Moses Receives the Ten Commandments
From Exodus 24:9 onward, Moses went up the mountain a second time for the Ten Commandments, which God wrote with His own fingers. These commandments were broken by Moses when he saw Israel’s sin but were later rewritten.
Exodus 34:1-4
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning, and come up unto mount Sinai.
3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount.
4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him.
Exodus 34:28
28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
The Second Ascent of Moses
Exodus 24:9-18
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone.
11 And upon the nobles of Israel he laid not his hand; also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: behold, Aaron and Hur are with you.
15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
The Placement of the Book of the Covenant
Deuteronomy 31:24-26
24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,
26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
Explanation:
The Book of the Covenant, containing 613 laws, was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant, never inside it.
The Significance in the New Testament
Hebrews 9:1-28 (summary)
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The first covenant had ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary (v.1-10).
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Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary by His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (v.11-12).
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The blood of Christ purges the conscience from dead works (v.13-14).
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Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, replacing the first testament (v.15-28).
Key Distinction Between the Two
| Feature | Book of the Covenant | Ten Commandments |
|---|---|---|
| Written by | Moses (dictated by God) | God’s fingers |
| Number of laws | 613 | 10 |
| Contents | Laws, sacrifices, offerings | Moral commandments |
| Placement | Beside the Ark | Inside the Ark |
| Purpose | Governs ritual and civil conduct | Governs moral conduct |
Conclusion
The Book of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments are distinct:
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The Book of the Covenant includes 613 laws, rituals, and sacrifices, kept beside the Ark.
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The Ten Commandments are written by God Himself and kept inside the Ark.
Exodus 24:18 reinforces that Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain specifically for the Ten Commandments, separate from the Book of the Covenant.
The Giving of the Ten Commandments
Exodus 31:18
“And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”
This verse makes it very clear that the Ten Commandments were written by God Himself and were not dictated like the Book of the Covenant. Moses spent forty days and forty nights with God to receive them.
What happened to the first two tables of the Ten Commandments?
Exodus 32:1-35
While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the people grew impatient with his delay. They asked Aaron to make gods for them. Aaron collected their gold, fashioned a molten calf, and the people worshiped it.
God informed Moses of their sin and threatened to destroy them, but Moses interceded, asking God to spare the people. When Moses descended from the mountain with the two tables of testimony in hand, he saw the people worshiping the calf. In anger, Moses threw the tablets to the ground and broke them.
Moses then destroyed the golden calf, grinding it to powder, mixing it with water, and making the people drink it. He confronted Aaron about the sin, and the sons of Levi were called to punish the offenders, resulting in about three thousand men dying that day.
The next day, Moses again pleaded with God to forgive the people, even offering himself to be blotted out of God’s book in their place. God responded that He would punish those who sinned against Him and then instructed Moses to lead the people forward, promising His angel would go before them.
God’s Writing of the Ten Commandments
Exodus 24:12
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
This verse shows that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments already written on the two stone tablets.
Exodus 24:22
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
God communicated His commandments to Moses from above the mercy seat, between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant.
Deuteronomy 5
Moses recounts that God wrote the Ten Commandments twice with His own finger, each time after Moses spent forty days and forty nights with God. The words were spoken by God to all the assembly from the midst of fire, cloud, and thick darkness. God added nothing to these words and delivered them to Moses on two stone tablets.
Exodus 34:1
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakes.”
After Moses broke the first tablets in anger over Israel’s sin with the golden calf, God instructed him to prepare two new tablets, upon which He would write the Ten Commandments again.
Deuteronomy 5–6
God gave Israel instructions regarding the Ten Commandments, emphasizing their importance:
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Observance of the seventh-day Sabbath (5:12-15)
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Teaching the commandments to children in all daily life (6:1-9)
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Not to test or provoke God as at Meribah and Massah (6:15)
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To adhere strictly to the commandments (6:17)
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To write them on doorposts and gates (11:20)
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Not to add or remove from God’s Word (12:32)
Revelation 11:19
The Ark of the Covenant, containing the Ten Commandments, is seen in heaven. This symbolizes God’s law and the ultimate fulfillment for those who keep His commandments.
The Ten Commandments Written on Believers’ Hearts
For true believers in Jesus Christ, the Ten Commandments are written not on physical stone but in the hearts and minds through the Holy Spirit by the blood of Christ (Romans 8:4). This is not the human heart as the world understands it, but the spiritual heart indwelt by God’s Spirit. Through walking in the Spirit, believers fulfill the righteousness of God’s law in their lives.
