The Ultimate Authority of When Life Begins
"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalms 139:13-16).
"But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly" (Psalms 22:9-10).
"Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?" (Job 31:15).
"Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen" (Isaiah 44:2).
"Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and
he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that
stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"
(Isaiah 44:24).
"Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath
called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my
name" (Isaiah 49:1).
"And now, saith the LORD that formed me
from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be
not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall
be my strength" (Isaiah 49:5).
"Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15).
Psalm 22 shows the beginning of our relationship starting before birth. In Psalm 139 the verses specifically show our relationship with God before birth as He formed us and had already planned our days to come. Jeremiah 1 again emphasizes God’s relationship with an unborn child and Isaiah 44 comforts with the picture of God’s faithfulness during the formation before birth. Luke 1:15 states that John would be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb.
Exodus 21:22-23 cites the punishment for causing a premature birth or the death of an unborn. "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life."
God's word is the ultimate authority and it plainly illustrates that God’s view of life begins before birth.