Have you
had someone’s finger pointed at you? Was it your mother’s, a teacher or even a
policeman? There’s a threat in the
pointed finger as well as a warning. As I read the Bible I notice that there
are a couple of times where the ‘Finger’ of God is described. When you assemble
them there’s an interesting story to tell.
The first
mention is found in Exodus. However I’d like to suggest the Psalmist actually
points us to the original ‘pointing of God’s finger’. In Psalm 8:3 he tells us
his reaction to meditating on the heavens. David considered them the
arrangement of God’s fingers. We are told in Genesis 1 that the Lord spoke and
creation took place. Was David’s comments inferring that our Creator Lord did
some rearranging of the moon and stars?
This
brings us back to Exodus 8.16-19. The Egyptian magicians could not counter the
third plague God sent as a judgement and testimony of His intentions. They
confessed, “This is the finger of God!” I find it interesting and significant
that this realisation came on the third judgement. (Do you?) Sad feature of
this encounter is seen by their refusal to humble themselves upon their
recognition and confession. Sounds familiar for our day and age.
The next
mention is at Mount Sinai when Moses receives the Ten Commandments. These are
specifically declared to be written in stone by the Finger of God. He doesn’t
need a laser beam. This became the framework for their Covenant relationship,
which they repeatedly smashed. When the first generation died in the
Wilderness, Moses told the second generation the same fact of the importance
and inscriber of the Commandments. How distressing it is for Christ’s people
today to witness Christendom’s calculated desecration of the work of God’s ‘finger!’
What He wrote for Humanity’s welfare turns into their condemnation.
What none
of us would like to experience befell Belshazzar. As the ruler of Babylon (his
father being elsewhere) this arrogant man played fast and loose with Yahweh’s
temple vessels. God’s patience had reached its end. He would use it to fulfil His
promise regarding the return of His captive nation to Jerusalem. In the palace
a finger appeared and wrote the Babylonian epithet. ‘Mene,Mene, Tekel, Parsin’
Belshazzar’s kingdom had been weighted, found wanting, and divided by the Medes
and Persians.
The
penultimate verse is found in Luke 11:20. Jesus was being accused as being in
cahoots with Beelzebul, a pseudonym of the Devil. Jesus refutes their
assumption by a bold and maybe overlooked assertion. “If it is by the finger of
God that I cast out the demons, then the Kingdom of God has come to you.” Is
this an oblique pointer by our Lord to His deity in human form? Surely, we are
confronted again and again by the Scriptures about who Jesus is. I cannot get
away from Thomas’s confession to Jesus in John 20:28 “My Lord and my God!”
The climactic
reference to the finger of God is found in John 8:1-11. It is in the story of
the woman taken in adultery (where was the man?). The Scribes and Pharisees in their
self-righteous attitude tried to embarrass Jesus and make Him break the law. We
will never know what the finger of Jesus wrote in the dirt. Whatever it was
ended up scattering the ‘would be stone throwers’. Jesus was the only one who
could condemn but he forgave her with a warning not to continue in sin.
As I
assemble these accounts I find myself imbedded in them. I too stand in awe of
creation yet took the creator for granted. (Did you too?) I’ve seen and heard of
His power but was left unmoved. (What about you?) I’ve broken His Commandments
and I’ve had His ‘finger’ condemn me. What a wonderful day it was when I heard
my Lord say to me “You’re forgiven!” How? Because the ‘finger’ on the hand of
Jesus was nailed to the cross and He took my unbelief, my rebellion, my
condemnation (and yours) upon Himself.
His nailed pierced hand then reached out to me (and you) with a ‘no
condemnation' offer. By faith I grasped it (as you did) and in the words of
Thomas I bow and say, “My Lord and my God!”
©Ray
Hawkins Oct 7th 2016.
The theme of this devotional: What the Bible reveals about itself. This is the sixth in his series of Biblically Themed Devotionals. Chech his blog to view the others.
http://rayhawkinsauthor.blogspot.com.au
Amen! Well said, Ray.
ReplyDeleteHi Iola. Thanks for your comment and encouragement. Have a great weekend.
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