GOD'S TATOO-ISAIAH 49:16 COMME�TARY

Edited by Glenn Pease

Editor's note: I have compiled comments from many sources, and I

quote many authors. If any of them does not wish their insights to be

shared in this way, they can let me know, and I will delete their

contribution to this commentary. My email is gdpease1@gmail.com

�ew International Version (©1984)

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever

before me.

�ew Living Translation (©2007)

See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my

mind is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins.

English Standard Version (©2001)

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are

continually before me.

�ew American Standard Bible (©1995)

"Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls

are continually before Me.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are

continually before me.

1. BAR�ES, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands -

This is another argument in answer to the complaint of Zion in Isa_

49:14. There have been various interpretations of this passage. Grotius

supposes that it refers to a custom of placing some mark or sign on the

hand, or on one of the fingers when they wished to remember anything,

and appeals to Exo_13:9. Lowth supposes that it is an allusion to some

practice common among the Jews at that time, of making marks on

their hands or arms by means of punctures in the skin with some sign

or representation of the city or temple, to show their zeal and affection

for it. In illustration of this, he refers to the fact that the pilgrims to the

Holy Sepulchre are accustomed to get themselves marked in this

manner with what are called the signs of Jerusalem. Vitringa supposes

that it alludes to the custom of architects, in which they delineate the

size, form, and proportions of an edifice on parchment, before they

commence building it - such as we mean by the draft or model of the

building; and that the sense here is, that God, in like manner, had

delineated or drawn Jerusalem on his hands long before it was founded,

and had it constantly before his eyes. According to this, the idea is, that

God had laid out the plan of Jerusalem long before it was built, and

that it was so dear to him that he had even engraven it on his hands.

Others have supposed that it refers to a device on a signet, or on a ring

worn on the finger or the wrist, and that the plan of Jerusalem was

drawn and engraven there. To me, it seems that the view of Lowth is

most accordant with probability, and is best, sustained by the Oriental

customs. The essential idea is, that Zion was dear to his heart; and that

he had sketched or delineated it as an object in which he felt a deep

interest - so deep as even to delineate its outlines on the palms of his

bands, where it would be constantly before him.

Thy walls - The meaning is, that he constantly looked upon them; that

he never forgot them. He had a constant and sacred regard for his

people, and amidst all their disasters and trials, still remembered them.

2. GILL, "�ot upon his thick clouds, the clouds of heaven under him,

always in view, as R. Saadiah Gaon, mentioned by Jarchi, Aben Ezra,

and Kimchi: much better the Targum,

"lo, as upon the hands thou art engraven before me;''

signifying that his people were always in his sight, his eyes were ever

upon them, and never withdrawn from them; as anything held in the

hand, or tied to or wore upon it, as a signet or ring that has the name of

a person on it, to which the allusion may be; which shows how near and

dear they are to him, what affection he has for them, and care of them;

see Son_8:6. Some think respect is had to the wounds in the hands of

Christ, which, being on their account, are looked upon and remembered

by him; or, however, to their being in his hands, out of which none can

pluck them, Joh_10:28,

thy walls are continually before me; not the walls of Jerusalem to

rebuild, though there may be an allusion to them; but either the walls of

their houses where they dwell; his delights being in the habitable parts

of his earth, where his saints are; or rather the walls of the church of

God, for the erecting and establishing of which he is concerned. The

metaphor seems to be taken from an architect that has the plan of a

building, a house, or a city and its walls, in his hand, or lying before

him. The phrase denotes the constant care and concern of Jehovah for

the protection and safety of his church and people; who places angels

about them, salvation for walls and bulwarks to them, yea, he himself is

a wall of fire about them, Isa_26:1.

3. K & D, "The picture of Zion (not merely the name, as Isa_49:16

clearly shows) is drawn in the inside of Jehovah's hands, just as men

are accustomed to burn or puncture ornamental figures and mementoes

upon the hand, the arm, and the forehead, and to colour the punctures

with alhenna or indigo (see Tafel, xii., in vol. ii. pp. 33-35 of Lane's

Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians). There is the figure of

Zion, unapproachable to every creature, as close to Him as He is to

Himself, and facing Him amidst all the emotions of His divine life.

There has He the walls of Zion constantly before Him (on neged, see at

Isa_1:15; Isa_24:23); and even if for a time they are broken down here

below, with Him they have an eternal ideal existence, which must be

realized again and again in an increasingly glorious form."

4. HE�RY, "This does not allude to the foolish art of palmistry, which

imagines every man's fate to be engraved in the palms of his hands and

to be legible in the lines there, but to the custom of those who tie a

string upon their hands or fingers to put them in mind of things which

they are afraid they shall forget, or to the wearing of signet or locket-

rings in remembrance of some dear friend. His setting them thus as a

seal upon his arm denotes his setting them as a seal upon his heart, and

his being ever mindful of them and their interests, Son_8:6. If we bind

God's law as a sign upon our hand (Deu_6:8, Deu_6:11, Deu_6:18), he

will engrave our interests as a sign on his hand, and will look upon that

and remember the covenant. He adds, “Thy walls shall be continually

before me; thy ruined walls, though no pleasing spectacle, shall be in my

thoughts of compassion.” Do Zions' friends favour her dust? Psa_

102:14. So does her God. Or, “The plan and model of thy walls, that are

to be rebuilt, is before me, and they shall certainly be built according to

it.” Or, “Thy walls (that is, thy safety) are my continual care; so are the

watchmen on thy walls.” Some apply his engraving his church on the

palms of his hands to the wounds in Christ's hands when he was

crucified; he will look on the marks of them, and remember those for

whom he suffered and died.

