He has competed in several Ironman triathlons, which means completing a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile marathon.

Sure, lots of men and women have done that, but Chris Nikic has Down Syndrome. In fact, he was the first person with Down Syndrome to ever participate in an Ironman triathlon.

Nikic explains he has Down syndrome “and all the associated disabilities, except one. I focus on my God-given abilities.” His “mission is to honor God by being the best me I can be so I can be an example to others. I want to change the perceptions and raise expectations for others like me so we can reach our God-given potential.”1

Nikic knows his life has meaning and value because God created him. Psalm 139 says every life is valued by the Creator who has made each person remarkably and wondrously. He expects us to value each life, too.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Psalm 139:1-6

1 Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. 5 You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. 6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

When David wrote Psalm 139, he sought to express his gratitude that God not only made him, but that God valued him. Throughout this psalm, David referred to God as “Lord,” in small capital letters. In Hebrew, Lord is the name Yahweh, God’s personal, holy name, which God revealed in His covenant relationship with His chosen people. In using the personal name for God throughout this psalm, David was recognizing that the One who knew him was personal to him, too.

David said the Lord had searched him and known him. The idea of search in this passage means to “thoroughly examine.” When we give something a thorough examination, we know everything there is to know about the object—inside and out. God knew everything there was to know about David and it didn’t scare David. Instead, David recognized the value he had in the eyes of God.

The idea of “know” is much deeper than our modern-day language expresses. Today we think of “knowing” as having a handful of quick facts about someone or something. The Hebrew word, though, refers to observation, care, and recognition. God knew David thoroughly because He not only made him, but He cared about him. Usually, the more intimately acquainted we are with someone, the more deeply we care about the person. God is intimately acquainted with the most finite details of each of the eight billion people on the earth. He made us, and therefore, our lives are sacred. He knows and values us.

Question 2:

What are the implications of life being sacred?

David listed things God knew about him, including when he sat down and stood up. God understood his thoughts from afar. When David traveled, God saw it, just as He saw David when he rested. The Lord knew these things about David because He not only cared about him, but He cared for him.

As a loving Father, God knew everything to know about David. Moreover, God Himself had “encircled” him. This gives an image of surrounding someone like a fortress. A fortress protects what it encircles. God encircled David because he was significant to God. His life was important to God. Not only did God surround David for protection, but He placed His hand on him. This is a sign of comfort and protection because it is a sign of God’s control.

David’s response to what God knew was not dread. He had nothing to hide from God. He responded to God with awe and declared, “This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it” (v. 6). Our response to how much God knows and values us should be the same. Our lives are valuable not because of anything we do or who we are, but because of Who God is as our Creator. He makes our lives valuable. The wealthy have no more value to God than the poor, nor the athletic than those with disabilities. God values each of us individually and personally because He made us. Just as God knew the finite details about David’s life, He knows the same details of our lives. The Lord knows us, cares for us, and values us.

Psalm 139:7-10

7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, 10 even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.

David declared he could not get away from God’s presence. He asked two rhetorical questions: “Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” David then provided the obvious answer while also introducing an important theological truth.

If David went to heaven, God is there. If he went to Sheol to make his bed, God is also there. Sheol was referred to in the Old Testament as the place where the dead went after their lives on earth ended. The concept of Sheol carried a lot of mythology in the cultures that surrounded Israel, but the Old Testament used it to refer to the place of the dead, or more specifically, the place of the unrighteous dead. God does not dwell in Sheol, but His presence is there in the judicial sense. God is aware of who is in Sheol, and His judgment is there. As Job noted, “Sheol is naked before God” (Job 26:6). In the New Testament we clearly see that those who accept Jesus as Lord are assured they will be with Him in heaven.

If David were to fly on the wings of the dawn or settle at the western limits, even there God’s hands would lead him and hold on to him. The word picture we get is of an open expanse without restrictions, but God’s hands are still there. Sometimes we might think it would be nice just to “get away”—someplace where no one could reach us—and be alone. Yet, wherever we go, God is with us. Because life is sacred, the One who created us is never far away.

There are several theological truths about God in this passage. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Verses 1-6 show us how God is omniscient; He knows everything there is to know about each of us. Verses 7-10 show us that God is omnipresent; He is everywhere at the same time. He is with you as you read this, even as He is with a friend or loved one who is enduring difficulty.

Today we can still have the same sense of peace David had. Whatever we might endure in life, God is with us. This is a comfort and a reminder that as we watch family and friends endure pain, God is as much with them as He is with us.

Question 3:

Why doesn’t it always feel like God is with us?

