Finger of God

Bit of a strange question, but have you ever cut your finger?


Maybe just a paper cut, or possibly a far deeper cut than that, but either way it really hurts. Due to my line of work I need to use my hands and fingers a lot. Sometimes for heavy manual work, and other times for intricate detailed work. There is a risk at times when using machinery that they could be damaged or removed completely, but thankfully by God’s grace I haven’t lost any yet.

Fingers therefore are very precious to me, and they are important to the creation of a piece of work. They’re small and sometimes insignificant, but are very valuable and necessary to us. Here are a few references I’ve come across concerning the fingers of God.



“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3

Let me reverently say that God didn’t labour in creation. It wasn’t outside of His capability or power to make all things, both those things which are seen and unseen. Despite the vastness of the universe, God used no more than His fingers. We look up in the night sky and see the moon and stars, and God has set each one in its place. In one of my other posts (STARGAZING) I mentioned the fact that this indicated the personal, organised pattern of creation. God, who knows each star by name, took the time to place the stars exactly where it is He wanted them. Each star, grasped in-between the forefinger and thumb of God, as He assigned it a place in His universe. The end of the verse asks “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?” The fact that God is bigger than we can imagine, and created this unique, wonderful universe was so easy for Him, it begs the question: “Why would He have an interest in me?” Why does He show me so much patience, and grace, and love? I think it’s because He IS love. He IS gracious. He IS longsuffering. It’s impossible for Him to behave in any other way.

The next time you look up to see the stars and the moon, remember that God who used just His fingers, loves you. It certainly amazes me.



“And the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the Lord had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.” (Deut 9:10)

Whenever a king wanted to make absolutely sure that a letter he sent was known to be from him, he would set his seal upon it. He would have a signet ring (usually) with an emblem which would be pushed into melted wax to show it was him who has assigned it. God proves to us that the 10 commandments weren’t just the thoughts of Moses, because He himself wrote the tablets with the “Finger of God”. No greater evidence is required for proof that God alone established His law. When we sin, we aren’t disobeying our parents, teachers, friends or family. We are sinning against the God of Heaven.



“Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lamp stand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king's colour changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.” (Dan 5:5-6)

The fingers of God don’t always speak of creating. On this occasion, it is in reference to God’s judgement. He had seen the sinful works of King Belshazzar for long enough, and despite His long-suffering, it was time to act. In the middle of a great feast, the hand of God appeared, and the finger wrote in the plaster. Imagine for one second that you’re a guest that night. You’re having a great time until the room comes to a standstill, and you notice a hand, unconnected to a body, writing on the wall. What would you think? How would you react? The people were drinking and eating from the gold and silver vessels of God, and while doing so were praising their own gods. How disrespectful to God. How sad that Belshazzar used the things of God for his own purposes.

Do I do that? Do I use the things of God, or the things God has given me for my own purpose? In all honesty, wasting time is a big one for me. What about money? Relationships? Jobs? Homes? The list is endless, and everyone’s struggles are different. But what do I do with the things I have been given from God?

God’s finger was writing “Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin”, which could be paraphrased as “God has numbered the days of your kingdom and ended it. You’re life has been weighed on a scale, and you’ve come up short. You’re kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians”. This makes me think of the servant in Matthew 25 who was entrusted with a talent, and instead of using it to further his masters wealth, simply hid it. When the master found out he said “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.” How is God going to view our use of the “talent” (not money, but God given gift) He’s given us when He returns? Have we used it to further His kingdom, or hidden it from view? Standing before God, and He asks why we didn’t work for Him? Why we allowed somebody else to work instead of us. Are you turning down and ignoring opportunities to use your gift for God? Are you storing up, or neglecting the things God has entrusted to us? They are His, and one day we will have to answer for how we have used them. Belshazzar saw the finger of God when it was too late, and he lost it all.



“And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.” (Mark 7:33)

Here is a man who is deaf and dumb. A picture of me before I was saved and became a Christian. We had our ears closed to the voice of God, and we never used our mouths to praise Him; we didn’t even know how to. But when we met the Lord, and realised who He was, trusting Him with simple faith; our eyes, ears and mouth were opened! Opened to speak for Him, and to hear His voice. Opened to serve Him. There is no better feeling when we are alone, or down, or facing difficulties, than to feel the touch of a loved one. A cuddle, a hug, or just someone to hold our hand. The Lord Jesus, the son of God put His fingers into the man ears, and touched his tongue. How about me? Do I care for the people God has placed in my life? Do I reach out to them to show the love of God? The Lord Jesus took the time, and made the effort to show compassion to this outcast of society. How low am I prepared to go? The healing hand and fingers of God have made a bit impact on my life physically and spiritually. Have you felt them for yourself?



“So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:25)

This is me. I’ll believe it when I see it, or when I've experienced it for myself. I doubt, and question other people’s experiences of the Lord. But one day, like Thomas, all will be revealed. I’ll see the marks in His hands and feet, the fist sized hole in His side. And on that day, I won’t be taken up with other people’s experiences, or how they functioned and behaved in their Christian lives. I’ll simply wish I’d served Him better.



“This they said to test him that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” (John 8:6)

The crowd were shouting for a response. The woman had been caught in adultery and the law demanded that she be put to death. Would Jesus forgive her, or condemn her? What did Jesus write? I actually don’t have any suggestions, and to be honest I’m not going to make any. But I just wonder what the Saviour was thinking? The fingers that made all things, that judged sin, and healed the sick, wrote in the dust of the ground. Feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts, or send me a message at One door closes, another opens.



Yours in Him

Dan