Sweden Church
  • Home
  • Listen
    • Sunday Services
    • Real Time >
      • But God...
      • Incompatible With Life
      • Heroes of Faith
      • Matthew 9 Series
      • Where We Find Jesus Series
      • Temptations of Christ Series
      • Sermon on the Mount Series
      • Prodigal Son Series
    • Revival 2022
    • Sweden Celebration 2020
    • Revival 2019
  • Sermon Series
    • Revelation Series
    • One Thing Series
    • Deuteronomy Series
    • 1 & 2 Kings Series
    • Titus Series
    • Jonah Series
    • What Kind of Man Series
    • Advent 2019
    • Ten Commandments Series
    • "No More" Sermon Series
  • Pictures
  • Our Blogs
    • The Pastor's Pen
    • The Layman's Pen
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us

The Finger of God

10/17/2018

0 Comments

 
    "And the ark rested in the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." (Genesis 8:4)  Mount Ararat is the highest peak at the end of a chain of mountains.  It's believed to be the most voluminous (immense) mountain in the world.  It stands at around 17,000 feet above the plains below it which are 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level.  Because of its immense size and the connection with Noah this mountain is called "the finger of God" by the locals.
     Just think.   The world is covered with water.  Is it any wonder that this mountain is called "the finger of God", the one place that beckons the boat with all living species aboard.  Surely, it must have seemed so to Noah and his family, too.
     Stories about the finger of God must have gotten around in those ancient days.  The magicians to the Pharaoh of Egypt referred to the finger of God (Exodus 8:19) when they were unable to turn dust into lice.  The tablets of stone that Moses took with him were written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)  It doesn't really say that God used his finger to mark Cain (Genesis 4:15).  Cain had a mark on him, nonetheless, that God had put there to protect him from being slain.
     It's interesting that in John 8 where the Pharisees were plotting to trap Jesus by bringing an adulterous woman to him that the first thing he does is stoop down and write on the ground with his finger.  This particular incident the Pharisees quoted the law of Moses that she should be stoned.  They continued to badger him over the law to which he replies, "He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone."  And what does he do but stoop down and write on the ground again. (John 8:8)  A look back at Exodus 34:1 tells us that God wrote the ten commandments on the tablets a second time.
     The parallel here causes one to stop and wonder.  The Son of God who is God in the flesh remembers writing those tablets a second time.  So do the Pharisees.  And they know why they were written a second time.  Jesus' actions spoke louder than words to them that day.
     Surely they remember the story of the writing finger in Daniel 5 that resulted in the death of Belshazzar for his wickedness in taking the holy vessels from the temple and using them for drinking at his party.  Surely they remember the mark that God put on Cain.  Surely they remember the Psalm of David's that speaks of God's fingers designing creation (Psalm 8:3)
     Last of all they may have remembered the visions of Amos and the chastisement of Israel.  "Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them..."  (Amos 9:2)  Today, for us, it's Hebrews 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."    ​
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Linda Johnson

    Linda Johnson moved to Douglas County with her husband Tom 12 years ago after retiring from teaching. Following Tom's death in 2016, Linda began facilitating a grief support group called GriefShare through Sweden Church.​ She serves as the Sunday School teacher for our High School class. Her "Layman's Pen" articles are also published in the local paper, The Douglas County Herald. 

    Andrea Strong

    Andrea is Pastor Joshua Strong's wife. She also serves Sweden Church as Church Secretary, website administrator, and Sunday School teacher to the Intermediate Class.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2015
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012