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Isaiah 49:15-16 – Can a woman forget her sucking child,
that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may
forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms
of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
I. Graven is not like that which is written, which can be easily erased.
A. To be graven is to be "cut out", or "to cut into".
1. John 20:26-29 – Jesus said to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger,
and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side: and be not faithless, but believing.
2. There is "physical" evidence that Jesus has graven our
names into the palms of his hands. The word "palm" means the
flat of the hand.
B. Our names are in the palms of Jesus’ hands as a constant reminder
that we are with him.
1. We do all sorts of work with our hands, and if there is something in
our hand, or some sore of whatever in our hands, we are constantly
reminded we are there.
2. Every work God does is with us in mind.
3. He has created all this world for himself, and all the world should
give him glory and honor.
4. God has also created us, saved us, and works every work so we can
give him glory and honor.
C. Isaiah 49:15 states that mothers may forget their children, but God
will never forget his children.
1. II Timothy 3:3 – …without natural affection…"
2. II Timothy 3:6 speaks of …lead captive silly women laden with
sins, led away with divers lusts.
3. Romans 1:26 - …for even their women did change the natural use
into that which is against nature.
II. A graven image is cut out of stone, or wood, or something like that.
A. Stone and wood will pass away, (Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse) but to
be graven into the palms of Christ means we are graven for all eternity.
1. It takes a long time for granite to start falling apart, but the
natural forces of freezing and thawing forces the rocks apart.
2. This will never happen to our names, which are graven into the palms
of Jesus’ hands, because natural processes have nothing to do with
eternal things.
3. Revelation 2:17 – Overcomers are promised a white stone, and in
the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth but he that receiveth
it.
III. When was our names written in the palms of Jesus’ hands?
A. From before the foundation of the world.
1. Revelation 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.
a. Those that worship the Anti-Christ did not have their names
written in the Lamb’s book of life, who was slain from the foundation
of the world.
b. Christ was slain from the foundation of the world, dying for a
particular people.
2. Revelation 17:8 – The beast that thou sawest was, and is not;
and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in
the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the
beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
a. This verse is clearer than the previous verse, and speaks
specifically of those people whose names were written in the Lamb’s
book of life from the foundation of the world.
b. Names are spoken of as being removed from the Lamb’s Book of
Life, not that anybody can lose their salvation, but from the human
viewpoint, only those that preserve are truly saved.
1.)
B. Many believe names were written into the book of life when people are
saved, but that isn’t true.
1. Their names are written in the book of life when they are chosen of
God.
2. There is a removing of names from the book of life, but that book is
not for salvation, but a book of life that counts faithfulness.
3. If a person is not faithful, they are not saved.
IV. John 10:27-30 – Jesus gives eternal life.
A. We are in the hand of Christ, and no man is able to pluck us out of
his hand.
B. Colossians 3:3 - For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God.
1. We are double protected, because Jesus and his father are one, and we
are in the hand of the father.
2. Wrap my pocket knife in my handkerchief, then wrap the handkerchief in
my closed hand.
3. My closed hand is a fist to those on the outside, but it is protection
to me, because I am inside.
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