十一月七日
看哪，我将你铭刻在我掌上。（赛49：16）
这句话的奇妙在于“看哪”二字，因爲前面不信的人所说的悲哀的话语才使神这样慨叹。锡安说：“耶和华离弃了我，主忘记了我。”神对于这种不信的恶人所存的心是多麽奇妙！有什麽事能比神所恩待的人毫无根据地疑惑和惧怕更令人惊异呢？神责备我们的慈爱的话真使我们面红耳赤；他说：“我既把你铭刻在我的掌上，我怎能忘记你呢？你既在我的身上爲记念，你怎敢怀疑我恒久的顾念呢？”不信的人哪！你是多麽令人希奇呀！我们不知道什麽是最希奇的事，是神的信实呢，还是他民的不信呢？他虽有千次成就了他的应许，但试验再一次临到之时我们又开始疑惑他了。
他永不失败；他幷不是一口涸井；他幷不像落日、流星，或是蒸气；然而我们却常受烦虑的苦恼、猜疑的困惑和惧怕的搅扰，好像把我们的神当作是荒漠中的海市蜃楼。“看哪！”足可激起我们的羡慕。这话真使我们希奇。天地都必因此震惊，因爲悖逆的人仍然被刻在他的掌上得以靠近神无限大爱的心怀。“我将你铭刻”，幷不说“你的名”。当然名字已在那里，可是还不够：“我将你铭刻。”你看其中的意义是多丰满！我将整个的你，你的形象、你的情景、你的环境、你的罪、你的试探、你的软弱、你的需要、你的工作，都铭刻下来；我将你，你的一切，一切关于你的事铭刻下来；我把你完完全全铭刻在那里。他既把你铭刻在他自己的掌上，你还会再说，他离弃了你吗？
November
7
“Behold,
I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”–Isaiah 49:16
No doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word
“Behold,” is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding
sentence. Zion said, “The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten
me.” How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief! What
can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God’s favoured
people? The Lord’s loving word of rebuke should make us blush; he cries,
“How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of
my hands? How darest thou doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is
set upon my very flesh?” O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We
know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of his
people. He keeps his promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us
doubt him. He never faileth; he is never a dry well; he is never as a setting
sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet we are as continually vexed
with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our
God were the mirage of the desert. “Behold,” is a word intended to
excite admiration. Here, indeed, we have a theme for marvelling. Heaven and
earth may well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to
the heart of infinite love as to be written upon the palms of his hands.
“I have graven thee.” It does not say, “Thy name.” The name
is there, but that is not all: “I have graven thee.” See the fulness
of this! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances,
thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven
thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether
there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when he has
graven thee upon his own palms?