5. Allen Brummel, When we love someone, we have an image of the

loved one that we keep close to us. God has your image with Him

continually. Your image is graven upon the palms of His hands. God

has placed an image of you as close to Himself as possible- on the palms

of His hands. On the palms of His hands it is always close to Him and

always before His face. He can not loose sight of you. You are always

before His eyes.

What is the image that God constantly has before His eyes? It is an

exact portrait of you and me in Jesus Christ. Thankfully, it is not a

picture of what we are by nature- a murderer, adulterer, thief, liar. It is

a picture of you covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. The image is a

perfect image inscribed on the palms of His hands reflecting who you

are by grace! It is an image of your perfection in Jesus Christ. The

inscription on the palms of God is a picture of your holiness and

righteousness in Jesus, your Redeemer. You are the perfection of

beauty as you are engraven on God's hands. This image is the image of

Zion that is eternally determined in Christ. God sees us eternally in

Jesus Christ. That is the image graven upon the palms of His hands.

That we are engraven is significant. We are so permanently etched that

the image can never be erased or blotted out. �othing can separate us

from Jehovah God. Our pictures and images will last a while, but

eventually they are outdated or no longer available. God decrees and

ordains His people in such a way that their image in Christ is

permanently graven upon His palms. He loves them and they are the

objects of His affection. He loves them with an unchanging and eternal

love. So deeply are we graven, that we are eternally chosen in God's

love to be the perfect image of Jesus Christ. We are eternally secure!

The �ew Testament sets forth the same teaching in John 10:28,29:

"�either shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which

gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out

of my Father's hand."

The second analogy that God uses is that expressed in the last part of

verse 16: "Thy walls are continually before me." The term walls is used

here as a memorial that continually reminds God of His Zion. Although

the forces of unbelief, indifference, and ignorance attempt to overthrow

the church, yet God is with her, for she is ever before His eyes. God

wants to see His Zion continually as a memorial of His grace and glory.

In Zion He sees the love of His only Begotten Son. In Zion He sees His

praise and glory, and His handiwork. In you, God sees His glory and

grace. You are an abiding memorial to the grace and glory of God. God

has set His angels around us to preserve and keep us as His memorial.

What a glorious confession God has given to you and me! A confession

that we can truly rejoice and be glad in! This is the greatest confession

and most comforting confession that a person can make. Can you make

it your own? This is the only confession that can give us true comfort

and consolation as we live our life here below. It is not much comfort to

merely know that the present night of darkness will pass. It may give us

some temporary relief, but no ease from the present struggles we face.

But, what a comfort to know that the faithful covenant Jehovah holds

us in the hollow of His hands, and that He beholds us as precious in His

sight!

5B. STEVE HOLLAWAY, The rest of verse 16 says “Your walls are continually before

me,” which I understand to mean that when I look at my hand I see a picture of Zion. I see a picture

of Jerusalem and her walls engraved there. You remember that when God is saying this Jerusalem

had been destroyed. There were no walls. They were gone. The walls of Jerusalem were just a

memory or a dream. But God says “I have not forgotten them, and I still see them because my plan is

to rebuild them.”

When God looks at us, he sees what is, but he also sees his plan. He sees what once was

and is gone, but he also sees what can yet be. When you cry out to God as a motherless child,

from a place of abandonment, feeling that you have been forgotten, that life has just gone on

without you and there is no way you are ever going to get your life back, God says, “I have not

forgotten you. I cannot forget you. And I see before me every day the person that you can be,

even now. Your rebuilt life is continually before me.”

We are not motherless children, and we are not forgotten. After the terrible earthquakes

in Sichuan province three years ago, the Xinhua news agency posted a photo of a soldier gently

cradling a round-cheeked tiny infant, about three weeks old. In the picture the baby is sleeping

peacefully, without a scratch, wearing a quilted green vest and wrapped in a blanket. The story

said that the baby was found in the wreckage of a building, under the body of her mother, who

did not survive. The mother was kneeling over the baby to protect her. Inside the baby‟s blanket,

the rescue workers found a cell phone. The mother had typed a text message on the screen, “My

dear, if you survive, please remember I love you.” That is the message that God has been sending

his people through the centuries. It‟s the message that he sent most clearly when Jesus gave his

life to protect us: “Please remember I love you.”

6. Matthew McDonald, "�otice if you will the word “engraved”, it is an

eternal reminder, not written, but engraved. The Hebrew word is

haqaq, meaning to mark out, inscribe, portrayed. Portrayed means a

representation of something, or in other words a picture, a picture of

you and me engraved on the hands of the LORD.

