029. "Graven on the Palms of My Hands"

"Graven on the Palms of My Hands"

(Isaiah 49:16) "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." This is another Scripture reference more easily understood in the light of the East, where tattooing is very common and useful in countries where comparatively few people have learned to read or write.

Isaiah has a beautiful picture in his mind, a picture of a mother and her son, her boy far away. Neither mother nor son know one letter from another, and yet the mother longs for some token to remind her of her absent boy. She has only one means at hand and she takes advantage of that. She goes to a man who tattooes and has something pricked on the palm of her hand that will constantly remind her of the son she loves and longs to see. It will never wash off or wear away, but will remain on her palm as long as her life lasts, where she can see it as she goes about her work.

Isaiah represents Jehovah as speaking to Israel first, but to us also. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion upon the son of her body? Yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."