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

David painted some wonderful word pictures: “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” The Hebrew word for “created” is one of several words used in the Old Testament that speak of creation. It is sometimes translated “formed.” In verse 13, it goes hand-in-hand with the phrase “knit me.” The word “knit” means to “interweave,” providing a hedge or covering for protection.

Any needle artist will tell you there is great precision in knitting, crocheting, and weaving, but also great care for each created piece. How much more care has been given by God Himself who has made every person? Our Creator has formed and woven us together for His specific purposes! God has a plan for each of us because He has made us; no one is beyond His use in His kingdom!

Question 4:

How should we treat others since we are all remarkably and wondrously made?

We may have difficulty in seeing how God can work through a person, but we don’t see as God sees. God finds value in all people, regardless of how the world views them or their usefulness. Even the “weakest” among us is remarkably and wondrously made.

Every person is uniquely made in the image of our Creator, but we all look a little bit different from one another. Each of us is a unique creation of God and bear His image. God skillfully created you, your family members, and the people you encounter daily.

God has a plan for each of our lives. Before we were even born, God had intentionality in making every single person. It’s not our place to determine the value of anyone. From the unborn to the most aged, God values them and has a purpose for them. Let’s celebrate God’s work in even the “least” among us.

Question 5:

How can our group better help promote a culture of life?

PRECIOUS VALUE

Many fast-food chains offer a lower-priced “Value Menu.” Their idea of value means “cheaper.” God values us very differently than that. Think of five people at different stages of life. Create a description of each one that demonstrates how God values them and what we might value about them:

A Newborn Child:

A Teenager:

A Young Adult:

A Middle-Aged Adult:

A Senior Adult:

“You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.”

MAX LUCADO

LIVE IT OUT

God values life and we should too. Choose one of the following applications:

Confess. Ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal any areas where you have thought less of others due to physical, intellectual, age, or social differences. Confess this attitude to the Lord who is ready to forgive.

Encourage. Encourage those around you who face physical or mental challenges, feel insignificant because of their age, or are slighted by others because of race or social status. Tell them that God has fearfully and wonderfully made them. Whether through a note, email, or phone call, remind them that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.

Speak up. Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. This is especially needed in our culture that condones abortion, the killing of unborn children. Get involved by supporting a local pregnancy crisis center. Learn more at psalm139project.org.

Our omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God has skillfully made us. Let’s trust His care and plan for every creature He has created.

THIS CHILD, THESE CHILDREN

by Stephanie Rodda

I’m the mother of seven adopted children. My children and I don’t share the same skin color, and that in itself can cause many people to be curious. It’s understandable that people are intrigued and want to know more about our family. I think folks often conclude that there must be a great story involved. They’re certainly right about that.

THE WRONG THINGS TO SAY

Even the most well-intentioned people often don’t know how to ask about adoption or to discuss the subject of adoption without “saying the wrong thing.” As a newer adoptive momma, I will admit to having been offended at times by people. When my children were younger, it seemed every time that we were in public, someone would ask something uncomfortable. As time passed, I decided to try to educate those who seemed to have the right intentions but lacked the right words. Realizing my children were listening to how I responded, I took advantage of the opportunity to teach my children by answering properly.

Some remarks might unintentionally sting. Children in an adoptive family can be confused by questions from others that frankly make no sense to them. Careless comments or prying questions might have a negative impact on tender hearts. Here are a few examples of some comments and questions we were sometimes asked.

ARE THEY BROTHERS AND SISTERS?

This question usually comes after someone had discovered that yes, these are my children; no, they’re not foster children; yes, I have adopted them. They are mine. These children all belong to me. What the asker meant was, were they biologically or birth related? That isn’t a terrible thing to wonder about, but it is a rather personal thing to ask, especially of a stranger in a public place. The worst part of this particular question is that it was almost always asked in the presence of my children. When they were younger, I can remember the looks of confusion on their faces. Think for a moment how such a question would sound to an adopted child, a child who has been told that they are a part of a lovingly designed family. Whether the child has been a part of the family from infancy, or they joined the family at a later age, this question challenges their bond with siblings by indicating that there is a difference in the relationship if they share the same biological parents.

I usually answer, “Yes, of course they’re brothers and sisters. They’re all my children.” There are other times when a different answer is called for. It may be a person who actually knows our family, who is genuinely interested in us and cares for us asking the question. My answer for them is different. “What you mean is, are they related by birth or biologically?” By the way, in case you’re now wondering yourself, yes, some are.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN?

What the asker means is, did I birth any children? My answer varies according to whether I’m asked privately and by how well I know the person. I usually reinforce the concept that these seven are indeed my own. That’s the most important part of the answer. Let me tell you, we didn’t accidentally adopt a single one of them. And as a matter of fact, our hearts claimed them as our own long before we could do so legally. Some of our adoptions took years to complete. Yes! They are our own.