I have lost count of the number of times I have looked at my hands

today. Even in my time of worship, my hands were open before the

Lord, with my palms facing upward. Take a wedding ring on someone’s

finger, for example, whenever they glance down at it, it is a constant

reminder that they are married to someone. If their love is true, they

will always think of the one they are married to when they see their

wedding ring. However, it is only a temporary token, but to someone

engraved on the palm of the LORD’s hands is eternal.

Can you see Jesus before the throne of God with His hands open in

prayer, saying to the God of all the ages, “Look at this one engraved on

my palm, look at this picture of them portrayed on my palms. I love

them, and I am praying to you ABBA Father for them, keep them safe,

and bless them. Heal them, prosper them, let them know Your bountiful

abundance.”

Your walls are ever before me.

In the time in which this was written, walls were used as writing tablets

to record the chronological detail of someone’s life, and to display a

person’s life achievements, identifying who they were and what they

did, including if they had a family, or what kind of possessions they

owned. This amazing verse highlights how interested the LORD is in

every detail of our lives. �ot only are we engraved upon the palms of

His hands, but our lives, “the wall of our life” is before Him.

My friend, the LORD will never let go of you. Your name is engraved

on the palms of His hands and the wall of your life is ever before Him.

He loves you and is constantly praying for you and thinking of you.

Listen to tender words of love from Psalm 139:17 (�IV), “How precious

to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” The

Lord loves you, and He has you engraved on the palms of His hands,

your walls are ever before Him. �othing is hidden from the Lord, yet he

still loves you with an everlasting love.

7.THE AGORA BIBLE COMME�TARY, "PALMS OF MY HA�DS:

A slave is tattooed on his hand with his master's mark (cp Rev 13:16;

Exo 13:9; Isa 44:5). Thus, in this figure, God makes himself the "slave"

of Israel. By contrast, the ten commandments were engraved in stone --

2Co 3:7 -- which could be smashed -- and it was. But God's hands can

never come to any harm, and on them our names are written... forever!

And then there are the hands of God's SO�! "Then he said to Thomas...

'See my hands' " (John 20:27).

An orphaned boy was living with his grandmother when their house

caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy,

perished in the flames. The boy's cries for help were finally answered

by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the

boy hanging tightly to his neck.

Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would

receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town's

wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to

give the boy a home. But as they talked, the lad's eyes remained focused

on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his

hands from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd

gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had

saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe.

With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man's neck and held on

for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and

his rescuer alone. Those marred hands had settled the issue.

Many voices are calling for our attention. Among them is the One

whose nail-pierced hands remind us that He has rescued us from sin

and its deadly consequences. To him belongs our love and devotion."

8. Unknown author, "This is a promise of restoration to the Israelites

after their captivity. He was saying that for him to forget them was

impossible, just as if their names were engraved on his hands, so that he

would see them all the time before him."

9. COFFMA�'S COMME�TARY, "The custom of pagan worshippers

of tatooing the name or symbol of their heathen god upon their bodies

might have suggested this statement; but it was a far greater reality for

God to engrave the names of his children upon the palms of his hands.

The vast difference between the heathen ethnic religions, and the true

religion appears in the fact that in pagan worship, it was the

worshipper who was engraved; but here it is God who engraves

himself! The so-called studies in Comparative Religions never seem to

catch on to this point. In the pagan religions, it was always man who

made the sacrifice; the fairest maiden was bound over to the dragon,

and the boldest warrior went out to give his life for the people. A man,

such as Prometheus, was bound to the rock forever in order to procure

fire for the people; but in Christianity, God himself, in the person of His

Son Jesus Christ, makes the supreme sacrifice and dies upon the Cross

for the sins of the world."

10. REV. MICHAEL HELWIG, "We may forget, but the Lord does not

forget or neglect us. How could he forget us! His hands formed the

entire world. His hands created Adam and Eve. His hands brought us

from our mother’s womb and safely into her arms. His hands gave us

life and purpose to serve him with our hands. His hands were pierced

for our transgressions. His hands were touched by Thomas to validate

his resurrection from the grave. The blood that flowed from those

hands cleansed our hearts of all sins, including our sins of neglect and

omission. The living hands of Jesus our Lord reveal those scars to this

very day. He cannot forget the price he paid for us. Those scars can

never be removed from his memory.

Those same hands have your names etched into them forever. He has

never forsaken or forgotten you. In fact the risen Lord reminded John

in the Revelation that he holds the entire kingdom of believers in the

palms of his hands and he will never let them go. His love for you is

permanent – even more permanent than a mother who tattoos the

names of her children on her skin, the Lord has engraved your name on

his hands. Think of how often you see your hands each day. Know that

each time your Lord looks at his hands he sees your name written there.

Your name will never be erased from his memory.

Those Hands Have Protected Your Life

“Your walls are ever before me … lift up your eyes and look around

you.”

Isaiah’s prophecy was a message that was encased in warnings. The

LORD’s people had neglected his covenant. They had fallen into

idolatry, worldly attitudes, and sinful conflicts with each other. The

LORD sent Isaiah to tell them that things were about to change. They

were going to see and hear things they did not want to see and hear.

They would witness the loss of their homes, the destruction of

Jerusalem and the Temple, and their captivity to foreigners. They

would be tempted to think that the Lord forgot them and that he was no

longer acting in their best interest. He wanted them to know that he

was.

