"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought

in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand

before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this

woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law

Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what

do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,

in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent

down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened

up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without

sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he

stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those

who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones

first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing

there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:3-11

Four times in the Bible, we see the phrase “finger of God.”

When God was saving the Jews from slavery in Egypt, one of the Egyptian magicians said the plagues the Egyptians were suffering were beyond human sorcery and came to them from the “finger of God.” (Exodus 8:19)

Here we see our deliverance by the finger of God.

When God gave the 10 commandments to Moses, we are told the commands were inscribed on stone by “The finger of God.” (Exodus 31:8) Another time, Moses refers to the tablets being “written by the finger of God.” (Deuteronomy 9:10) 

Here we see our instruction by the finger of God.

Jesus said that his ministry was to drive away demons by “the finger of God” so that his kingdom will come upon us. (Luke 11:20) Apparently, without His finger intervening, humans can be corrupted and deceived by demons.

Here we see victory over evil being established

by the finger of God.

Finally, we have the story above. Jesus wrote something with his finger and it drove away the accusers, the abusers, the self-righteous condemners.

What did he write? We don’t know. But we do know that the result was protection and grace for this woman who was caught in the act.

Do you feel condemned? Like you don’t measure up? Like you are trapped? Are you behind? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Angry? Do you feel the condemnation of the law? Do you feel the shame of being a fraud? Are you afraid of the future?

When it comes to our acceptance, salvation, identity

and details of the future, we really don’t lift a finger -

He does it all.

He delivers us, He instructs us, He protects us, He saves us from evil all by himself. He lifts his finger and things happen. Bring your guilt and shame to him and he will heal you. Do you sense the evil and chaos of the world? Pray that he will deliver you from evil. 

He has always been there.

He is there today.

All he has to do is lift his finger for you, something that he has promised to do for all who ask.

May the “finger of God” guide your life.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey