Page 87 - Laying Down the Law

The Law of Liberty

ave you ever considered why the Law delivered to Moses was written on tablets
Hof stone? The stone tablets symbolized man’s heart. Yahweh provided a parable
to show His people what would happen when His law is written on stony hearts. The
immediate, and irresistible, result is that the Law is broken.
Before the Law was written, Yahweh spoke His commandments to the children
of Israel. In their naivete they believed they could keep the commandments of
Yahweh. They said, “All the words which Yahweh has said, we will do” (Exodus 24:3).
Yahweh chose to reveal the truth of the matter through the form of a parable. He
recorded His Law on tablets of stone and delivered them to the hands of Moses.

Deuteronomy 9:10
“Yahweh gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on
them were all the words which Yahweh had spoken with you at the mountain
from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.”

The word rendered in English as “written” is the Hebrew kathab. It literally
means “to grave or inscribe.” I believe the use of this word reveals that the Law of God
was literally engraved into the stone tablets by the finger of God. Yahweh’s commands
were not simply written on the surface as with ink. This parallels Yahweh’s effort to
put His Law deep inside the stone heart of man. He knew it wouldn’t work. He
wanted man to understand that it would not work.
Moses had just received the Law when Yahweh instructed him to hurry and
return down the mountain. The people who had said they would do all the words of
God were grossly violating His commandments. Moses descended to find Aaron
serving the people before the golden calf. The people were unrestrained, acting
immorally, and bringing reproach to God. When Moses saw this he cast the tablets
of the Law to the ground, breaking them into pieces.
This was no rash action on Moses’ part. He had just spent forty days in the
presence of the holy God. The glory of Yahweh was upon him. His actions were
inspired by God. Moses completed the parable. Yahweh was revealing that it was
impossible to set His Law in stony hearts. Attempting to do so would always result in
the Law being broken.
Immediately following the tablets of the Law being broken, Moses commanded
the Levites to slay their brothers, neighbors and friends. The Levites became the
ministers of the Law following this event. In truth, they were already acting as its
ministers when they went about slaying men without partiality. Those who minister
the Law of Moses must of necessity be ministers of condemnation and death, for this
is the ministry of the Law. The Law of Moses is rightfully called the Law of sin and
death.