What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 10:3? So I made an ark of acacia wood - After the sin of the golden calf, Moses immediately obeys God’s specific instruction (Exodus 25:10–22; Deuteronomy 10:1). Obedience follows repentance. - Acacia is hardy and resistant to decay. The choice underlines the enduring nature of God’s covenant. - The ark will house the testimony, symbolizing God’s holy presence among His people (Numbers 10:33; Hebrews 9:4). - Building begins with what God told Moses first: create a place for His word before receiving it again. God’s priorities shape ours. Chiseled out two stone tablets like the originals - God had said, “Carve out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them” (Exodus 34:1). Moses copies the original shape, showing the law itself has not changed though Israel has sinned. - The fresh tablets testify to both continuity and mercy: same commands, renewed relationship (Psalm 103:8–10; Lamentations 3:22–23). - Stone speaks of permanence (Isaiah 40:8). God’s moral law is not negotiable or time-bound. - Moses does the chiseling; only God will write. Human effort prepares the heart, but divine revelation supplies the words (2 Corinthians 3:3). And went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands - Moses ascends Sinai again at God’s call (Exodus 34:2). The scene repeats but now with hope instead of judgment. - Carrying the tablets himself pictures personal responsibility for God’s word (Deuteronomy 6:6; James 1:22). - Going up alone highlights the unique mediatorial role Moses holds, foreshadowing the greater Mediator who would ascend to intercede for us (Hebrews 9:24). - Hands full of stone law show the weight of divine standards; yet God will soon describe Himself as “compassionate and gracious” (Exodus 34:6), balancing holiness with mercy. summary Deuteronomy 10:3 records Moses’ careful obedience after Israel’s failure. He first provides a durable ark, chisels replacement tablets identical to the shattered ones, and climbs Sinai bearing them for God to inscribe. The verse teaches that God’s law is unchanging, His mercy offers restoration, and our proper response is prompt, exact obedience that treasures His word and relies on His grace. |
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