The LORD said, “Look around you.” He wanted them to recall

the historical track record of his protecting hands. His presence always

surrounded them, whether they were living in tents, in slavery, in

deserts, or in houses built by human hands, he had not forget them. He

was holding them in the palms of his hands the whole time. He was

carrying out a plan that was completely in their best interest. That plan

had the primary purpose of destroying the devil’s work and to rescuing

his people from sin.

The LORD says, “Look around you.” You are safely surrounded by the

palms of his hands. You will see and hear things you don’t want to see

and hear. Even then the LORD is acting in your best interest. He is

carrying out his divine plans for your lives. As the LORD remembered

to bring the remnant back to Jerusalem, he has not forgotten you. He

knows exactly what he is doing and how he going to use even the

darkest of situations for your benefit."

11. HA��AH KEELEY, "I remember one day when Kenna, who was

four at the time, came up to me while I was working at my desk and

handed me a pen. “Can you write ‘Mommy” on my hand?” she asked.

“Sure I can!” I replied. “But why do you want me to write my name on

your hand?”

Without hesitation, she said, “Because I’m going outside to play and I

don’t want to forget about you.”

I took her hand, opened those fingers that were still holding on to that

last bit of baby fat, and wrote on the palm of her hand, “MOMMY.”

“There!” I told her. “You will never forget about me.”

Then I took the same pen and wrote “KE��A” on the palm of my

hand. I held it up to her.

“And I’m never going to forget about you!” I promised.

Sometimes in life you feel forgotten. You keep bumping your head up

against those same walls, chasing shadows down the same dead ends,

and you wonder if anyone, anywhere, even cares. It can feel so dark and

alone there. You look around and feel as if everyone else is getting the

big breaks and moving ahead. Meanwhile, there you are—forgotten.

A long time ago, Israel had felt as if God had forgotten all about them.

Everyone around them is getting blessed left and right, but not them.

Everyone’s getting ahead, while they are left behind. When they cried

out, “The Lord has forgotten us!,” Isaiah gave them these words from

God: “�ever! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no

love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would

not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my

hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16.

Even when you feel completely deserted, God has not forgotten. We

experience pain for several reasons—maybe we have pulled away from

God and are out of His will, or perhaps that pain is building our

character and pushing us to become better people. God sees the pain

and He feels the hurt. Scripture tells us that every single tear we shed is

counted and collected. He cares so much; and He has not forgotten.

Your name is written on the palms of His hands. He’s waiting on you to

step out of that rut and step forward in faith. See, God is always up to

something. He has got greatness in store for you; and He wants to lead

you to a life that is overflowing with abundance and joy. But, you’ve got

to take that first step, and you do this by lifting your heart in praise—

praising God for no other reason than for being God.

It’s easy to praise God when everything’s going well, but not so easy

when you feel down and deserted. But when you begin to praise God,

something miraculous happens. Praise is an act of taking your eyes off

of yourself and putting them on God. And God responds! Mama, this

will turn your life around! Don’t wait around begging to be “found” by

God. He hasn’t abandoned you. He’s right there. Lift your voice in

praise to Him and watch Him push you ahead, far beyond anything you

could do on your own. Sing a song to Him. Pray a prayer of

thanksgiving. Quit looking at what’s wrong and start voicing all the

things that are right about your life. Those hands of His are waiting to

lift you up and push you forward—those same hands that carry your

name.

12. "Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not."

- C.S. Lewis

13. CREATIO�S BY CI�DY, "We've been engraved by the same hand

that carved the Tablets of the Law for Moses.

I wonder ... how many names are engraved across God's magnificent

palm?

�otice the singular palm.

The sheer vastness.

Of Him.

Of His love.

Of His pain.

Engraving leaves scars. Carving deep. Altering forever.

�o worldly trophy compares to having our names engraved on the very

palm of God Almighty.

Engravings made possible by the lashes and gashes on Jesus' body. And

that Friday we call Good because of them.

Yet there we are. Permanently carved in the ink of His Son's blood.

Etched.

Engraved.

Remembered.

So very loved.

Do you want a vivid reminder that you occupy God's thoughts?

Write Isaiah 49:16 on your palm.

But in place of the word "you" write your name instead.

Take it slow.

When you're finished, hold your hand up and gaze at those words.

In your mind's eye, can you picture your name written on His palm?

Would it be scribed in Hebrew? Aramaic? A language only God

recognizes?

The names engraved there are too numerous to count.

But God sees your name.

Every. Single. Day.

I wonder ... one day will He allow me to run my fingers over my name

carved there? A more intimate moment I cannot imagine.

Because God is love.

14. BILL VERSTEEG, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my

hands;

�ow there is one more word that I have not focused on as I have talked

about this text. That is the first word: "SEE." That first word has

profound significance because it is repeated for us in the gospels in a

similar context, maybe you in your mind are already making the

connection.

Scriptures picture creation as God toying with his infinite power and

knowledge. Scriptures picture redemption, the death of Christ on the

cross, as God "going all out" in desperately hard work, giving his all

for the ones he loves. He died on the cross, last Sunday we celebrated

that he arose again, and then he appeared to his disciples. In both Luke

and John, when Jesus first appears to his disciples, do you remember

what he said? He says take a look! "See my hands."

