The Finger of God (Etzba Elohim)
-- T O R A H P O R T I O N --
Introduction:
Was there a point in your life when you said, “I surrender—this is the work of God”?
Last week, God made Himself known to the children of Israel by bringing them out from the burdens of the Egyptians, rescuing them from bondage, redeeming them with an outstretched arm, taking them as His people, being their God, and finally bringing them into the land as a heritage. So Moshe spoke to the children of Israel, but they did not heed him because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
Verses 14–27 discuss the genealogy of Moshe and Aaron as descendants of Levi. These are the same Aaron and Moshe to whom God said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.” They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring Israel out of bondage.
Our Parasha starts with the instruction of God to Moshe and Aaron on how to release the first plague, not only over the waters of Egypt but also over their streams, rivers, ponds, and pools. My understanding here is that there’s an expansion of the plague. The Nile River was always the lifeblood of Egypt and was also considered a god named Hapi, the god of the flooding of the Nile. Commentators said this Hapi, also known as the lord of the river, brings vegetation and harvest as well.
When Aaron and Moshe lifted up the rod and struck the Nile, the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water. As Tim Hegg points out, “It is significant that the first plague was against the Nile, for it announced divine judgment against the Egyptians for the merciless killing of Israelite infant males at Pharaoh’s command”.
The death of fish and the stench of blood-filled waters were not natural phenomena like red algae, as some modern interpreters claim. Hegg argues that such explanations “overlook the fact that even the water in the wooden and stone vessels turned to blood.” This shows the act was not a coincidence but a miracle of direct divine intervention. The God who created the heavens and the earth had no difficulty transforming water into blood. The clear water preserved in Israelite containers only confirms the miracle—God’s people were untouched while judgment fell on Egypt.
I believe the reason why it turned into blood is that God would bring death to the land of Egypt, and that’s why all the firstborn of Egypt would die once the last plague was released. But eventually, for the children of Israel, the blood became a redemption. They were commanded to kill a lamb, take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood, and wipe it on the two doorposts of their houses (Exodus 12:21–23).
The second plague was the frogs, representing the goddess Heqt. According to commentators, the Egyptians considered frogs as a symbol of fertility. Egyptians believed that every time the frogs croak, it signals to the farmers that the land is fertile again. Of course, this is an insult to God, for only He can make the land fertile. Obviously, the Egyptians influenced the children of Israel to worship their gods. That’s why the instruction of God to Moshe was to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let Israel go so they could serve Him. When Pharaoh pleaded for relief, Moshe interceded, crying out to Adonai. At Pharaoh’s request, the frogs died exactly when Moshe prayed, proving that the timing and power of the event were fully in the hands of Israel’s God—not Egypt’s magicians. But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were gone, he hardened his heart again and refused to let the children of Israel go.
The third plague was gnats, representing the goddess Set, the god of desert storms. The first two plagues were related to water, but the third was related to the land. When Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, all the dust of the land became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. The Sages suggest Moshe did not strike the dust because he had once used it to cover the Egyptian he killed.
There was a famous fifth-century Greek historian named Herodotus, who believed that this plague was a message from God not only to Pharaoh but also to the Egyptian priests, who were sensitive to the presence of gnats and shaved their bodies to avoid any infestation.
The magicians once again attempted to duplicate the phenomenon, but were unable, and conceded to Pharaoh that ‘this is the finger of Elohim. Their admission was a breakthrough moment. Even Egypt’s spiritual experts could not imitate this act—it was beyond demonic mimicry. Pharaoh’s magicians, who had earlier counterfeited the miracles of God, were now forced to acknowledge His supremacy.
These first three plagues were just the beginning of God's mighty acts. Let’s take a look at how He deals with every plague. First, the Nile and frog plagues had a command from God to Moshe and Aaron to go to Pharaoh. It was a private approach, but every time Pharaoh hardened his heart, the plague spread publicly. Regarding the gnats plague, there was no command to go to Pharaoh, for Aaron immediately stretched out his rod to create the plague. Second, God dealt with the first three plagues by showing that He alone is God of the universe. Exodus 7:17 says, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD.” In Exodus 8:10 it says, “That you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.”
Since we are talking about the "finger of God", let us dig deeper on this.
The Hebrew word used here is ’etzba Elohim (אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים)—“the finger of God.” It signifies a precise, unmistakable act of divine authority. Later, the same phrase describes the writing of the Torah on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18).
This “finger” represents the specific touch of God—a targeted act of revelation or judgment. In contrast, when Scripture speaks of the hand (yad Adonai) or outstretched arm (zeroa netuyah), it conveys the fullness of God’s redemptive power.
Here, God is only beginning to act. It is as though He is saying to Pharaoh: “This is only My finger—My hand has not yet been stretched out.”
Now, going back to the statement of the magicians in verse 19, what are the things that God’s finger can do?
- It can expose the limitation of the enemy’s power. The third plague had no warning, and that’s why the magicians declared it was God’s finger—they could not copy it.
- It can remove the veil to see the truth about God. The magicians’ statement declares that the God of Israel is real, and their false gods couldn’t stand before Him. They witnessed God’s power and stopped duplicating the remaining plagues because they saw the truth about the words of Moshe and Aaron—that there is no one like the God of Israel.
Going back to the first plague, Pharaoh’s heart became hard (7:22), while in the second plague, he hardened his own heart (8:15). Then, the closing of our Torah portion says that Pharaoh’s heart grew hard (8:19).
Our hearts shouldn't be hard every time God corrects us. Instead, we should always be open and teachable. The author of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 4:7:
“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
When the finger of God moves, no power of man can resist it.
What plague or trial is God using to reveal Himself to you today?
