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NASB | Psalm 115:3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. |
Bible Question:
Hi, I quote: Psalm139:16 ....All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." My question: Does this mean that we are living in this world like a robot[pre-programmed]without us realising it? fytrobert |
Bible Answer: fytrobert- based on your question concerning the single quoted verse and your user profile I believe the following might be helpful. Certainly the Scriptures can be understood rationally, but not always can we understand a single verse in a way that seems rational or that makes sense to us. Contextual reading/study is the key. Never take a verse by itself and try to make sense of it without considering how it fits with what is written immediately before and after. If your still unable to understand it you need to continue to consider context in terms of what the rest of Scripture says. In this case simply understanding that God is sovereign (as Doc pointed out) is enough to answer your question. The Scriptures declare that God is sovereign: Ps 103:19 (NASB) The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. And reading through both the OT and NT will clearly demonstrate what Ps 103:19 means. And nothing is written in Scripture that says or suggests that we are living as "pre-programmed" creatures with no personal will or responsibility; so we can rule that out easy enough. Go back and begin reading Psalm 139 again beginning at verse 1. What is David's message in that Psalm? You will see David's reverence for God as he acknowledges that God is omniscient (all-knowing) and how David is in awe of God's providence. You should also see that there is no indication from David that he views himself as being pre-programmed, without a will, and without personal responsibility. Hope this helps, Jeff |