To Thomas he said "Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out

your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!

On this first Sunday after Easter, he is saying to us to...

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; I cannot forget

you... stop doubting and believe!."

15. BLOGGER JULIE, "If we take this picture and project it onto the

cross we see that our name on the palms of his hands is where the nails

were driven in to fasten Him to the cross. It was our name that

condemned Him and in His agape love, He took our deserved

punishment upon Himself.

�ow, not only is your name written on His palms but the scar signifying

your forgiveness is imprinted over your name. Every time God looks at

your name on His palm He also sees that the price for your forgiveness

has been paid !!

I never tire of the words of that well known hymn,

"The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell

It goes beyond the highest star

And reaches to the lowest hell

The guilty pair, bowed down with care

God gave His Son to win

His erring child He reconciled

And pardoned from his sin

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

�or could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints' and angels' song.

An interesting note – The hymn was writen by Fredrich M. Lehman in

1917 , but the beautiful word picture in middle section that I never tire

of singing – about the love of God being writen across the parchment of

the sky with the ocean ink - was taken from a long Jewish poem called

“Hadamut” writen in 1096 by Rabbi Mayer, in the Aramaic language.

16. Stephanie Voiland, "I've always been in awe of people who have the

guts to get a tattoo. It's not their physical bravery or social courage that

impresses me so much as the permanence of their decision. Maybe at

the time you really like Mickey Mouse, but what if you outgrow your

Disney phase in a few years? Or what if things don't work out with

Billy or Johnny?

I think it's this idea of permanence that makes Isaiah 49:16 so

appealing: "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."

Did you catch that? God has a tattoo. And it has your name on it. With

full knowledge of what he was getting himself into, God made a decision

to love us. That decision wasn't a temporary commitment—his love

won't stop if someone better comes along. And it wasn't a conditional

commitment—his love isn't based on what we can contribute to the

relationship. It's a forever promise, a "not even death can part us"

promise.

God knows we have this need. He understands our short memory and

our desire for tangible proof. So not only does he tell us over and over

in Scripture how crazy he is about us, he went so far as to engrave our

names on the palms of his hands. If there ever was a doubt of his love,

God's tattoo settles it now and forever. We belong to him. Permanently.

Uncon-ditionally. "It is he who made us, and we are his" (Psalm

100:3)."

17. JOH� FISCHER, "God’s tattoos

Posted on April 3, 2012 by jwfisch

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:16)

�ot in the sky, because the sky is too high

�ot in the clouds, because the clouds can’t hold you

�ot on a stone, for a stone is too cold

�ot on silver or gold, lest anyone think you could be sold

�ot in a book, because a book could be lost

But on the palms of my hands

On the flesh

Where you can’t be lost, sold or forgotten

On the flesh

Where I see you all the time

On the flesh

Where the pain was measured out in love

On the flesh

In the warm, permanent skin of my Son

There you are…

Eternally

Indelibly

Part of me

Engraved

Cut into

At great cost

Scarred forever

As my tattoo

18. Lou Rossetti, "Would you believe that the tattoo industry is the 6th

fastest growing industry in the United States today? Current statistics

point out that 36% of adults between 18-25 years of age; and 40%

between 26-40 years of age have at least one tattoo. In 2008, the

American Academy of Dermatology reported that roughly one quarter

of the American population has at least one tattoo. Yes indeed, tattooing

is big business.

In that light, are you surprised to learn that God has a tattoo?

According to Isaiah, God has your name and mine engraved on the

palm of his hand. The word “engraved” means to inscribe or to mark

out. God has the names of his children marked out and inscribed on His

palm.

How many of you have written a phone number on your palm? We do

that so we won’t forget. Well, although it’s impossible for God to forget

anything, I derive great comfort from knowing that He cares about me

so much that my name is written on His palm."

19. Spurgeon, "�o doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in

the word "Behold," is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the

preceding sentence. Zion said, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my

God hath forgotten me." How amazed the divine mind seems to be at

this wicked unbelief! What can be more astounding than the unfounded

doubts and fears of God's favoured people? The Lord's loving word of

rebuke should make us blush; He cries, "How can I have forgotten thee,

when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands? How darest thou

doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon my

very flesh?" O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not

which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His

people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial

makes us doubt Him. He never faileth; He is never a dry well; He is

never as a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet

we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions,

and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert.

"Behold," is a word intended to excite admiration. Here, indeed, we

have a theme for marvelling. Heaven and earth may well be astonished

that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love

as to be written upon the palms of His hands. "I have graven thee."It

does not say, "Thy name." The name is there, but that is not all: "I

have graven thee." See the fulness of this! I have graven thy person,

thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy

weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about

thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou

ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven

thee upon His own palms?"

20. Unknown author, "I remember a man that I cared for when I was a

hospice chaplain. He had two grandchildren who were visiting whom

he loved immensely. His brain would not hold onto their names. So

many names were slipping way from him. He did not want to lose his

grandchildren’s names. He wrote them each day on the palm of his

hand. He explained that he did this because he loved them so much.

