Exodus 8:16-19 (NLT):<\/strong><\/h4>\nSo the Lord said to Moses, \u201cTell Aaron, \u2018Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.\u2019\u201d So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. Pharaoh\u2019s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThis is the finger of God!\u201d the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh\u2019s heart remained hard. He wouldn\u2019t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.<\/em><\/p>\nObservations:<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe plague of gnats was the third plague which God sent on the land of Egypt.\u00a0 Pharaoh\u2019s magicians had duplicated the first two plagues \u2013 turning water to blood, and the infestation of frogs. So long as his magicians could do what Moses and Aaron were doing, Pharaoh had no reason to listen to them. \u00a0\u201cHe refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted\u201d (8:15b).<\/p>\n
However, when gnats spread throughout the land, the situation changed \u2013 because the magicians couldn\u2019t copy that. Pharaoh\u2019s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed.<\/em> Because they couldn\u2019t do the same thing, they had to come up with an explanation for it. And they did: This is the finger of God!<\/em><\/p>\nPharaoh didn\u2019t believe it \u2013 at least, he didn\u2019t believe it enough to change his heart. Pharaoh\u2019s heart remained hard.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.<\/em>\u00a0 Pharaoh\u2019s unbelief continued even after this. When God sent the plague of flies, in the last part of chapter 8, he excluded the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. That got Pharaoh\u2019s attention \u2013 for a moment \u2013 but as soon as the flies were gone, \u201cPharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go\u201d (8:32).<\/p>\nApplication:<\/strong><\/h3>\nEvery day, Christians attribute all sorts of actions and events to God. We believe that God is the Sovereign of the universe, and ultimately he is in charge of everything.\u00a0 Every day, unbelievers attribute those things to other forces \u2013 human decision, or the laws of nature. Most things can be explained without acknowledging God \u2013 and many people do just that.<\/p>\n
However, there comes a time when things happen that cannot be explained.\u00a0 Everyone makes a \u201cleap of faith\u201d in one direction or another. Some people talk about \u201cfate\u201d or \u201ckarma\u201d or \u201cthe universe.\u201d\u00a0 Others accept scientific theories which cannot be proven, because they do not want to acknowledge any superior force or being.\u00a0 Still others point to gods or goddesses of their own making. Of course, those of us who are followers of Jesus point toward God \u2013 \u201cthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Finger of God<\/em><\/h4>\nIn this passage, the magicians didn\u2019t hesitate to acknowledge it: This is the finger of God!<\/em> That doesn\u2019t mean that they had an understanding of who that God is, and it doesn\u2019t mean they were willing to worship him. But they at least acknowledged a power greater than their own, a power they could not explain.\u00a0 Pharaoh, however, refused to take that step. Instead of believing, or even acknowledging the possibility that God was behind this, he hardened his heart.<\/p>\nAs followers of Jesus, we interact with people who are at all different stages on this continuum of belief. Some harden themselves, even to the point of belligerency \u2013 like Pharaoh. Others accept the idea of some greater \u201cforce\u201d or \u201cpower\u201d in the universe, but believe that it\u2019s up to everyone to figure that out on their own. History is full of examples of those \u201chomemade\u201d explanations.\u00a0 Only the message of the Bible stands the test of time.<\/p>\n
Whether we look at big events or the personal miracles that occur each day, the finger of God is all over the history of humanity. Rejecting him is not the mark of a superior intelligence; it is simply the choice of one type of faith over another. No other faith, no other explanation, offers meaning and purpose and hope. The finger of God is not only on the world; his fingerprints are on us.<\/strong><\/p>\nPrayer:<\/strong><\/h3>\nFather, thank you for reminding us of your active involvement in our world \u2013 in ways both large and small. Help us to live in the hope that you give us, that there is meaning and purpose to it all. Thank you for reminding us that you are at work for our good in every circumstance.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean that every situation is<\/strong> good; it simply means that you\u2019re at work for our good. <\/em><\/p>\nThank you for also reminding us that your good is not always accomplished in ways that are pleasant for us. The Israelites had to live with the blood, the frogs, and the gnats just as the Egyptians did. Help us to remember that your ways are right, and to trust you each day.\u00a0 Help us to recognize \u201cthe finger of God\u201d in all the things that we experience each day.\u00a0 Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scripture:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exodus, chapters 6-8; Luke, chapter 23 Exodus 8:16-19 (NLT): So the Lord said to Moses, \u201cTell Aaron, \u2018Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.\u2019\u201d So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4741,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n