Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Isaiah 49:16

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

This verse in Isaiah is a phenomenal one that speaks to the believer in so many ways. On the heels of a few verses before that speak to His people about comforting and having compassion upon them in their time of trouble, and then their questioning whether or not God has forgotten them because of the turmoil and trouble during this time, God then tells them that just like a mother cannot forget an infant that is hers, there is no way that God can forget His people.

Then, this verse comes. This verse, is in the context of the prophesy of the judgment that will come upon Israel. Thus, there is much concern over what will happen to them, and whether or not they will be utterly destroyed. During their trouble and the oppression of the Babylonians, the threats of invasion and destruction, the people were much afraid.

God here comforts them and ensures them of His steadfast love. God tells them that they are engraved upon His hands. This is either an anthropomorphism, referring to the fact that just like a man's hands are always in front of Him, and He is always working with them, God has His people ever before Him, and He is always working with them. Or, this is a type pointing forward to Christ, where it refers to the great love and care showed to His people since Jesus Christ, bore the nails into His hands, and now has scars to not only prove His love, but to show that His people can never be let go, or can never be taken out of His hand.

God also tells them that He has them always before Him. Their walls are always before Him probably refers to either city walls, like Jerusalem, or the walls of their dwelling places or houses. This has the connotation that God is looking out for, or after, His people to ensure that they are protected, and provided for.

Whatever the particular meaning of each of these, the matter is before me, the Lord is saying that His people are so important to Him, that He is always looking after them, watching out for them, and protecting them. God is always remembering His people and making provision for them in this universe.

So what does this mean to me? Well, the first thing that I think of is my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ took nails into His hands, which embedded Him into and onto the cross. He was hung on that cross for all to see. He bore the infinite weight of my sins upon Himself, and while He did this, He had never even done anything wrong. Not one sin, not one evil thought, action or deed. Jesus Christ is the amazing One. When He rose from the dead, His newly resurrected body had scars , which show His great sacrifice on my behalf. He has promised me that He continually prays for me, and thus, when I hear the words, "engraved you on the palms of my hands", I cannot help but think of my wonderful, beautiful, magnificent Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, I praise Him, I adore Him, and I lift Him up this morning in praise.

Also, I think of the fact that my walls are ever before Him, and it reminds me of God's gracious provision for me. He has done so much for me, and I can never repay. The only thing I can do is sing His praises and rejoice in His works.

Lord, I will sing to you as long as I live, I will sing to you with all of my voice. May my meditations please you as I rejoice in your works. Praise you Lord forever more. Lord, I also thank you more than words could ever express for the Lord Jesus Christ. For sending your Son for such a wretch as me. I had nothing to offer, nothing to bring except sin which needed punished, yet You loved me with an everlasting love and gave your Son for my sake. Oh, amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God should die for me! In Christ, Amen.