Connect Exodus 32:16 with Jesus' fulfillment of the law in Matthew 5:17. Divine Origin of the Law — Exodus 32:16 - “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” - Every detail—stone, shape, letters—came directly from the hand of God. - The tablets were a tangible sign that the Law is perfect, complete, and unchangeable because its Author is perfect, complete, and unchangeable (Psalm 19:7; James 1:17). Jesus Upholds That Perfection — Matthew 5:17 - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.” - Fulfill means to fill to the brim, bring to its intended goal, embody every demand without diminishing a single stroke of it (Matthew 5:18). - Jesus does not discard the tablets; He lives them out flawlessly (Hebrews 4:15). How the Two Passages Connect - Both passages place God Himself at the center of the Law’s authority. • Exodus 32:16: God crafts and writes. • Matthew 5:17: God the Son completes and personifies. - The tablets reveal the Law’s divine origin; Jesus reveals its divine destination. - What God engraved in stone, Jesus engraves on hearts through the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3). Key Observations - Permanence • Stone tablets symbolize unbreakable standards. • Jesus fulfills permanently, “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). - Authority • Written by God → absolute. • Lived by God-in-flesh → unquestionable. - Continuity • Same Law, same Author, same moral demands. • Christ’s fulfillment doesn’t erase but completes, allowing believers to walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Why It Matters Today - Confidence: The Law’s divine origin and Christ’s fulfillment assure us Scripture is trustworthy from Genesis to Revelation. - Clarity: We see the Law’s purpose—to point to Christ (Galatians 3:24)—not to create confusion. - Calling: Because Jesus met every requirement, we are free to obey from love, not fear (John 14:15). More Scripture to Explore - Psalm 40:7–8 — prophetic anticipation of Christ’s delight in God’s Law. - Colossians 2:14 — Jesus takes the record of debt, not the moral Law, out of the way. - Hebrews 8:10 — God writes His Law on our hearts. |
    |