Moses breaks the Tablets

[Sopranette]

What is the lesson to be learned from Moses breaking the first set of tablets(tables)? Why was Moses' face shining when he came back down with the second set, and why were the people afraid of him?

love,

Sopranette

 

[preachinjesus]

Don't drink alcohol...at least maybe that's why his face was shining

 

[tinytim]

The first thing off the top of my head is... Moses is just like us...
He was not God.

The thing about his face shining has to do with him being around God's glory.

 

[Sopranette]

It makes me nervous just to accidentally drop my bible on the floor. I can only imagine how angry Moses would have had to be in order to smash the tablets with the Word of God on them, right after Moses had had a one on One with Him.
So, I'm wondering...was there more that just anger behind breaking the tablets?

love,

Sopranette

 

[Sopranette]

It just seems so out of character for Moses, to me. The man had infinite patience!

love,

Sopranette

 

[Rubato 1]

He may have been trying to get the people's attention. Hey! It worked!

 

[preachinjesus]

It just seems so out of character for Moses, to me. The man had infinite patience!

or you can consider Mel Brooks' take...

 

[Sopranette]

You two....:tongue3:

Any SERIOUS takers here?

love,

Sopranette

 

[KJVkid]

It just seems so out of character for Moses, to me. The man had infinite patience! by Sopranette

Moses and infinite patience? Ex.2:12, Num.16:15, Num.20:10 "infinite" patience raying:

 

[Sopranette]

Not good examples, KJV Kid. There is a time for righteous indignation, and when Moses saw the people disrespect the Lord, yes, he got angry. But for a man who had to drag all these people kicking and screaming, moaning and complaining, through the desert for forty years, yeah, he gets my prize for keeping his cool!
Although it is interesting why Moses got away with killing that Egyptian, but that's another possible thread.

Sopranette

 

[Aaron]

What is the lesson to be learned from Moses breaking the first set of tablets(tables)?

The Commandments were broken before they were even given. His act of breaking the tables was merely an outward symbol of an inward reality.

Why was Moses' face shining when he came back down with the second set,

He was shining because He was in the presence of God's shekinah glory.

[trivia]This passage was mistranslated in the past to read that Moses had horns on his head when he came down, and not a few famous works of art depict moses with something like ram's horns.

http://www.romaviva.com/Santa-Maria-Maggiore/moses.htm[/trivia]

and why were the people afraid of him?

A shining being descending from a mountain from which emanated thunderings and lightnings and boded death to all who ascended (all symbols of the Law and what it brings)—who wouldn't be afraid?

Besides, they knew the judgment that awaited them.

 

[grace56]

We just went through a Bible study on Exodus and here's some of what we learn about the incident you are writing about.

Moses threw down the original stone tablets of the law in anger when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf, these tablets contained the law,the ten Commandments, written with the finger of God ( Exodus 31:18). The breaking of the stone tablets signified that God's people had broken the covenant just made on Mt Sinai, Now in Exodus 34 the Lord has Moses cut two stone tablets so that His law can once again be written down. This time, however it will not be God's hand that writed them, but Moses' hand (Exodus 34: 27-28) Having Moses write the covenant law on a new stone tablet shows God's gracious mercy in even after their grave apostsy and sin. The Lord desires His people to turn back to Him and know His mercy.

I hope that helps a bit.

grace56

 

[tinytim]

It just seems so out of character for Moses, to me. The man had infinite patience!

love,

Sopranette

Yeah, hitting that rock twice was really patient!!!
Killing the Egyptian was really patient...

I am surprised to see him speaking for the NRA... what with his record of murder...

 

[Amy.G]

Yeah, hitting that rock twice was really patient!!!
Killing the Egyptian was really patient...

Not to mention he argued with God repeatedly.

I am surprised to see him speaking for the NRA... what with his record of murder...

