God’s Words on Stone Exodus 20:3, 4, 5
1St. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”
2nd. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.”
Those are the first two of the ten rules, or commandments, God gave to the people of Israel. The first stones on which God had written them were broken by Moses, and God told him to cut out other stones and bring them up Mt. Sinai. Moses did, and from the cloud of glory God gave him the same words again. Moses carried those stones down to the people, and read the words to them (Exo. 34:1-5, 27, 28; Deut. 10:1-6). Those stones were, no doubt flat slabs, and the words cut, or graven, on them. Moses placed them in a chest, or ark, made to hold them, which we read much of later, and which was safely kept many, many years by the nation of Israel.
The people learned the words on the stones and taught them to their children (Deut. 6:6-10). They are also called the testimony, or covenant, of God with Israel, and taught them exactly what was right in honor to God, and for the good of their families and neighbors. If they did not keep the rules, they were to be punished.
But the words on stone did not promise life with God in heaven: they were how to live on earth. For life in heaven, they could trust to God’s mercy only.
To be continued.
ML 05/02/1937