What does "inscribed by the finger of God" reveal about God's authority? The moment on Sinai “When He had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18) What “inscribed by the finger of God” tells us about His authority • Direct authorship – No intermediary penman; the Law comes straight from God’s own hand. – Confirms that every command is His unaltered will (cf. Exodus 32:16). • Supreme sovereignty – Only the highest authority writes legal statutes in stone; God alone legislates for His people. – Sets His word above every human decree (Isaiah 40:8). • Permanence and immutability – Stone tablets picture an unchanging standard (Malachi 3:6). – God’s moral order is not open to revision or cultural negotiation. • Covenant seal – The tablets are the formal document of the Sinai covenant; God signs it Himself, guaranteeing its terms (Deuteronomy 9:10). • Revelation of divine power – The same finger that etched stone later cast out demons (Luke 11:20) and traced grace in the dust before the adulterous woman (John 8:6). – His authority extends from creation (Psalm 33:6) to redemption. Implications for daily life • Scripture carries the weight of God’s own voice; obedience is non-optional (James 1:22). • Moral absolutes remain firm even when culture shifts; believers anchor ethics to God’s unchanging word. • Confidence in Scripture’s sufficiency grows; “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). • Worship gains depth when recognizing that the Author of salvation also authored the commands that reveal His character. Supporting passages • Exodus 32:16 — “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God.” • Deuteronomy 9:10 — “Written with the finger of God.” • Psalm 19:7-8 — “The Law of the LORD is perfect… the commandments of the LORD are radiant.” • Luke 11:20 — “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” |
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