Exodus 34:1–2: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain.'”

December 8th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

As Moses came down the mountain, he saw the idolatry and immorality the people had fallen into, and he smashed the 2 tablets of the law. He broke the physical tablets because the people had broken them spiritually. It was a simple illustration of what had already been revealed in the hearts of the people. But God told Moses to cut 2 more tablets and come back up the mountain. Moses was about to receive another revelation from the Lord, as God graciously re-established the covenant that His people had deliberately broken through the golden-calf apostasy.

The tablets of God’s law had not even made it down the mountain before the people had broken them. But that should not surprise us because that is the purpose of the law of God. It is designed to show us exactly what is in our black hearts. Although, “I’m OK, you’re OK,” is a popular saying, the truth is we are not OK! And because we are not OK, we are constantly breaking the spirit of God’s law. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul said the law serves as a teacher to drive us to grace: “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24).

Paul used an interesting Greek word for tutor. In that culture the tutor was not the child’s teacher precisely, but the slave who cared for his master’s children. From the time the children were around the age of 6 or 7 until they reached puberty, the trusted slave would escort the child to school, making sure the child was learning his lessons. Once the child grew up, he was no longer required to obey this slave. But until then, this slave was personally responsible for the child’s safety, protecting him from any bad company. This is a beautiful picture of how the law (the slave) is an attendant to lead us to Jesus. It is the finger pointing us to Jesus, “that we might be justified by faith.” And when we receive Jesus, we receive His permanent, indwelling Spirit. As the Apostle Paul said, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Rom. 8:11, NLT).

“LORD, lead us this day in Your ways. Keep our feet on Your path for our lives we pray.”