The magicians saw the finger of God but did not repent. Will you recognize His hand at work and yield your heart to Him?
Exodus 8:19
“Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen.”
-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --
Our Haftarah portion opens with a striking image: God calling the nations to prepare for war. Verse 9 says, “Proclaim this among the nations: prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near.” It is as if Adonai is summoning the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat—not for their victory, but for their judgment.
Throughout Scripture, God’s acts of judgment against the nations are His means of vindicating His Name and restoring His people. What Egypt experienced through the plagues, the nations will face in the Day of the LORD.
Just as Pharaoh and his magicians could not resist the “finger of God” in Egypt, so the nations will not withstand His hand in the end. God’s ultimate purpose in judgment is redemptive—He demonstrates His justice to preserve His covenant promises to Israel and to reveal His holiness to the world.
Verses 15–16 declare:
“The sun and the moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
Yeshua quoted these same signs in Matthew 24:29–30 to describe His return. In both Exodus and Joel, the pattern is clear: darkness before deliverance. Before redemption, the heavens shake, but for God’s people, that shaking means salvation and refuge.
When the nations are judged, the faithful remnant of Israel will be purified and restored: “God’s justice is always balanced with His mercy, for His purpose is not destruction but revelation—so that all may know that He alone is God.”
Verse 17 gives this glorious promise: “Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
The “finger of God” that once exposed Egypt’s false gods now points to a final day when every nation will know that Yeshua reigns. His touch will bring judgment to the wicked, but refuge and renewal to His people.
The same God who judged Egypt will one day judge the nations. Yet, He promises to be a shelter for those who belong to Him.
The same finger that writes judgment on the nations engraves mercy upon Zion.
When God shakes the nations, where will you stand—in fear or in faith?
God’s judgments are not random, they are invitations to repentance. Will you take refuge in His covenant love through Yeshua, or resist His correction as Pharaoh did?
Joel 3:16
“But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --
In our Apostolic portion, the Apostle Paul quotes Exodus 9:16 to illustrate God’s absolute sovereignty:
“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared in all the earth.’”
Pharaoh’s hardened heart was not a surprise to God—it was part of His divine plan. The ten plagues reveal not only Pharaoh’s rebellion but also God’s patience and mercy. Pharaoh’s resistance became the stage for God’s revelation. Through his obstinance, God displayed both His justice and His power to deliver.
Paul uses Pharaoh’s story to teach that God’s sovereignty is never arbitrary. His mercy and hardening both serve His redemptive purposes. Hegg beautifully puts it: “God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was not to destroy without cause, but to display the futility of rebellion and the certainty of His covenant promises.”
Pharaoh ruled Egypt, but God ruled Pharaoh. Through the hardness of one man’s heart, the glory of God’s Name was proclaimed across the earth.
This same divine principle is still true: God can use even resistance and unbelief to reveal His majesty. Those who oppose Him often become instruments to magnify His holiness.
In this way, the plagues were not only judgments—they were proclamations of sovereignty. Each act declared, “There is no other God besides Me.”
The Apostle Paul reminds believers that the same God who raised Pharaoh for His purpose now raises us in Messiah for His purpose— and that is to make His Name known among the nations.
Yes, Pharaoh, as king of Egypt, had power over the land of Egypt. But God is more powerful over the whole world, for He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Through His mighty finger, He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens.
As a result of Pharaoh's hardened heart, God was able to spare His people, and His power became a testimony throughout the earth.
Pharaoh’s experience reminds us that God gives time for repentance, to reveal people’s wickedness, and to warn them of judgment unless they make teshuvah (repentance).
Pharaoh’s life teaches that resisting God’s will does not stop His plan, it only hardens the heart. But surrendering to His sovereignty leads to transformation.
The finger of God writes both mercy and judgment upon the tablets of human hearts.
Is God writing correction or confirmation in your life today? How will you respond to His touch?
Every act of God—whether in discipline or deliverance—is a call to know Him more deeply. Let His finger guide you, not resist you.
Romans 9:17
“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
The connection of our Parasha is about the mighty act of God’s finger. In the Torah, through the third plague, the magicians declare that it was God’s finger because they couldn’t imitate. In the Haftarah, the finger of God brings judgement to the wicked nations, but brings hope and shelter to His people. In Apostolic, God raised up Pharaoh so He could show His mighty finger in Him, so His name may be declared in all the earth.
Back to my introduction...
When God’s truth is denied or His revelation diminished, the shadows of deception grow. This is why the enemy always seeks to discredit Scripture and distort the divine identity of Yeshua. Maybe some of us have already recognized the finger of God, just like the magicians of Pharaoh. When God’s truth is denied or His revelation diminished, the shadows of deception grow. This is why the enemy always seeks to discredit Scripture and distort the divine identity of Yeshua.God’s finger is active in correcting us from our mistakes, reminding us when we forget to obey His words, and calling our attention every time we get off track. If you are now experiencing one of these, do not harden your heart. The more we recognize God’s finger, the more we can follow His lead.
God’s finger brings judgment to the proud, revelation to the blind, and redemption to those who surrender to His will.
Recognize His touch not as punishment, but as purpose. The God who writes His commandments on tablets of stone now desires to engrave His Torah upon your heart through the Ruach HaKodesh (Jeremiah 31:33).
Let your life bear the mark of His touch—where His finger points, may you follow.
Hebrews 3:12–13
“Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Hebrews 4:7 (TLV)
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
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Sources:
aish.com
belfastbiblecollege.com
rts.edu
thefellowship.site
zondervanacademic.com
etzion.org.il
torahmates.org
torahresource.com
armstronginstitute.org
thebiblesays.com
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