God's Tattoos

Good morning!

Today's text is Isaiah 49.

The first 13 verses are concerning the Messiah.  Parts of this passage were fulfilled when Jesus came and did his first earthly ministry, the establishment of His spiritual kingdom, the offering of salvation to all people.

One of the things that comforts me, a Gentile, about these verses is the promise that Messiah will not only be a light to the Jews, but that He will also be a light to "the nations" (vs. 5-6).   (Non-Jewish people groups are often referred to in Scripture as "nations".)  Here God affirms His plan to bring salvation to all nations, through the Jews.  We must not forget that our faith and beliefs flow from the earlier revelation of God to His chosen people, the Jews.

Other parts of the passage will be fulfilled when He comes again (vs. 7-12).  Upon His second coming, He will vanquish all of Israel's enemies and set up His earthly kingdom, where He will rule the earth for 1000 years.  This promise will be fulfillment of the covenants God made to Abraham and David.

In verses 14-26 God gives us, through the prophet Isaiah, two pictures of comfort.  In verse 14, the people of God begin to doubt His goodness.  They begin to lament that they have been forgotten by Him.  Not true!  The Lord God says (vs. 15 - NET Bible):

Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?
Even if mothers were to forget,
I could never forget you!

It is really impossible to understand these verses fully, unless you have ever been a parent.  There are joys and pains in life, I've concluded.  But, none of either of these are more intense than when associated with your child.  They have the ability to break your heart or to make it soar.  When they hurt, you hurt.  When they rejoice, you do too.  When they become the man or woman that God intended them to be, when you see them serving Him, there is no bounds to the joy.  When they wander, flounder and fall, it is the worst pain imaginable.  Regardless of your child's circumstances, your child is unforgettable.  Oh, I know... parents and children quarrel and even have massive splits, unfortunately. They may not speak to each other for years.  But, I guarantee you this - - - regardless of what parents may say...they never forget their own child.  Is it any wonder that God uses this analogy to describe His ever-present love for Israel, His chosen people?  He will never forget them!

"Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me."

vs. 15 - NET Bible

The second picture God uses is the permanence of tattoos.  Yes, they even had tattoos in ancient days. It is this type of picture God paints when He says that He has the name of His people "engraved" on both His hands (not just one).  Whichever hand He lifts, He sees His chosen ones.  If you are His, then He sees you.

Although I don't have any tattoos, I think that the reason some people get them is to constantly remind themselves of an important person, an important life event, something very significant that they want to always remember.  Then again, some folks get tattoos for the artistic aspect.  Even then, they select designs that are meaningful to them.

I had a very, very rough day yesterday.  The circumstances are unimportant for the making of this point.  The thing is that I was in a great deal of despair, and in times like that it is easy to be tempted into believing that God does not care, that He has forgotten.

We have a ministry in our community called, "Never Alone".  It is a food pantry.  They faithfully serve the needs of people who may feel that God has forgotten them.  Their name is a constant reminder that God's people are never alone.

He may not feel nearby; but, our feelings are fickle.  If Christ Jesus is your Savior, He is always with you, living in your soul as the Holy Spirit.  Please don't ever let satan make you doubt that!

There is a beautiful promise from God to His people, in verse 23 (NET):

Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

Patience!  So difficult, isn't it?  One of the most patient beings I know is my dog.  When he knows the promise of food is near, he sits and fixes his eyes on the human with the food at hand, trusting patiently that he will not be forgotten.  What a lesson he teaches me!  God's promises are true!  He is sovereign.  He will keep His Word.

Lord Jesus, I am so impatient and so sure I know how things should go.  It's such a joke, really, that I would even think of telling You how to reveal Your glory!  Ridiculous.  At any rate, in the clear light of day, thank you for reminding me that You are God and that I am not.  Thank you for tattooing me on the palms of Your hands and never forgetting Your promises.  Oh how I need your strength to remember those precious promises.  Give me through the power of your Holy Spirit the strength to wait patiently for you to glorify Your name.  Glorify it in me, Lord.  I cannot walk resplendent apart from You.   In Jesus' name, amen.