The Lord engraves us on the palms of His hands.

上帝将我们铭刻在祂的手掌上。

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16 

看哪！我将你铭刻在我掌上。-以赛亚书49章16节

In Charles Spurgeon’s many years at his London church during the 1800s, he loved to preach on the riches of Isaiah 49:16, which says that God engraves us on the palms of His hands. He said, “Such a text as this is to be preached hundreds of times!” This thought is so precious that we can run over it in our minds again and again.

十九世纪时，司布真牧师在伦敦牧会多年期间，经常传讲以赛亚书49章16节：“看哪！我将你铭刻在我掌上。”司布真认为这节经文蕴藏丰富的真理，他说：“像这样的经文应该要传讲好几百遍！”的确，如此宝贵的真理，我们实在应该时时思想。

Spurgeon makes the wonderful connection between this promise of the Lord to His people, the Israelites, and God’s Son, Jesus, on the cross as He died for us. Spurgeon asked, “What are these wounds in Your hands? . . . The engraver’s tool was the nail, backed by the hammer. He must be fastened to the Cross, that His people might be truly engraved on the palms of His hands.” As the Lord promised to engrave His people on His palms, so Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, receiving the nails in His hands so we could be free of our sins.

上帝曾藉先知以赛亚应许以色列百姓，要将祂的子民铭刻在祂的掌上。数百年后，上帝的儿子耶稣为我们被钉死在十字架上。司布真将这两者做了非常巧妙的连结，他说：“在耶稣手上的那些伤痕是什么呢？……雕塑家在进行雕刻时，经常使用铁锤敲打铁钉，正如耶稣必须被钉在十字架上，才能将祂的子民铭刻在祂的手掌上。”上帝应许要将祂的子民铭刻在手掌上，于是让耶稣在十字架上展开双臂，承受钉在祂手上的钉子，好让我们能从罪中得释放。

If and when we’re tempted to think that God has forgotten us, we only need to look at our palms and remember God’s promise. He has put indelible marks on His hands for us; He loves us that much.

每当我们觉得上帝已经忘了我们，只需看看我们的手掌，并思想上帝的应许。在上帝的手掌上，已为你我留下了永不磨灭的印记。祂是多么爱我们啊！

Lord God, how vast is Your love for us! You keep us ever before You. I know You’ll never leave us, and we’re grateful.

主神，祢对我们的爱何等长阔高深，祢让我们常在祢面前！深知祢永不离开我们，为此我们感谢祢。

Isaiah 49:14-18    NIV

49 “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. 17 Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. 18 Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,“you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.

以赛亚书 49:14-18  

49 锡安说：‘耶和华离弃了我，主忘记了我。’ 15 妇人焉能忘记她吃奶的婴孩，不怜恤她所生的儿子？即或有忘记的，我却不忘记你。 16 看哪，我将你铭刻在我掌上，你的墙垣常在我眼前。 17 你的儿女必急速归回，毁坏你的、使你荒废的，必都离你出去。 18 你举目向四方观看，他们都聚集来到你这里。”耶和华说：“我指着我的永生起誓：你必要以他们为装饰佩戴，以他们为华带束腰，像新妇一样。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

God remembers us and keeps His promises. A study of the word remember bears this out. Throughout the Old Testament we read passages about how God “remembered” specific people (Genesis 8:1; 19:29; 30:22). Still other passages recall what He has done for us all. “The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:2–3). God specifically worked in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses to fulfill His promises, for He remembers His covenant (see Psalm 105.)

上帝记念我们并持守祂的应许，我们若细查“记念”这个词语便可证实这一点。在整本旧约有不少章节都讲到上帝如何“记念”或“顾念”某些人（创世记8章1节，19章29节，30章22节）。还有一些经文，回顾了上帝为我们所成就的一切，例如“耶和华发明了祂的救恩，在列邦人眼前显出公义。记念祂向以色列家所发的慈爱，所凭的信实；地的四极都看见我们上帝的救恩”（诗篇98篇2-3节）。上帝还特别在亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、约瑟和摩西的生命中成就祂的应许，因为上帝记念祂的约（参阅诗篇105篇）。

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Old Testament promises. We see this in the words of Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67–73): “Praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” He “remember[ed] his holy covenant” (vv. 68, 72).

耶稣最终成就了上帝在旧约的应许。正如撒迦利亚颂（路加福音1章67-73节）提到，“主以色列的上帝是应当称颂的。因祂眷顾祂的百姓，为他们施行救赎”（68节），以及上帝“记念祂的圣约”（72节）。

God hasn’t forgotten us. He is with us through the Spirit (John 14:26). And one day He will return to establish a new heaven and earth where He will dwell with us forever (Revelation 21:1–3).

上帝从来没有忘记我们，祂藉着圣灵与我们同在（约翰福音14章26节）。有一天，祂将再来，建立新天新地，并要永远与我们同住（启示录21章1-3节）。

In what ways has God shown you He hasn’t forgotten you?

上帝曾以什么方式让你知道，祂没有忘记你？

整理：于姊妹