Even while talking to me, he would look down and read their names.

When they entered the room, he would greet them by name and give

them hugs. They would happily receive the hugs before climbing down

to continue their busy play activities.

I wonder if he knew this scripture?"

21. PASTOR PETERS, "God cannot forget His children and He has the

scars to prove it. He has engraved us by name on the palm of His hand.

�ow what do you suppose our Lord is talking about here? Could the

engraving be the mark of the nails, the imprint of Calvary, and the

wounds of the cross? Remember Thomas who did not believe Christ

was risen and who insisted upon seeing the holes in Jesus' hand and the

wound in His side? These marks do not heal and fade. They are the

permanent marks of love, the eternal engraving of your names and

mine upon the hands of our Savior. This is what love has done and

what forgiveness He has won. Looking into the mirror of our sin we

can often despair but looking into the wounds of Christ we find only

love strong enough to forgive us and hope that endures to everlasting

life. God cannot forget this."

22. I WILL �EVER FORGET YOU (Isaiah 49: 14-16)

I will never forget you,

My people

I have carved you

on the palm of My hand

I will never forget you

I will not leave you orphan

I will never forget My own

Does a mother forget her baby,

or a woman the child

within her womb?

Yet even if these forget,

yes even if these forget,

I will never forget My own

I will never forget you,

My people

I have carved you

on the palm of My hand

I will never forget you

I will not leave you orphan

I will never forget you,

My people

I have carved you

on the palm of My hand

I will never forget you

I will not leave you orphan

I will never forget My own

maria sudibyo

23. Footprints in the Sand

by Mark Hargrave

Based on: Footprints Poem and Isaiah 49:15-16, Deut. 31:6

Verse 1:

One night I dreamed of walking along the shores of different lands.

I could tell that You were with me by the footprints in the sand.

As I gazed upon the heavens, I saw pages of my life.

It was then I realized that You remained there by my side.

I looked to only find one set of footprints on the ground.

I said, "Lord, why did You leave me in the troubled times of life?

I believed that You would always walk beside me day and night."

(Then I heard:)

Refrain 1:

"My precious child, I'd never leave you.

I have carved you on the hollow of My hand

It's then I carried you in My arms,

When you see one set of footprints in the sand"

Verse 2:

Dear Lord, will You be with me as I travel through the years?

Will You be there in the struggles? Will You wipe away the tears?

As my eyes turn toward the ocean and the shores of distant lands,

I'm still thinking of the single set of footprints in the sand. (I heard

Him say:)

Refrain 2:

"My precious child, I'd never leave you.

I have carved you on the hollow of My hand.

It's then I carried you in My arms,

When you see one set of footprints in the sand."

Verse 3:

Will I hear the angels singing, as my life comes to an end.

Oh Lord, I long to see You. Will You be there once again?

My eyes turn toward the heavens, along the path of foreign lands,

Once more, I'm thinking of the set of footprints in the sand. (Jesus

said:)

Refrain 3:

"My precious child, I'd never leave you.

See your name carved on the hollow of My hand.

I'm here to carry you to your home.

You will see one set of footprints in the sand.

...You will see My set of footprints in the sand."

© 2002 Contemplative Music/BMI

Mark Hargrave (985)646-0673

Permission is granted to use and reproduce this arrangement so long as

credit is duly given.

24. CALVI�, "Behold, on the palms of my hands. By another com-

parison he describes that inconceivable carefulness which the

Lord exercises toward us. It is a common proverb, that

" we have it on our fingers' ends,' when we have anything

fully and deeply fixed on our memory. And Moses when he

recommends constant meditation on the Law, says, " Thou

shalt bind them for a sign on thy hand,' that is, that they

should always have the commandments of God placed before

their eyes. (Deut. vi. 8.) He now makes use of the same

comparison ; as if he had said, " I cannot look at my hands

without beholding thee in them ; I carry thee engraved on

my heart, so that no forgetfulness can efface thee ; in a word,

I cannot forget thee without forgetting myself." True, in-

deed, God has neither hands nor bodily shape ; but Scripture

accommodates itself to our weak capacity so as to expres:

the strength of God's love toward us."

25. SPURGEO�, "This assurance is the Lord’s answer to

Zion’s lament, “Jehovah has forsaken me, and my Lord has

forgotten me.” So

take it from God’s own mouth and never doubt it! God’s

remembrance of His people as a whole and of each individual

in

particular, has been secured by Him beyond all question.

“That we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for

refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us,” He has said to

each of us, “‘I have engraved you upon the palms of My

hands.’ I have done it and I have done that which will render it

utterly impossible that I should ever forget one of My

people. I the Lord have committed Myself to something which

will henceforth render it absolutely certain that I never

can forget My own, for, ‘I have engraved you upon the palms

of My hands.’”

These words seem to say to us that God has already secured,

beyond any possible doubt, His tender memory towards

all His own. He has done this in such a way that forgetfulness

can never occur at any moment whatever. The memorial is

not set up in Heaven, for then you might conceive that God

could descend and leave that memorial. It is not set up in any

great public place in the universe, nor is it engraved in a signet

ring upon God’s finger, for that might be taken off. It is

not written upon the Almighty’s clothes—to speak after the

manner of men—for He might disrobe Himself for conflict.