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[David Lamb]

It makes me nervous just to accidentally drop my bible on the floor. I can only imagine how angry Moses would have had to be in order to smash the tablets with the Word of God on them, right after Moses had had a one on One with Him.
So, I'm wondering...was there more that just anger behind breaking the tablets?

love,

Sopranette

I take the act as a sign of Moses' "righteous anger" as he came down from meeting God "one on One" on the mountain, to the spectacle of the people worshipping the golden calf, dancing and carousing around it. Unlike his impatience in striking the rock (thus going beyond God's instructions), God does not (as far as I know) reprimand or punish Moses for breaking the tablets. Consider the dialogue between Moses and God which follows the breaking of the tablets, in Exodus 32.31-35:

31 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!
32 "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin––but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
33 And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
34 "Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin."
35 So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

​

I wonder if you should really be so nervous about accidentally dropping your bible. God looks on the heart. If you threw bibles to the floor with the intention in your heart of dishonouring God and His Word, that would be a different matter. But if your bible slips from your grasp accidentally, God, Who knows all things, knows that you meant no dishonour.

 

[Sopranette]

So the commandments were already broken before Moses came down the first time. Hmmm, yes, you're right. Thank you!

And dropping my bible accidentally is not wrong, I won't be punished for it, but still, it makes my heart skip a beat!

Moses still gets my vote for having oodles of patience. He argued with God when God seemed about to bring the destruction of His people, and Moses came to their aid. Whew! That took huzpah (sp.?)!

love,

Sopranette

 

[blackbird]

I'm joing the discussion late here ---- hope folks don't mind

Moses is one of my favorite "Charactor study's" of the Bible

Patience?? At times it seems he had it---but he lost it just as quick

From early on he knew he'd be God's deliverer---he thought at times he could single handedly deliver---------then again----he would think----I can't go see Pharoah by my self---its gonna take someone bigger than me

Then at times---he'd notice the Hebrews "misbehaving" and would tell God----"God!!! I'm gonna kill every one of um with my bear hands!!!!!" and God would say----"Can't let 'cha do that, Moses!!! I love um too much!!!!"

Then at other times----God would notice the Hebrews "misbehaving" and God would tell Moses---"Moses!!! I'm gonna kill every one of um with my bear hands!!!!" and Moses would say---"Please have mercy just this once---my love for them is too great for me not to ask you to spare them!!!"

More later

 

[Sopranette]

Lol! Yes, that's pretty much how it went, blackbird!

love,

Sopranette

 

[Aaron]

The testimony of the Scripture concerning Moses was that he was the most meek of all men on earth, (Num. 12:3).

Meekness is power under control.

We do not do well to marginalize his character pointing to events when he didn't appear to act with meekness under the murmurings, provocations, and railing accusations faced on almost a daily basis from the stiff-necked and disobedient people he was called to lead.

I know of no one on this board or in this life who could keep it together as well as Moses did.

 

[blackbird]

The testimony of the Scripture concerning Moses was that he was the most meek of all men on earth, (Num. 12:3).

Meekness is power under control.

We do not do well to marginalize his character pointing to events when he didn't appear to act with meekness under the murmurings, provocations, and railing accusations faced on almost a daily basis from the stiff-necked and disobedient people he was called to lead.

I know of no one on this board or in this life who could keep it together as well as Moses did.

I like this response and observation!!!

I got to thinking the other day----Moses was meek---gentle---power under control----harnessed power, if you would

Harnessed power----as in a power generating facility---the fire in the furnace produces something---gives us electricity

unharnessed power--as in a forest fire---takes away things---as in wildlife and plants and trees

The fire in the furnace is harnessed

The fire in the forest is unharnessed

Thus Moses---in his meekness---had power under control

Something I've thought about concerning Moses and his meekness--power under control

Remember when the Hebrews molded that calf from that gold??? Then Moses comes---what did Moses do with that molded calf???

He ground it to powder----mixed it in water and made the people drink it!!!

How in "Sam Hill" did he do that???

How did he "make" the people drink it----how did he have the capacity to "make" over a million people drink it

I mean---I'm sittin' here thinkin'----ain't no way Moses would've made me drink that junk---but if I were there---I would've drank it just like everyone else

His power----unharnessed----killed an Egyptian

Hiw power---harnessed----forced the Hebrews to drink----a million people all at the same time

Moses was some kind of man, wasn't he---God's power harnessed to his life---I mean---you harness up a plow mule, he can pull a house down---but the same mule unharnessed and out of control----you can't hold him in with a barbed wire fence!!!!!