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October 8 Daily Devotional

God’s Faithfulness

Frans Bakker

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. —Isaiah 49:16

Bible Reading

Isaiah 49:14–18

Devotional

Jerusalem was a pile of rubble when the Lord spoke these words to the people of Israel. The heathens had come and they had not spared anything. Even the holy temple was completely destroyed. That is why Zion complained, “The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.” But there was no reason to utter this complaint, for the reality of the situation was actually the opposite of what they said. The Lord had not forsaken Zion, but Zion had forsaken the Lord. That is why they were now sitting amid the ruins. Each pile of rubble was the result of personal sin.

Yet the Lord comforts an unfaithful people with His everlasting covenantal faithfulness. God had sent the heathens to destroy the city so that a heartfelt complaint would be born in them. The Lord held on to His people by means of these ruins. Do you understand something of these things? When the people are hopelessly sitting beside the piles of rubble of their own guilt, God displays His faithfulness. He speaks to these despondent people, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”

What glorious symbolism is here! Engraved in the palms of God’s hands! This image expresses even more profoundly the faithfulness of God than if the text had said that their names were written in a book. Information that is written in a book can be forgotten, but hands are a part of the person. With this image the Lord comforts His people who have to complain that it is due to their own guilt that they have been forsaken. If the Lord would cast these people off, He would actually lose something that belongs to Himself, namely His own hands. Is there any greater proof than this that the Lord has bound Himself to His church? In this way, the Lord is saying that He would cease to be God if He ceased to be the God of His people.

What rich significance is given to the hand of the Lord! The Bible speaks of the hand of the Lord performing mighty deeds, pouring out blessings, guiding and leading, protecting and providing, but also chastising when necessary. As if this were not enough, the Lord speaks here of both hands—His right hand as well as His left hand. Both hands of God are involved. Surely then all things must work together for good— even the ruins of these walls.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.

 

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