Lesson 12: New Stone Tablets
Exodus 34, 35
Moses had won God’s promise to accompany the people on their journey, but would he forgive the people their sins? The answer came when God ordered Moses to prepare two new tablets for this meant he would replace the tablets Moses had broken. God would renew the covenant! The fact that God renewed the covenant is evidence he forgave His people and gave them a new beginning. He also repeated the previous instructions, especially the laws about idolatry. But the important thing was, the people were back in the good graces of God, albeit on a probationary status, and their journey to Canaan could resume once again.
Read 34:29-35
1. What was the condition of Moses face when he came down the mountain with the new tablets? _____________________________________________________________________
2. What was the reaction of the people to Moses’ appearance? ________________________
3. How can people around you tell that you have been in the presence of God?
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4. Why did Moses wear a veil? ____________________________________________________
Read 35:1-3
5. How many days were the people to work? ________________________________________
6. How was the seventh day described? ____________________________________________
7. What does the phrase, “a day of rest to the Lord” mean to you? _______________________
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8. What was the penalty for violating the Sabbath? ___________________________________
9. Doesn’t this seem rather severe? _______________________________________________
10. How should we observe the Sabbath? __________________________________________
11. Does the Sabbath have to be on Sunday? ________________________________________
12. For a person who has to work on Sunday, what would be an acceptable alternative to observing the Sabbath? __________________________________________________________
13. Should observing the Sabbath be a matter of commitment or convenience?
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14. What are some activities other than church which we might do that help us to observe the Sabbath? _____________________________________________________________________
15. What is the value of a “family altar” in both practice and instructing us to observe the Sabbath? _____________________________________________________________________
16. How do you observe the Sabbath? _____________________________________________
We who live so many years after the events of the Exodus are exposed to many of the same conditions encounter by the Israelites as they made their way to Canaan. The idolatry and immorality of the peoples they met and confronted is very much like we face today. While they faced the “Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivities and Jebusites” we face drug pushers, pornographers, child molesters, unscrupulous sales persons, situation ethics, worshipers of false gods, fake preachers, Satanists, wife beaters, murderers, thieves and a host of other evil doers who seek to destroy our faith and our witness. Our hope is the same as the Children of Israel, believe that God is who he said he is and that he will do what he said he will do. One of the ways we can show our true faith is to observe the Sabbath and a show of our love and respect to God.