I attended a church several weeks ago and the Pastor’s sermon was entitled “God’s Tattoos”. The message was not along this line of thinking but it sure got me going …

There is talk in the “church” about the increased amount of Christians getting tattoos. Is it right? Is it wrong? What’s the purpose?

I am NOT writing a treatise on the subject and you can use scripture and point out differing opinions.

Who said tattoos are wrong? Now I personally would not want one and I don’t really like them very much but I got to thinking … God Himself has a tattoo! Isaiah said in 49:16, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands … “ (ESV). If that’s not a “tattoo” I don’t know what is! (For you KJV fans the word is “graven”… AMP, “I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands …”)

Just think … every time He stretches out His hand to minister, to touch, to shelter, to hug, to hold … He sees MY name (and yours!) engraved in the palm of His hand. WOW!

That’s the good side, but there is also a bad side. Jeremiah 17:1 points out that the sin of Judah was so bad, their hearts were so hardened that it took a stylus of iron with the point of a diamond to engrave on the tablet of their heart. We can’t “see” the heart but their sin was engraved on its hard surface!

Genesis 4:15 tells us of another “mark” made upon man. God is punishing Cain for the murder of his brother, Abel. Cain was cursed from the ground (meaning he could no longer plant and harvest with ease), he would be a fugitive and a wanderer roaming the earth and feared he would be killed. God did not want him to be killed so “the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.” We don’t know the precise nature of the mark but it was something visible so that when others saw him they would not kill him. It was a mark of protection … even for the sinner for that time.

In Ezekiel 9:4 & 6 the angelic executioners are to kill all those who do not have “the mark on their foreheads”. One of those seven angels is assigned to protect the faithful by placing a defining mark on their foreheads. Again this shows that God’s “mark” will bring protection to the righteous.

Those of us who look forward to the future know that difficult times are ahead. During the time of the great tribulation there will be many who will take a mark on their foreheads which is called the mark of the beast. For them, their choice has been made for eternity, separation from God (Revelation 13 & 14). That could easily be called the “Tattoo of Eternal Death”.

I seriously doubt that I will ever get a tattoo (I saw a sign on Facebook: “Why don’t I have any tattoos?  For the same reason you don’t put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari.”  I like that!) but I am SO glad God has one with MY name and my face on His hand!