Engraved. Verb. Hebrew word—Châqaq—meaning "to cut out". Phonetic: khaw-kak'. It is a a primitive root. There are 19 times, in 19 verses, where Châqaq is used in biblical text.
1. to cut out, decree, inscribe, set, engrave, portray, govern
a. (Qal)
1. to cut in
2. to cut in or on, cut upon, engrave, inscribe
3. to trace, mark out
4. to engrave, inscribe (of a law)
b. (Poel)
1. to inscribe, enact, decree
2. one who decrees, lawgiver (participle)
c. (Pual)
1. something decreed, the law (participle)
d. (Hophal)
1. to be inscribed
Qal: the form that most words are written in Hebrew dictionaries. Classical Hebrew.
Poel: a rare stem formation in Biblical Hebrew.
Pual: passive voice in Biblical Hebrew.
Hophal: passive form in Biblical Hebrew.
Niphal: one of the seven major verb stems in Biblical Hebrew.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [Genesis 1:1] Created. Hebrew word—Bara'—meaning "to create". Phonetic: baw-raw'. Another verb. Another primitive root. It is used 54 times in 46 verses in biblical text.
1. to create, shape, form
a. (Qal) to shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject)
1. of heaven and earth
2. of individual man
3. of new conditions and circumstances
4. of transformations
b. (Niphal) to be created
1. of heaven and earth
2. of birth
3. of something new
4. of miracles
God created—shaped, formed, fashioned—the heavens and the earth. The universe. He holds the waters—the oceans—in the hollow of His holy hand. “Who else has held the oceans in His hand? Who has measured off the heavens with His fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” [Isaiah 40:12] Here, we see that hand is singular, not plural. When we try to hold a small amount of water in our hands, it is impossible to keep it from running through cracks of our fingers as it makes its way down and drips off our elbow, gravity pulling downwards. Soon, we cup our hands together to hold as much of that diminishing puddle for as long as possible. We fail. We are a wet mess. He holds the immense waters—the oceans, the seas—in the palm of His hand. Nothing is lost. Every single drop of liquid held, securely in the hollow of His holy hand. This verse goes on to say that He measured the heavens—the universe—with His fingers. And He knows the weight of the earth. He created the universe—He can measure the expanse with His fingers—and He cares, He loves, He bows low to hear me; and you. “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” [Psalm 116:1-2]
Biblical history has been written down and recorded, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, to point to Jesus Christ. Sin. Salvation. Redemption. Justification. Sanctification. Creation was perfect. In an instant, through deception and defiance, perfection became destruction. The Bible records key people that God used in both the Old and New Testament. These people were used by God for correction, judgment, prophecy, and reproof. Examples. Real people. Flesh and blood. Emotional. Human. “All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17] Throughout world history, there are individuals that have done amazing things, or heinous crimes: endurance, war, untold horrors, victories. Mortal Coil. Each of us has a daily walk; in this walk there are key characters that we come in contact with, our recorded life: our own personal "Book of Life". The date we take our first breath. The date we expire. The dash. The dash between those years. This is were we live: that dash. The embodied format of tangible tapestry, a fabric of memories and experiences: LIFE.
In our own personal book, those of us that are fortunate, will have a good portion of the same characters from cover-to-cover. Friendships and acquaintances acquired, written about, showing up: intervals and conversations. Supporting characters. Bit players. These lives intertwine and are woven into the fabric of time; each of us having our own transcript: words become sentences, sentences become paragraphs, paragraphs become chapters; a single page at a time. In our eyes, in our present: our "dash". Some of us use different avenues to remember our modern history: written word, pen to paper; photographs. God, from the beginning of time, knows each of our stories. The relationships we make. The struggles, the pursuits, the love, and the loss. “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.” [Psalm 139:13-15] The same God who created this gigantic canvas of a universe and holds it all together in the palm of His mighty hand is the same God that made me. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:10]
1. to cut out, decree, inscribe, set, engrave, portray, govern
a. (Qal)
1. to cut in
2. to cut in or on, cut upon, engrave, inscribe
3. to trace, mark out
4. to engrave, inscribe (of a law)
b. (Poel)
1. to inscribe, enact, decree
2. one who decrees, lawgiver (participle)
c. (Pual)
1. something decreed, the law (participle)
d. (Hophal)
1. to be inscribed
Qal: the form that most words are written in Hebrew dictionaries. Classical Hebrew.
