JOSEPH W. TKACH
April 1988
Dear Friend:
Thank you for your question concerning who wrote the Ten
Commandments on the two tables of stone.
Exodus 34:28 is often misunderstood. Notice what this verse
says: "... and HE wrote upon the tables the words of the
covenant, the ten commandments." Some have assumed the word "he"
here refers to Moses -- that Moses wrote the Ten Commandments on
the tables of stone.
This assumption is wrong. Notice Exodus 24:12. God told
Moses, "Come up to me into the mount ... and I will give thee
tables of stone ... and commandments which I have written." God
"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" (Ex. 31:18).
In Exodus 32:16 we read, "The tables were the work of God,
and THE WRITING WAS THE WRITING OF GOD, graven upon the tables."
Moses broke THESE FIRST TABLES of stone (verse 19). Then God
commanded 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" (Ex. 34:1). Here God
plainly said that HE would write them again.
Near the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, Moses
rehearsed in the ears of the Israelites the great things God had
done for them. He said, "These words the Lord spake unto all your
assembly in the mount ... and he [God] wrote them in two tables
of stone, and delivered them unto me" (Deut. 5:22). Those were
the first tables of stone, which Moses broke when he came down
from the mount and saw the people reveling in idolatry. Moses
then repeated to the Israelites the fact that GOD wrote the Ten
Commandments a second time (Deut. 10:1-5).
God, not Moses, wrote the Ten Commandments both times. Those
who claim that Moses wrote the Ten Commandments on the tables of
stone are denying the Word of God.
Whenever we may assist you further with your study of the
Bible, we hope you will let us know. It is a pleasure to serve
you.
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT
PASTOR GENERAL