Bible Studies

1 more thought from Exodus. God loves enactment parables. The Flood was one, the Exodus was one and Moses on Sinai is another. They run right through the Bible, Old and New Testaments. Anyway, picture this one. Stone is one of many earth figures for Israel/Jews. (Water and fish figures are Gentiles.) So, here we have Moses as the mediator of the Old Covenant, which is a covenant of grace through Law--moral, ceremonial/sacramental/sacrificial, civil--receiving the basic moral law in 10 Commandments, written by the finger of God (2nd Person of the Trinity in human form?) on 2 tablets of stone, front and back. Then after 40 days and nights (Israel's 40 centuries) with no food or water (a miracle!), Moses comes down and finds the Israelites sacrificing to the Golden Calf and engaging in other kinds of immorality. The moral law was broken. In anger, he shatters the 2 tablets. After dealing with that grave sin, he has to go up again for another 40 days and nights with no food or water (think of Jesus in the desert), to bring down a new pair of stone tablets. This time, Moses' face shines when he comes down and continues to shine, as he continues to talk to God.

 

In my mind, this is a clear enactment parable. The first 2 tablets represent Israel under the Old Covenant for 2000 years, 1970 BC to 30 AD. That covenant was shattered by the crucifixion and resurrection of Messiah Jesus. The second 2 tablets represent the New Israel (the Christian Church) under the New Covenant for 2000 years, 30 AD to 2030 AD. Jesus is more glorious than Moses and the operation of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant is more glorious than under the Old Covenant. The Christian Church is still under God's moral law but God's grace has been fulfilled in Messiah Jesus. (Re the Sabbath Commandment, I believe that the letter of the law is up to the individual Christian.)

 

The fronts and backs of the tablets may even indicate significance to every 500 years. It looks like this:

 

1970 BC: Abram

 

1470 BC: Moses

 

970 BC: King David dies.

 

470 BC: Israel restored and faithful

 

30 AD: King Jesus dies, is resurrected and ascends.

 

530 AD: Christian Church strong/major doctrines settled

 

1030 AD: The Cluniac Reform

 

1530 AD: The Protestant Reformation (The 4th "watch" of the 2000-year "night." The Sun/Son is gone.)

 

2030 AD: King Jesus' Second Coming

 

Anyway, food for thought.