But He has put the token of His love where it cannot be laid

aside—on the palms of His hands. A man cannot leave his

hands at home. If he has put something, by way of memorial,

upon the walls of his house or the gates of his home, he may

go away and forget it. Or if, as I have said, he shall write the

memorial upon some precious diamond, or topaz, or other

jewels which he wears, yet he might lay them aside. But God

says, “I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands,” so

that the memorial is constantly with Him! Yes, it is in God,

Himself, that the memorial of His people is fixed.

I suppose the allusion is to an Oriental custom, possibly not

very common, but still common enough to have survived

to this day. Mr. John Anderson, the pastor of the Presbyterian

Church at Helensburgh, who was a very dear friend of

mine, told me that on one or two occasions, he had seen, in the

East, men who had the portraits of their friends, and others

who had the initials of their friends, on the palms of their

hands. I said to him, “But I suppose that, in time, they

would wash off or wear out.” “�o,” he said, “they were

tattooed too deeply in to be removed, so that, whenever they

opened their hand, there were the familiar initials, or some

resemblance to the features of the beloved one, to keep him

always in remembrance.” And the Lord here adopts that

ancient custom and says, “I cannot forget you. It is impossible

for Me to do so, for I have engraved you where the memorial

can never be apart from Myself. ‘I have engraved you upon

the palms of My hands.’”

26. Touched by God's Tattoo By D. Leon Pippin

"Waiting in line to check out at a grocery store recently, I noticed a

skull and crossbones tattoo on the upper left arm of the man in front of

me. His tattoo reminded me of when my oldest brother came home on

furlough from the navy with a tattoo of a hula girl on his upper left

arm. I was 12-years-old and I asked him why he got that thing anyway.

He laughingly said, “Every time I flex my biceps, I remember how

much I miss Hawaii.”

Since I’ve always been interested in the reason an individual gets a

tattoo, I asked the man about his. He pointed to the skull and

crossbones and said, “This identified me with my gang when I was in

prison.” He snickered a little and added, “I’ll always remember my

behind-bars buddies.”

A biker behind me pulled up his T shirt to show a rose tattooed on his

chest. “It was my old lady’s favorite flower,” he said. He got quiet,

rubbed over the rose, and slightly mumbled, “She’s dead now, but I’ll

never forget her.”

Listening nearby, an elderly gentleman began rubbing the number

tattooed on his arm and said, “I won’t forget Auschwitz.”

“Grandpa,” his grandson asked, “Do you want to forget?”

“�ever! And I want your generation to remember also.”

The prophet Isaiah probably had the same idea when he wrote:

“I [God] will never forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of

my hands.” (Isaiah 49:15, 16a)

According to John MacArthur, he was alluding to the Jewish custom,

possibly drawn from Exodus 13:9, of puncturing their hands with a

symbol of their city and temple to reassure Israel that God had

promised never to forget his people.

Tattooing is becoming more prevalent in our American culture. A

recent study reported that about 36% of Americans ages 18-29 have at

least one tattoo, and they enjoy talking about them.

Last week, I was being helped at a pharmacy by a young lady who had

tattoos running from her right shoulder down to her fingertips. I

commented, “You sure must like tattoos.”

She replied, “My tattoos remind me of who I am.”

A man behind me said, “I’m into tattooing myself. I’m a father. See this

heart with two names in it,” pointing to the top of his right hand.

“Every time I look at that heart, it reminds me how much I love my

twin boys.”

A young man in line chimed in, “I’ve got ’em all over my body. I get a

tattoo every time there’s a new thing to remember.”

Remember. That’s the word all these tattoos are painted around. All of

these individuals wanted visual reminders to remember.

When I see these tattoos that are making all kinds of statements, I am

reminded that God’s tattoo is also making a statement: “See, I have

engraved you on the palms of my hands so that I will never forget you.”

God remembers all the names of the stars he’s created, and he’s

reassuring us that he remembers all of our names by reminding us

where our names are ... in the palms of his hands."

27. ALA� CARR, " There is an old song that seems to capture the

essence of what these verses are trying to teach us. The song is

“Unforgettable” by �at King Cole. That old song contains these lyrics:

Unforgettable, that’s what you are

Unforgettable though near or far

Like a song of love that clings to me

How the thought of you

does things to me

�ever before has

someone been more

Unforgettable in every way

And forever more,

that’s how you’ll stay

That why, darling, it’s incredible

That someone so unforgettable

Thinks that I am unforgettable too.

That song came to my mind as I read these verses. This passage

reminds us that God’s people are “unforgettable” to Him. In these

verses, God gives His people some very precious reasons for hope. He

lets them know that He has not abandoned them and He cannot forget

about them."

28. DR. S. LEWIS JOH�SO�, "I noticed that expression, "I have

tattooed your name upon my palm" and I had intended when I came to

that section to point out the fact that, we could speak of God as our

tattooed God, the reason being that the expression that is used is a

reflection of ancient Oriental custom. They like to tattoo in their hands

various things that they like, just as our sailors, like the tattoo, various

things on their bodies and arms and others too. And it in a reference to

that custom and of course, the idea is that God tattoos us upon his

hands. And so, we could speak of him as our tattooed God."

