What significance do the stone tablets hold in 2 Chronicles 5:10 for believers today? Setting the Scene “Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.” (2 Chronicles 5:10) What Was in the Ark? • Two stone tablets inscribed by “the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). • The covenant summary—Ten Commandments—given at Sinai (Deuteronomy 10:1-5). • Previously, the jar of manna and Aaron’s rod had also been kept in the ark (Hebrews 9:4), but by Solomon’s day only the tablets remained, highlighting their primacy. Why Only the Tablets Remain • God’s covenant word endures; objects of provision and discipline (manna, rod) served temporal purposes. • The focus shifts from God sustaining Israel in the wilderness to God dwelling among His people in the finished Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). • The tablets anchor worship in revealed truth, not ritual accessories. Symbolic Weight for Ancient Israel • Covenant Foundation – The tablets were the legal document binding Israel to the LORD (Exodus 25:16). • Divine Authorship – Written by God Himself, underscoring absolute authority. • Central Placement – Located in the Most Holy Place, they shaped national identity and moral life. New Covenant Reflections • Fulfilled in Christ – Jesus affirmed and completed the law (Matthew 5:17). • Internalized Covenant – “ ‘I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:33) • Spirit-Written Hearts – “Not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3) Lessons for Believers Today • Treasure God’s Word – As the tablets were central in the Temple, Scripture must remain central in personal and congregational life. • Submit to Divine Authority – Commands are not suggestions; they reveal God’s holy character and our need for grace. • Depend on the Mediator – As Moses mediated the first covenant, Christ mediates the new and better covenant, granting righteousness we could never earn. • Live From the Heart – Obedience flows not from external stone but from hearts transformed by the Spirit. Walking It Out • Read and memorize Scripture regularly; place it “in the ark” of your heart. • Evaluate practices and traditions—do they rest on God’s written revelation? • Let the permanence of the stone tablets remind you that God’s moral standards do not shift with culture. • Rejoice that the same God who wrote on stone now writes on your heart, enabling joyful obedience through Jesus Christ. |
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