We are in chapter eight of Exodus with our word for today which is actually a phrase. אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים finger of God. It is used 3 times in the Old Testament. Let’s look at our word in our chapter. Exodus 8:18-19 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. What is interesting is up to this point the magicians were able to reproduce the miracles God preformed through Moses and Aaron. As we have seen it was either a trick or an actual miracle that God sometimes allows to test his people. It was probably a trick because it was something they could not do so it had to be supernatural we might say today. But they said no it was God. He is the one that produced this. It was the finger of God. Like we saw yesterday the Egyptians in general, and the magicians in particular, were fanatical about cleanliness...now the god of the desert that you worship is doing nothing to keep their bodies from being invaded by unclean gnats that made life miserable for them! Their life and understanding of life was beyond their control and understanding. It had to be the true God doing this it was not their god of the desert Set. This is why the Bible God’s written word is so important for us to be able to understand God and make sense of life. The other two uses of our word we find identifying this very thing. Exodus 31:18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the בְּאֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִֽים finger of God. The next chapter reinforces that our phrase finger of God means that God himself wrote these instructions. Exodus 32:15-18 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. Our word is also used later to describe this same event of Moses receiving God’s written word. Deuteronomy 9:10 The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים finger of God. On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.
In the New Testament we find Jesus using this phrase with the Greek words that the New Testament is written in translated into our phrase. Luke 11:20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the prince of demons which doesn’t make any sense which Jesus was pointing out. Then he talks about how he has come to destroy the power of the devil and demons. So we have God in the flesh proving who he was by doing only things God could do. And it gets better because this same God wants to make himself known to me and you. This is why Jesus was called the word in the gospel of John he was here as God himself to make himself and his father God known to us. And send his spirit to do all kinds of amazing things one of which is to produce the written word the Bible. Scripture is the technical term for God’s written word and what a wonderful gift. There is no doubt that God produced His word the bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed. I’ll close with a great reminder of the Bible written for us to know him, his love, salvation, and power for us. Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart...They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
