Tattoos

The issue of wanting a tattoo has only popped up a handful of times in my life. The last time I even thought about getting a tattoo was December of 2009. It wasn’t until me recently running across Leviticus 19:28 that the word “tattoo” ran through my brain as a topic of focus. The verse states, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.” 


Now, when it comes to the Bible, some say you can’t just take the words directly for what they are but take into account the time period of which the passages were written, who it was written by, and why was it written in that context. Sometimes, I just look at that as an excuse to alter God’s word to fit your own desires. But for this instance, I did do a little research because this particular verse was very relevant to me at times in my life. I found an article on the internet that talks briefly about this verse. It noted that this verse was dealing with the pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites. The Lord gave this word to His  people because it was His desire to set them apart from the other religious groups. He wanted His people to not engage in things that imitate the practices of the heathens because ultimately that would lead them away from Him. 


The article then brings up verse 27 of Leviticus. “Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.” Tattoos and cutting your hair were associated with pagan rites and rituals. Today they are not. 


Although times have changed, constantly trying to determine if verses are relevant to you today can be dangerous. If this continuous frame of thinking ends up with a weak-minded individual, it will indeed lead into a slippery slope. One can start questioning the Word of God throughout the Bible, asking themselves if this really relates to their modern day living. As time passes, the person will be deliberately disobeying God. Maybe it will get to the point where they just see parts of the Bible as void. Something I did think was useful in the article I read were the questions it gives us to ask ourselves. Where I have blanks is where the word “tattoo” should be. I believe we can also replace the blanks with other things in our lives: things like music, clothing, choice of career, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc. 


What are my motives for wanting a ____? Am I seeking to glorify God or draw attention to myself? Will my ____ be a source of contention for my loved ones? Will getting a _____ cause me to disobey my parents? Will my _____ cause someone who is weak in the faith to stumble?


I also believe we should think about if we’re desiring this thing for our own pleasure and will having this thing steer us away from God. We should think about if we’re wanting this thing because everyone around us has it and we’re envious because we don’t have it.


Of course, many of us say that tattoos are just a form of expression; flat out. But don’t use this typical argument to justify your actions. Look deeper into your motives. I only sought after little information regarding tattoos in relation to biblical context. The best way to find about tattoos and other things is to not come up with our own conclusions but instead talk with those who are truly educated in the Word of God.