My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 71 is a psalm written by an aged saint, a man who had walked with the Lord through many trials and triumphs. Some think this psalm represents David’s thoughts as he approaches the grave, as he ages and finds his life coming to a close.

One thing that is obvious in this psalm, that whoever wrote this psalm had an intimate experience with the Word of God. I have heard the claim that in the 24 verses of this psalm, there are up to 25 references, allusions and hints of other psalms within this reflection of an old saint. He has saturated his life with the Word, to the point that even phrasing of the old book comes through this old man’s message.

It is truly a witness of the wisdom to engage in an early and consistent immersion into the Word of God for every saint.

Let’s take a moment to consider.

Psalm 71:4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
Psalm 71:5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Psalm 71:6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.

Our psalmist continues with his pleas in the next few verses of our psalm, specifically referring to the history he has with God. He opens this short portion of the psalm with a plea to rescue him from the wicked man, and then reminds the Lord of the trust he has had even from the womb.

As mentioned in an earlier post on this Psalm, the author is saturated in the Word, specifically the Psalms, and as we read Psalm 71, we find echoes of other Psalms in his writings. Verse 5 & 6 of Psalm 71 may be one of these echoes, for the same general thoughts are expressed in Psalm 22:9-11.

Psalm 22:9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
Psalm 22:10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Psalm 22:11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

Note that in chapter 71 the Psalmist speaks of God as the One he leaned from from before his birth.

verse 6 …I have leaned from before my birth

Even in the womb, (before his birth!) the Psalmist confesses to his utter dependence on God.

Which raises a question.

Was there a sense of consciousness in the womb? By that I mean, was the Psalmist self aware, was his personality developing even in the womb? Was he exercising a faith before he could breathe fresh air?

Though I have never met anyone who has a memory of this time in their lives, this does not remove the possibility. Personally, as my wife and I entered into our parenting life with the birth of our five children, we notice a definite difference with each little life as my wife carried them.

One little child was very passive, moved very little and when found a position of comfort, stayed there. One little child was not. That particular child moved and shoved and kicked and squirmed and poked and never gave up! That little child wanted to exercise his will! One little one impacted my wife in her diet, in ways that were different than the others.

Each acted somewhat differently in the womb, and in a way, their activity in the womb somewhat mimics their general personality. That one child that moved and shoved and kicked and squirmed and poked is a very very strong willed child. The one who seemed passive in the womb is the peacemaker, the passive one who seeks to find solutions to differences.

All of that to say, if personality of some type is present in the womb, does that imply a self consciousness, even a God consciousness?

I know of no Scripture that might prove this, other than a passage such as we are looking at that may hint at it. Nevertheless, to think that from the very inception of life that God has been present and known to be with us is a great comfort, for though we don’t recall the time of utter dependence, out Father was there, and possibly in a conscience relationship with us.

It is truly humbling to realize that the little that I do know of God and His creation is becoming increasingly less and less by the day. Realizing the many things we do not know has one effect (of many) on my thinking. My increasing ignorance of this glorious creation only elevates the One who knows all, who is full of wisdom and has provided such a great salvation for us to grow into.

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