As the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18) Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai as God laid out his laws for Israel. When he was finished, God wrote his Commandments on tablets of stone for Moses to carry back with him. The stone tablets were “written by the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). This was the law by which men would be judged by God. It was this same law that the Pharisees quoted in the Temple courts when they brought an adulterous woman before Jesus. “‘Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’” (John 8:4-5). The question was an attempt to discredit Jesus.
The woman was irrelevant to their agenda—just a pawn used to try and corner the elusive King. You can almost hear them taunting Jesus. “You know the law, don’t you Jesus? The one that God gave to us—the law that he wrote in stone with his own finger?” And what is Jesus’ response?
He bends down and begins to write in the sand. Scripture doesn’t tell us what he wrote, only that he wrote with his finger. The inscription was irrelevant, but the act was as significant as Jesus himself. God has come in the flesh, and now he stands before an angry mob. A mob that is bent on wrath and “justice.” And once again God begins to write. Only this time the message is not one of judgment and condemnation but mercy. “He stood up again and said, ‘All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!’” (John 8:7). The crowds are silenced, and again Jesus bends to write in the sand.
In one single act of symbolism God takes his finger and rewrites the fate of humanity. The Law that was once written in stone will now be written on our heart. The God who laid out the punishment for sin has now come to earth to take our punishment upon himself. The finger that once condemned now pardons. “Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” Jesus asked the woman. “‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more’” (John 8:10-11)
Jesus has spoken to you today. He does not condemn you. Go and sin no more.
Michael Hogg, Ed.S.
Pastor Brownstown Christian Church
"Transforming lives through Christ, one life at a time"