The better way to ask would be, “Do you have other children besides those you’ve adopted?” The answer to that question is yes. We fostered many children, and they hold a special place in our hearts. We also lost two children by miscarriage that we’re looking forward to being reunited with in eternity.

WHY DIDN’T THEIR MOMMA WANT THEM?

This question still raises my temperature a bit. I can’t answer for every situation, but I can answer for ours. That has simply not been the case in any of our experiences. I’ve never encountered a birth mother who didn’t want her child. I have met birth mothers who:

• realized they couldn’t properly care for their child.
• were caught up in lifestyles of addiction that warped their ability to put their child first.
• continued to make poor choices and lost their rights to their children.
• were incapable of taking care of themselves or a child.

But, in my experience, I’ve never seen a mother who just didn’t want her children. Perhaps they’re out there. If so, they’re the exception, not the rule.

THEY’RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU.

The reply to that comment is easy. We’re so blessed to have each other. What we need to avoid is the implication that we have rescued them. We have indeed claimed them as our own and labored in a different manner to make them ours. But we didn’t just feel sorry for them and take them out of pity. It is love that has forged our family.

When considering how to speak about adoption, it may be best to understand a bit about adoption culture. There are many types of adoptions: international, domestic, familial, foster, open, closed, and private adoptions. Adoption is diverse and most times involves a complicated array of factors and emotions.

Be aware of red flags before asking questions. Are you in public? Are the children within earshot? Are you crossing the lines of personal and private?

So, what can you say? How can you respond or express interest? What is a good way to give an encouraging word? Most adoptive parents are extremely proud of their children and are adoption proponents. Most of them will gladly share their journey (even with a stranger), will respond with grace even when you stumble into the conversation, and will encourage a healthy interest in adoption.

THE RIGHT THINGS TO SAY:

Here are some great things to say when meeting a family that has experienced adoption.

YOU HAVE A LOVELY FAMILY.

This opens the door for the parent to mention adoption if they so choose. I have often replied to such a comment when the time is right, “Thank you. We’re so thankful for the miracle of adoption.” That answer gives the commenting person their window to ask more. Other times I can only say thank you and move on due to the situation.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BABY!

You may really want to know if this is a foster child, an adoptive child, or a neighbor’s child. But honestly, you don’t need to know the details. It’s enough to know that this baby is in loving arms. Once again, the parent may offer an opportunity to ask more.

WE’RE CONSIDERING ADOPTION.

A parent might clarify their situation or start a conversation or simply say, “That’s wonderful!” They also might pause and fill your ears with a glimpse of their own journey. When it’s the right time, their eyes will twinkle with delight to do so as they speak about adoption.

Stephanie Rodda is a Birmingham-based freelance writer, wife, and adoptive mother of seven. She is a blogger, inspirational speaker, and devotional writer. 

Teacher's Notes:

Valued by God

We say we value life, but often our society places people into tiers based on whose lives offer more to the rest of society. Though our words say that every life is valuable, our actions — and inactions — speak volumes as the unborn, disabled, and elderly are devalued by society.

 

God values every life, and we should too.

 

 

Psalm 139:1-16

In this psalm, David writes amazing attributes of God. He’s not stating something he had been taught about God but what he knew by his own intimacy with God. When David wrote Psalm 139, he wanted to express his gratitude that God not only made him, but that God valued him.

 

Psalm 139:1-6

Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

 

What does God do to know us? How well does God know us? How does David respond to God’s vast knowledge of him?

 

 

Psalm 139:7-10

Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.

 

God is omnipresent – He is present everywhere.

 

Psalm 139:13-16

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

 

Sometimes we don’t let people get to know us completely because we are afraid, they will discover something about us that they won’t like. But God already knows everything about us, even to the number of hairs on our heads – Matt. 10:30. And still He accepts and loves us. God is with us through every situation, in every trial – protecting, loving, guiding. He knows and loves us completely.

 

God is omnipresent – He is present everywhere. Because this is so – you can never be lost to His Spirit. This is good news to those who know and love God, because no matter what we do or where we go, we can never be far from God’s comforting presence.

 

God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us.

 

God values each of us, He is with each of us, and He created us and has a plan for each of us.

 

 

Think of these different stages and circumstances of life. How does God value them and how should we value them:

Unborn Child   Disabled Child   Elderly Adult

 

Read: AS A BELIEVER IN CHRIST, you are not only chosen and adopted by God, but you are also VALUED by GOD. 

Remember this...

1.    You are valued by God because of who you are. You are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).

2.    You are valued by God because of what you cost. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

3.    You are valued by God because of your purpose. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). 

You were uniquely designed to bring glory to God, and He values each and every one of His children. You have unique gifts that God entrusted in you to make a difference in this world and influence others. 