Poel: a rare stem formation in Biblical Hebrew.
Pual: passive voice in Biblical Hebrew.
Hophal: passive form in Biblical Hebrew.
Niphal: one of the seven major verb stems in Biblical Hebrew.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [Genesis 1:1] Created. Hebrew word—Bara'—meaning "to create". Phonetic: baw-raw'. Another verb. Another primitive root. It is used 54 times in 46 verses in biblical text.
1. to create, shape, form
a. (Qal) to shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject)
1. of heaven and earth
2. of individual man
3. of new conditions and circumstances
4. of transformations
b. (Niphal) to be created
1. of heaven and earth
2. of birth
3. of something new
4. of miracles
God created—shaped, formed, fashioned—the heavens and the earth. The universe. He holds the waters—the oceans—in the hollow of His holy hand. “Who else has held the oceans in His hand? Who has measured off the heavens with His fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” [Isaiah 40:12] Here, we see that hand is singular, not plural. When we try to hold a small amount of water in our hands, it is impossible to keep it from running through cracks of our fingers as it makes its way down and drips off our elbow, gravity pulling downwards. Soon, we cup our hands together to hold as much of that diminishing puddle for as long as possible. We fail. We are a wet mess. He holds the immense waters—the oceans, the seas—in the palm of His hand. Nothing is lost. Every single drop of liquid held, securely in the hollow of His holy hand. This verse goes on to say that He measured the heavens—the universe—with His fingers. And He knows the weight of the earth. He created the universe—He can measure the expanse with His fingers—and He cares, He loves, He bows low to hear me; and you. “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” [Psalm 116:1-2]
Biblical history has been written down and recorded, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, to point to Jesus Christ. Sin. Salvation. Redemption. Justification. Sanctification. Creation was perfect. In an instant, through deception and defiance, perfection became destruction. The Bible records key people that God used in both the Old and New Testament. These people were used by God for correction, judgment, prophecy, and reproof. Examples. Real people. Flesh and blood. Emotional. Human. “All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17] Throughout world history, there are individuals that have done amazing things, or heinous crimes: endurance, war, untold horrors, victories. Mortal Coil. Each of us has a daily walk; in this walk there are key characters that we come in contact with, our recorded life: our own personal "Book of Life". The date we take our first breath. The date we expire. The dash. The dash between those years. This is were we live: that dash. The embodied format of tangible tapestry, a fabric of memories and experiences: LIFE.
In our own personal book, those of us that are fortunate, will have a good portion of the same characters from cover-to-cover. Friendships and acquaintances acquired, written about, showing up: intervals and conversations. Supporting characters. Bit players. These lives intertwine and are woven into the fabric of time; each of us having our own transcript: words become sentences, sentences become paragraphs, paragraphs become chapters; a single page at a time. In our eyes, in our present: our "dash". Some of us use different avenues to remember our modern history: written word, pen to paper; photographs. God, from the beginning of time, knows each of our stories. The relationships we make. The struggles, the pursuits, the love, and the loss. “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.” [Psalm 139:13-15] The same God who created this gigantic canvas of a universe and holds it all together in the palm of His mighty hand is the same God that made me. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:10]
I rest in the promise that I am in my Father's hand, because of Jesus Christ's selfless act of ultimate love; sacrificed on that beautiful cross; His blood spilled, staining wood: for my salvation, and yours. Salvation itself is personal. Salvation itself is individual. Salvation itself is an individual response. You have to make the choice to either accept Christ's gift of life—by grace through faith—or deny Him. “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” [John 10:28-30]
The same God that holds the waters in the hollows of His holy hands, that measured the heavens with His fingers; the One who holds me: He also has my name etched in His hands: “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before Me.” [Isaiah 49:16] The same God that has created the universe, the canvas for His handiwork, has my name engraved, cut, inscribed, into the Hands that has made this vast expanse. My name is eternally engraved in His hand. He knows me. He loves me. He will not forsake me. I am His.
The same God that holds the waters in the hollows of His holy hands, that measured the heavens with His fingers; the One who holds me: He also has my name etched in His hands: “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before Me.” [Isaiah 49:16] The same God that has created the universe, the canvas for His handiwork, has my name engraved, cut, inscribed, into the Hands that has made this vast expanse. My name is eternally engraved in His hand. He knows me. He loves me. He will not forsake me. I am His.
Where is your name written? How is your story being recorded?