What is the meaning of Exodus 34:28? So Moses was there with the LORD - The scene is Mount Sinai, a real place where the LORD had already revealed Himself in fire and cloud (Exodus 24:15–18). - Scripture presents Moses’ time in God’s presence as face-to-face communion (Exodus 33:11), underscoring that the covenant is rooted in a personal relationship, not mere ritual. - Deuteronomy 9:18 recalls the same episode, reinforcing its historicity and significance. - Being “with the LORD” shows God’s willingness to draw near to His people, anticipating the more intimate access later offered through Christ (Hebrews 4:16). forty days and forty nights - The exact span highlights completion and testing throughout Scripture: • Noah endured forty days of rain (Genesis 7:12). • Israel spied out Canaan forty days (Numbers 13:25). • Elijah traveled forty days to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). • Jesus fasted forty days before His public ministry (Matthew 4:2). - The repetition (“days and nights”) underscores totality—Moses stayed the entire period without break, demonstrating wholehearted devotion. without eating bread or drinking water - A literal supernatural fast; apart from divine sustenance, no one survives such duration. - Parallels Elijah’s and Jesus’ forty-day fasts, pointing to God’s unique empowerment for pivotal moments (1 Kings 19:8; Matthew 4:4). - Reminds Israel that “man does not live on bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3), spotlighting the sufficiency of God’s word and presence. He wrote on the tablets - The “He” refers to the LORD, as promised earlier that same day (Exodus 34:1; Deuteronomy 10:4). - God Himself carving the words cements their divine origin and unchangeable authority (Exodus 31:18). - The stone tablets symbolize permanence; God’s moral law is not fluid or culture-bound. the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments - The covenant is a binding, gracious arrangement initiated by God with His people (Exodus 24:7–8). - “Ten Commandments” (literally “ten words,” see Deuteronomy 4:13) sum up the entire moral law: • First four: love for God (Matthew 22:37–38). • Last six: love for neighbor (Matthew 22:39–40). - Written by God, received by Moses, and given to Israel, they reveal God’s character and His design for human flourishing, later written on believers’ hearts through the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3). summary Exodus 34:28 records a literal, historical meeting between Moses and the LORD on Sinai. For forty complete days and nights, Moses remained in God’s presence, supernaturally sustained without food or water. During that sacred time, the LORD Himself inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone, establishing the foundational covenant words for Israel and foreshadowing the enduring moral law fulfilled and internalized through Christ. |
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