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by G.C. LaMar
The LORD God declares certain practices abominable──there are certain things that the LORD God hates and despises.
One clear command to His chosen people is in Leviticus 19 ──
“’ You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.’” – Leviticus 19:28.
When the LORD spoke these words, He was declaring them to the children of Israel──His chosen people. Israel is Jacob.
The people who came from Jacob were the Twelve Tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin, along with Ephraim and Manasseh.
The descendants from those tribes are His people.
The LORD God’s Law, Statutes, and Judgments are not only for the “Jews.”
The very term “Jews” does not even appear in Scripture until the Book of Kings, where the southern kingdom of Judah is often found in conflict with the northern kingdom of Israel.
This command was given to the whole House of Israel, the covenant people of the LORD God FROM THE BEGINNING.
The argument that this is merely a command for the “Jewish” people or is an outdated Old Covenant command does not hold weight.
The LORD God’s people are those who keep His holy and righteous commandments and walk in His Way – Romans 8:16. True Christians are identified by obedience to His unchanging Law. The keeping of the Commandments of God. They live the Way of God.
The Kingdom of God is the very government of God.
And every government is run by law. Without law there is anarchy and disorder.
The kingdom of God──the very government of God──therefore consists of Law, Statutes, Judgments, and Ordinances. The very manner in which His government conducts itself.
Law is the way things are conducted.
And the Law of God──which is summed up with the Ten Commandments──are how the LORD God’s people are to conduct themselves.
When the LORD God’s people OBEY His Law, they show the LORD God love ──
“’ If you love [and are loyal to] Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.’” – John 14:15.
The LORD God has established a certain Law for His people──this is truly showing His love toward them.
Those who keep His holy and righteous Law are His people. And those who do not or refuse to keep His Law are not.
Our Father, and our Lord Jesus DOES NOT CHANGE ──
“’ For I am the LORD, I do not change; …’” – Malachi 3:6.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8.
Their Way is eternal.
Their Law is eternal.
Their Rules are eternal.
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, declared that mankind is to live ‘by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ – Matthew 4:4──not just selective portions, not cultural preferences, not what this generation finds convenient.
Let’s look at Leviticus 19 carefully.
Leviticus 19 is a priestly code given to the Prophet Moses by the LORD God after the Exodus, laying out the Law for holy living, as the LORD begins, “’ Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’” Verse 28 specifically bans cutting or marking one’s flesh for the dead, a practice that was tied to surrounding pagan cultures’ mourning rituals. The ancient Amorites, Scythians, Carthaginians and even the Romans used such bodily marks to honor the departed, which the LORD God clearly forbid as idolatrous to His people.
It’s interesting that the LORD separated the two, “’ shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo …’”
The two are not the same.
Historically, “cuttings” referred to scarification or incising the flesh, often for ritual mourning, whereas “tattoo” meant inserting pigment to create a lasting mark.
So, tattooing stands as its own singular prohibition from the LORD God and is its own singular sin. Tattooing is an abomination unto the LORD God. Historically, permanent body marking was rooted in idolatry.
All across ancient Egypt, the Near East, and stated earlier, the Scythian cultures, tattoos carried religious, magical, protective and mourning meaning for the dead, or ownership or devotion to a god or goddess other than the living God of gods.
The application of tattoos is the participation in those old pagan customs.
Whether realized or properly understood it is a visible form of IDOLATRY!
To do anything against the LORD God’s holy and righteous commands is rebelliousness against God.
Those who have applied a tattoo without proper historical knowledge are still committing an act that the LORD God abhors.
Ignorantia juris non excusat ── “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
The LORD God’s Way has been established, and His Law is not able to be compromised.
The Eternal One does not approve of tattoos any more than He approves of consuming unclean meats, homosexuality, beastiality, cross-dressing, murder, bearing false witness, unhealthy pride, or any other traditions or practices that He has called an abomination.
What the LORD God has called an abomination is still in His eyes an abomination.
There are no “passes.”
There are no “cultural exemptions.”
There is no “modern philosophy” that can cleanse what the Eternal has declared unclean.
Let us take a closer look at this present evil age.
According to a Pew Research 2023 survey, found that 46% of U.S. adults now have at least one tattoo, compared to just 17% in 1990. 1
This alone is a clear sign of the rebelliousness against the Eternal God that was prophesied for the end-time through our Lord Jesus Christ and His prophets ── a time of widespread rebellion against God’s Way.
What we are witnessing is paganism, satanism, wickedness, and vile rebellion against our very CREATOR!
Sadly, most people do not even realize that when they have a tattoo applied, they are dishonoring their own body.
They justify this act with every kind of excuse or philosophy or ideology so that they can feel good about themselves ── “I have showed honor and remembrance to my friend.” Or mother, brother, sister, etc. While, in reality ── in the eyes of God ── they have openly displayed vanity and wickedness.
Our beloved Apostle Paul wrote, under divine inspiration ──
“But NOW the righteousness of God apart from the law [the Old Covenant] is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets [the first five Books of the Holy Bible], 22) even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and ON ALL who believe. For there is no difference; 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:21-23.
Sadly, a great many have committed acts that the LORD God calls abominable, including cutting one’s flesh and tattooing one’s body.
A true convert does not seek to soften this command or excuse its act. When one is truly converted, they must accept and embrace the LORD God’s truth that He has spoken to them through His living words!
A tattoo is a lasting physical reminder of a past choice that stood in rebellion against our living God. And like every other previous sin, it too is covered by the blood of Christ for those who repent and who believe.
As the Apostle Paul tells us ──
“ … But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” –
1 Corinthians 6:11.
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? … 19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you, which you have from God, AND YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN? 20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God IN YOUR BODY AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, which are God’s.” – 1 Corinthians 6:15-20.
The narrow path of a true Christian ── one who keeps the Law and the Way of God (cf. Romans 8:16) ── is to put off the old, reject every remnant of paganism, the traditions and customs of idolatry, and strive toward the standard that our Lord Jesus set for us ──
“’ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.’” – Matthew 5:48.
Cuttings and tattoos are sinful.
The LORD God has never approved them.
And, He never will.
His chosen begotten people ── true Christians who keep His commandments ── are told to have no part in them.
God’s Word still stands. □
Source:
1 Kim, R. & Cooper, R., Tattoos Statistics, Zipdo, Jun 2026.
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