29. ALEXA�DER MACLARE�, "The palm of the hand is the seat of

strength, the instrument of work; and so, if Zion’s name is written

there, that means not only remembrance, but remembrance which is at

the helm, as it were, which is moulding and directing all the work that

is done by the hand that bears the name inscribed upon it. The thought

is identical with the one which is suggested by part of the High Priest’s

official dress, although there the thought has a different application. He

bore the names of the twelve tribes graven upon his shoulder, the seat

of power, and upon his breastplate that lay above the heart, the home of

love. God holds out the mighty Hand which works all things, and says

to His children: ‘Look, you are graven there’—at the very fountain-

head, as it were, of the divine activity. Which, being turned into plain

English, is just this, that for His Church as a whole, He does move

amidst the affairs of nations. You remember the grand words of one of

the Psalms,—‘He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not

Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm.’ It is no fanatical reading

of the history of earthly politics and kingdoms, if we recognise that one

of the most prominent reasons for the divine activities in moulding the

kingdoms, setting up and casting down, is the advancement of the

kingdom of heaven and the building of the City of God. ‘I have graven

thee on the palms of My hands’—and when the hands go to work, it is

for the Zion whose likeness they bear.

But the same truth applies to us individually. ‘All things work

together’; they would not do so, unless there was one dominant Will

which turned the chaos into a cosmos. ‘All things work,’ that is very

plain. The tremendous activities round us both in �ature and in history

are clear to us all. But if all things and events are co-operant, working

into each other, and for one end, like the wheels of a well-constructed

engine, then there must be an Engineer, and they work together because

He is directing them. Thus, because my name is graven on the palms of

the mighty Hand that doeth all things, therefore ‘all things work

together for my good.’ If we could but carry that quiet conviction into

all the mysteries, as they sometimes seem to be, of our daily lives, and

interpret everything in the light of that great thought, how different all

our days would be! How far above the petty anxieties and cares and

troubles that gnaw away so much of our strength and joy; how serene,

peaceful, lofty, submissive, would be our lives, and how in the darkest

darkness there would be a great light, not only of hope for a distant

future, but of confident assurance for the present. ‘I have graven thee

on the palms of My hands ‘—do Thou, then, as Thou wilt with me."

30. SPURGEO�, "Yet again, by the expression, “I have

engraved you upon the palms of My hands,” God seems to say,

“I have done somuch for you that I can never forget you.” God

has actively worked for His people in many ways, but I will

only now mention what His Spirit has worked in you. What a

theme that is! And, from the fact that the Spirit of God has

worked so much in us, we derive the satisfaction that He will

never forget us. A man does not forget the work of His own

hands, especially if it is something very choice. I remember

that, in the siege of Paris, a great artist hid away a grand

picture which was then but partly finished. Did he forget to go

to Paris when it had its liberty, and to seek out his painting?

Assuredly not! He remembered the work of his own hands and

back he went to draw it out and put the finishing touches to it.

So God has done too much for us for Him ever to lose us. Has

He not created us anew in Christ Jesus, and given His Spirit to

dwell within us? Then, surely, He will never turn away from

work so costly, so Divine—but He will complete it

to His own praise and Glory!

31. DO� FORT�ER, "What a word! In ancient times, in certain

oriental countries, men tattooed images of their loved ones on the palms

of their hands.

· Engraving is Permanent.

· Engraving is Painful – Calvery!

· Engraving is Perpetual.

“If Jesus is ours we have a true Friend,

Whose goodness endures the same to the end;

Our comforts may vary, our frames may decline;

(But) we cannot miscarry, our Aid is Divine.

The hills may depart and the mountains remove,

But faithful Thou Art, O Fountain of love!

The Father has graven our names on Thy hands;

Our record in heaven eternally stands!”

�ow look at the rest of the sentence – “Behold, I have engraven thee

Upon The Palms of My Hands.”

· The Most Tender Part.

· The Softest Place.

· Both His Hands – The Right Hand of Blessing and The Left Hand

of Judgment – The Right Hand of Grace and The Left Hand of Wrath.

Toplady wrote-

“Once in Christ, in Christ forever,

�othing from His love can sever!”

“My name from the palms of His hands

Eternity will not erase;

Impressed on His heart it remains

In marks of indelible grace;

Yes, I to the end shall endure

As sure as the Earnest is given;

More happy, but not more secure,

The glorified spirits in heaven!”

32. 'Isaiah 49: 15' BY WHIT�EY ALBRIGHT

You look for him in times of disaster

You shout and cry for your loving master

While you scream, while you squall

You cry for the Lord, the Lord of all

And you think he doesn't hear your prayer

You wonder if God's ever there

'Lord, give me a sign! ', you command

But brother your name is on the palm of his hand!

He can not forget you so don't you frown

He sees you everytime he looks down

You think of him when you look to the stars

He thinks of you as he looks at those scars

So, stop the pity and give it a rest

How could a mother forget the baby on her breast

�ext time you find your feelings grim

Remember your walls are forever before him

Keep your heart full and serene

And remember what he said in Isaiah 49: 15!

Whitney Albright