The Fingers of God

The Fingers of God

“Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” (Exodus 8.19)

The human finger is an incredibly, intricately designed piece of God’s Creation. An opposable thumb augments the finger, which is attached to the hand. That, according to some non-believers and evolutionists, is what places a person higher on the evolutionary scale than most animals. In reality, people are the crown of God’s creation because we were “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139.14) and we were created in the image of God. (Genesis 1.26, 27)

Next to the upper lip, the index finger is probably the most sensitive part of the human body. When properly exercised, it can bear the weight of one’s body yet it can feel a thread laying on a flat surface. Along with the other fingers, it can hold a rope tightly enough to restrain a powerful animal yet it can feel the slightest variations in a seemingly smooth surface.

In eternity past, the Triune God met together and planned Creation and eternity future. According to His great wisdom, He foreknew the neediness and helplessness of His creation – He formulated a plan for redemption. “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” (Acts 2.23) Before there was a need, God had devised the plan.

While the creature struggles with accomplishments such as building great structures and monuments, God exhibits His power in His fingers. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.” (Psalm 8.3) In His fingers is power enough to hurl the stars into space, yet in those same fingers is the sensitivity to form man of the dust of the ground – in His image – after His likeness.

While the creature struggles to bring order into his world through courts and governments, God exhibits His ability to order His world with His fingers. “And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” (Exodus 31.18; See also Deuteronomy 9.10) The tables of stone (of “testimony” and of “covenant”) brought order to the nomadic nation of Israel and positively affected every nation that has used God’s law as a foundation.

While the creature struggles with ancient prophecies, archaeological finds, and elaborate calendars seeking answers for what is ahead, God maps the future of all nations with only His fingers. “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” (Daniel 5.5) The self-proclaimed, high and mighty Belshazzar partied and praised the gods of gold and silver only to find himself staring at prophetic writings from the fingers of the Almighty.

While the creature struggles with biological sciences seeking cures for a world filled with ailments, God in Christ exhibits His ability to cure even hereditary diseases with His fingers. “And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue.” (Mark 7.33) He used neither needles nor tongue depressors, yet He procured a cure to this man’s physical and spiritual condition.

This Almighty God, who has the power to create or destroy with a thought, shows Himself sensitive to our needs as He deals with us through His fingers. His power is almighty; yet, His sensitivity feels the minutest variance in our being.

We, His creation, are obliged to show the same sensitivity in receiving His Word and applying it to our lives. “Bind them {His word and laws} upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” (Proverbs 7.3) What an awesome God we serve!