September 21, 2021
Scripture: Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:15-16 ESV
Observation: Isaiah raises the question of whether a mother who has endured the pains of childbirth and has nursed her child through the early years could later grow cold toward her child and purge all memories. Yet, he acknowledges that it is possible in our fallen world to distance ourselves and our memories from those we once loved. But our Lord never forgets his children. In the Ancient Near East, it was common practice for a slave to have their right hand tattooed with the owner’s name so that they would never forget who owned them. Shockingly, in this prophecy, the order is reversed (verse 16). Our Lord has engraved his children’s names on the palms of both of his hands so that he will never forget them nor fail to restore their house of worship (“your walls are continually before me” refers to the ruins of Jerusalem and its temple).
Takeaway: Both of our Savior’s hands were pierced that we, his brothers and sisters, might draw near to the Father and never be forgotten. And the Son will not fail to restore his bride, the church, to himself unblemished in splendor (Ephesian 5:27). So when it feels during the hard times that God has forgotten us, has abandoned us, we need to remember that no one nor anything can snatch us from the indelibly engraved hands of the Father and Son (John 10:28-29).
Prayer: Father God, we are awestruck that you, the creator of all things, personally know us by name and that you will never forget us. Please deepen our understanding of your sacrificial love for us revealed in your Son’s pierced hands that we might rest assured of our eternal place with you. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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