New International Version (©1984) See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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!

14. 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!

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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,

24. 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.

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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;

29. 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!”

30. 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