THE FINGER OF GOD
Luke 11:14 ¶ And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
This word “finger” comes from the word translated in Mark 10:41 as “ten,” as we have a total of ten fingers. And he instructs us in our text that he is so powerful as not to need the usage of but one to cast out devils. Truly, “A mighty fortress is our God!” And we find him using but a single finger to accomplish many mighty deeds.
Let us then first consider the writing of the law, given to Moses. Exodus 31:18 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. I imagine that it was like a mighty laser, able to inscribe on both the front and back of the two tablets of stone. Exodus 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
And we also have it given to us that the writing implement to write redemptively into our hearts is none other than the Holy Spirit! 2 Corinthians 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Thanks be to the Lord God that he has not ceased to write within our hearts even in this day! Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Here is another account of the Lord’s using his fingers. Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
Here we have the Lord placing his fingers, by which he wrote the law and by which he casts out the demonic forces, inside the head of one who was both deaf and dumb. And we have no doubt that he also spits upon the tongue of the man, adding the breath and moisture of God, as he did in the creation of the first man Adam. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
For this is also what he did in the next chapter to the blind man. Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
For as God’s fingers formed man of the dust of the ground and the moisture of his breath enlivened the first man, so here Creator-God applies the same in the healing of this man. And again, so it is with the redemptive grace applied to the lost sinner. His ears are unstopped so that he might hear and receive the gift of faith, and the moisture of God is applied representing the Holy Spirt to maintain that newly formed spiritual life! Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Malachi 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
But we must take note of the one thing which Christ did in both the deaf and the blind man. He took the deaf man aside from the multitude, and the blind man was led out of the town. And then we read in Mark 8:26; And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. And this is being done in our day as the COVID virus has invoked social distancing to reveal to us that our ‘churches’ are ofttimes but mutual admiration societies with the flavor of religion added!
Very few seek FIRST the spiritual kingdom of God and his righteousness above the emotional affections with the other members of these societies. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Very few realize that spiritual citizenship is in heaven. Most confuse their patriotism for their spiritual salvation! Philippians 3:20 For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
And as Pharaoh’s magicians could not duplicate, by human effort coupled with the demonic, the feats of Moses and Aaron, they knew it had to be the supernatural work of the finger of God. Exodus 8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19 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.
And those fingers appeared to mark the sin and the ending of the Babylonian ruler, and the takeover of Darius the Mede. Daniel 5:3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 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. 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. May God have mercy on America, as we are as guilty of these sins as they were! For we also worship the gods of gold and silver!
Then we also have record of God’s finger again writing for the instruction of Israelites. John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
These religious leaders actually were afforded the amazing opportunity of seeing the finger of God which wrote the law, writing to them. And coupled with His word, they, being an adulterous generation themselves, were smitten by their own consciences and so walked away. For we have this recorded indictment against them: Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
And those who will not ‘lift a finger’ to help others here on earth will not have a finger provided to ease their pains in hell! Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Failure to meet with God, and not seeking first his kingdom will cause one to determine a misuse of their own fingers. John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, (that is, “a twin”), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Our attention to Christ’s kingdom and righteousness will prevent the vulgar usage of our fingers! Proverbs 6:12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
When Aaron and his sons applied the blood of the innocent sacrifice before the Lord, it not only appeased God, but it also sanctified their finger. Exodus 29:9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons. 10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock. 11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Leviticus 8:24 And he brought Aaron’s sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.
And the application of the blood upon a true priest of the Lord is placed upon his right ear so that he has ears to hear the effectual word of righteousness. It is placed upon the thumb of his right hand in order that he may handle with righteous integrity the matters of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study (Endeavor) to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And then it was placed on the great toe of the right foot in order that he may only walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And all believers are spiritual priests of the Lord! Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
But falling under the bondage of sin will eliminate all these. Judges 1:6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 7 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
The question God asked of Moses before sending him into Pharaoh was “What is that in thine hand?” And only those with clean hands may stand in the holy place! Psalm 24:4
Pastor Gene Breed
March 31, 2022
