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Daily Devotions

It Is Written

It Is Written 
Day 
Day 13

"Write these words..."

Text: Exodus 34:27

THE BREAKING OF THE TWO TABLETS OF STONE

After being in Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, God gave to Moses the Ten Commandments. However, when Moses came down from the mountain he saw many people worshipping a golden calf. He was so angry that he broke the two tablets of stone (Exodus 32:19).

A DESPERATE PLEA TO THE LORD GOD

Moses pleaded with the LORD to spare the children of Israel (Exodus 32-34). God relented and asked Moses to come up to Mount Sinai once again. Moses’ intercession for Israel was successful. He would spend another forty days and forty nights with the LORD (Exodus 34:28).

THE WRITING OF THE SECOND SET OF TABLETS

There are a couple of statements that relate directly to the second set of stone. Commentators are divided in their opinion concerning these statements.

“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.'”
Exodus 34:1

“Then the LORD said to Moses,
“Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words
I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights;
he neither ate bread nor drank water.
And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the Ten Commandments.”
Exodus 34:27-28

1. The first statement

a) The LORD said that He would write on the second set of stone tablets.
b) Moses’ part was to cut the new stone tablets.

2. The second statement

a) The LORD told Moses to write.
b) In the NKJV text, the third personal pronoun was put in Capital letters “He”.

3. The discrepancy

a) The word “He” would refer to God doing the writing.
b) But the flow of thought from Exodus 34:27-28 suggests that Moses was commanded to write.

4. Is there a significant difference?

a) Essentially there is NO difference.
b) The contents have not changed.
c) The Ten Commandments remained the same… they are the words of God’s covenant with Israel.