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Friday of the Second Week of Easter
Daily Lectionary: Exodus 31:1-18; Luke 6:1-19
And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are many more than Ten Commandments. After those initial words, God has instructions and ordinances for nearly every aspect of Israelite social and liturgical life. And the consequences for breaking these laws are often severe. “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:15b).
The phrase “the finger of God,” is another way of saying, “the Spirit of God,” in the Bible (compare Luke 11:20 and Matthew 12:28). So the Law was written by the Spirit of God in letters on the tablets of stone. And death is the consequence for breaking any of them.
St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “[We are] ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory” (2 Corinthians 3:6b-9).
The Spirit of God is a two-edged sword. His Law, written on tablets of stone, has an exceeding glory—far above any other ministry on earth. But its glory doesn’t come from telling you how you should live; it tells you that you must die. This is a glorious thing, because it prepares you for the even greater glory of an even greater ministry—the ministry of righteousness.
This ministry of righteousness brings the ministry of death to an end. The Law is no longer written on tablets of stone: Its glory has faded. A more brilliant glory has come, which is the Spirit’s life-giving forgiveness of sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The Law is good; but since the fall Its holiness condemns us all; It dooms us for our sin to die And has no pow’r to justify. To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Saved by His grace through faith alone. (The Law of God Is Good and Wise, LSB 579:5-6)
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By Higher Things®Daily Lectionary: Exodus 31:1-18; Luke 6:1-19
And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are many more than Ten Commandments. After those initial words, God has instructions and ordinances for nearly every aspect of Israelite social and liturgical life. And the consequences for breaking these laws are often severe. “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:15b).
The phrase “the finger of God,” is another way of saying, “the Spirit of God,” in the Bible (compare Luke 11:20 and Matthew 12:28). So the Law was written by the Spirit of God in letters on the tablets of stone. And death is the consequence for breaking any of them.
St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “[We are] ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory” (2 Corinthians 3:6b-9).
The Spirit of God is a two-edged sword. His Law, written on tablets of stone, has an exceeding glory—far above any other ministry on earth. But its glory doesn’t come from telling you how you should live; it tells you that you must die. This is a glorious thing, because it prepares you for the even greater glory of an even greater ministry—the ministry of righteousness.
This ministry of righteousness brings the ministry of death to an end. The Law is no longer written on tablets of stone: Its glory has faded. A more brilliant glory has come, which is the Spirit’s life-giving forgiveness of sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The Law is good; but since the fall Its holiness condemns us all; It dooms us for our sin to die And has no pow’r to justify. To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Saved by His grace through faith alone. (The Law of God Is Good and Wise, LSB 579:5-6)