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” – Matthew 6:26

 

 

Southern Baptists oust Rick Warren's Saddleback Church 

  

 

What does the Bible say about women pastors?

 

There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than that of women serving as pastors. As a result, it is important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as pastors and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not a matter of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.

 

The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13–14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, since pastoring definitely includes preaching, teaching publicly, and exercising spiritual authority.

 

There are many objections to this view of women in pastoral ministry. A common one is that Paul restricts women from teaching because in the first century, women were typically uneducated. However, 1 Timothy 2:11–14 nowhere mentions educational status. If education were a qualification for ministry, then the majority of Jesus’ disciples would not have been qualified. A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching men (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus). Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, and women were the authorities in that branch of paganism — therefore, the theory goes, Paul was only reacting against the female-led customs of the Ephesian idolaters, and the church needed to be different. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention the standard practice of Artemis worshipers as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11–12.

 

A third objection is that Paul is only referring to husbands and wives, not men and women in general. The Greek words for “woman” and “man” in 1 Timothy 2 could refer to husbands and wives; however, the basic meaning of the words is broader than that. Further, the same Greek words are used in verses 8–10. Are only husbands to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger and disputing (verse 8)? Are only wives to dress modestly, have good deeds, and worship God (verses 9–10)? Of course not. Verses 8–10 clearly refer to all men and women, not just husbands and wives. There is nothing in the context that would indicate a narrowing to husbands and wives in verses 11–14.

 

Yet another objection to this interpretation of women in pastoral ministry references women in positions of leadership in the Bible, specifically Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. It is true that these women were chosen by God for special service to Him and that they stand as models of faith, courage, and, yes, leadership. However, the authority of women in the Old Testament is not relevant to the issue of pastors in the church. The New Testament Epistles present a new paradigm for God’s people — the church, the body of Christ — and that paradigm involves an authority structure unique to the church, not for the nation of Israel or any other Old Testament entity.

 

Similar arguments are made using Priscilla and Phoebe in the New Testament. In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila are presented as faithful ministers for Christ. In verse 18, Priscilla’s name is mentioned first, suggesting to some that she was more prominent in ministry than her husband. (The detail of whose name comes first is probably inconsequential, because in verses 2 and 26 the order is reversed from that of verse 18.) Did Priscilla and her husband teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Apollos? Yes, in their home they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Does the Bible ever say that Priscilla pastored a church or taught publicly or became the spiritual leader of a congregation of saints? No. As far as we know, Priscilla was not involved in ministry activity in contradiction to 1 Timothy 2:11–14.

 

In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is called a “deacon” (or “servant”) in the church and is highly commended by Paul. But, as with Priscilla, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Phoebe was a pastor or a teacher of men in the church. “Able to teach” is given as a qualification for elders, but not for deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9).

 

The structure of 1 Timothy 2:11–14 makes the reason why women cannot be pastors perfectly clear. Verse 13 begins with “for,” giving the “cause” of Paul’s statement in verses 11–12. Why should women not teach or have authority over men? Because “Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived” (verses 13–14). God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a “helper” for Adam. The order of creation has universal application in the family (Ephesians 5:22–33) and in the church.

 

The fact that Eve was deceived is also given as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men (1 Timothy 2:14). This does not mean that women are gullible or that they are all more easily deceived than men. If all women are more easily deceived, why would they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? The text simply says that women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. God has chosen to give men the primary teaching authority in the church.

 

Many women excel in gifts of hospitality, mercy, teaching, evangelism, and helping/serving. Much of the ministry of the local church depends on women. Women in the church are not restricted from public praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5), only from having spiritual teaching authority over men. The Bible nowhere restricts women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Women, just as much as men, are called to minister to others, to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

 

God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This does not imply men are better teachers or that women are inferior or less intelligent. It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership — in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3–5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men. This bars women from serving as pastors to men. This does not make women less important, by any means; rather, it gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and gifts.

  

 

Conclusion

Consider what makes an item valuable. Some things may be valuable only because a society has deemed them so. Other things take on value because they are rare commodities. Even a common item may be deemed valuable because of who owns or owned it. Something may be valued highly because of its usefulness to achieve some goal or desire, or to meet a need.

 

What makes a person valuable? Our culture may apply some of the same criteria. Sadly, that opens the door to deciding that some people are not valuable. They are common, have no fame, and have nothing deemed unusual or worthy to offer.

 

In this session we have seen why the Lord looks at all people as valuable, as persons of worth. Every person is His creation, made for His purpose. Therefore, we are to value them as well, even those we may think have nothing to offer us.

What do you think the conclusion should be?

God values every life, and we should too.