What is the meaning of Exodus 31:18? When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai • The verse begins by marking a clear moment of completion: God’s verbal revelation to Moses has reached its end for this session (Exodus 24:18). • God speaks directly and audibly, underlining His personal involvement (Exodus 20:1; Hebrews 12:25). • Mount Sinai is a real place, and the event occurs in real time—forty days and nights of communion (Exodus 24:12-18). • The completeness of God’s words assures us that nothing was omitted or left unclear; Moses would soon carry perfect instructions to Israel (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony • “Gave” highlights grace; the Law is a divine gift, not a human achievement (Romans 3:2). • “Tablets of the Testimony” identify these stones as covenant documents—witnesses between God and His people (Exodus 25:16; Deuteronomy 31:26). • They encapsulate God’s moral standard for Israel and, by extension, reveal His character to every generation (Psalm 19:7-9). • That Moses receives them directly shows leadership under authority; even the prophet depends entirely on what God hands down (Numbers 12:6-8). Tablets of stone • Stone conveys permanence and durability; the commandments are meant to outlast shifting cultures (Isaiah 40:8). • Unlike papyrus or parchment, stone resists decay, underscoring the perpetual relevance of God’s moral law (Matthew 5:17-18). • The solid medium reminds us that God’s standards are not up for negotiation—He alone defines right and wrong (Malachi 3:6). Inscribed by the finger of God • The phrase signals direct, supernatural authorship; no human stylus shaped these words (Exodus 32:15-16; Deuteronomy 9:10). • Divine inscription guarantees inerrancy; what God writes is flawlessly true (2 Timothy 3:16). • God’s “finger” later appears in judgment (Daniel 5:5) and deliverance (Luke 11:20), pointing to His sovereign power to write history and hearts alike. • Because God Himself engraved the text, Israel could not dismiss it as merely Moses’ opinion—nor can we (Joshua 1:8). summary Exodus 31:18 presents a climactic moment where God finishes speaking, then personally hands Moses two stone tablets that He Himself engraved. The setting at Sinai underscores divine authority; the gift of tablets reveals covenant grace; the stone medium speaks of permanence; and the inscription by God’s own finger guarantees absolute accuracy. The verse reassures believers that the commandments originate from the unchanging, personal, and powerful God who still communicates with His people today. |
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