Exodus 24:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He provided them with tablets inscribed with the finger of God so that they could revere the commandments of God, even though they were authored by God Himself.

The removal of the stone (See Luke 24:2) during the enigmatic forty days signifies the unveiling of divine mysteries that had previously been concealed within the Law’s written words. The Law itself was inscribed in stone. Likewise, when we put our faith in the suffering and resurrection of our Lord, the sealed tomb that held Him was miraculously opened.

Prior to the time of Moses, humanity was guided by natural law and Sacred Tradition. Natural law refers to the truths that God imparts to individuals through their reasoning and conscience. Sacred Tradition signifies the divine teachings regarding God and a righteous life, which are directly revealed by God and transmitted from one generation to the next through storytelling and examples set by parents. The preservation of this Tradition was aided by the longevity of human life, as people lived for lengthy periods, often reaching nine hundred years or more before the flood, and three hundred years or more afterward. This allowed one individual to share the deeds of God and humanity over many centuries.

You will ascend to me on the mountain, reaching its summit where you will stand before me, remaining there until the appointed time. I will provide you with stone tablets, containing the law and commandments that I have inscribed for them. These are two smooth, polished stones on which the finger of God has directly written, signifying the divine law consisting of the Ten Commandments. The purpose is to establish these as the law, teaching the Israelites how to live in accordance with my commands. The choice of stone for the Ten Commandments symbolizes the unchangeable will of God, the solidity akin to rock, and their eternal binding nature.

Rabbinic interpretation of this passage reveals that the tablets represent the Ten Commandments, while the term Law refers to the writings of Moses. The Commandments can be understood as the Mishnah and Gemara, collectively known as the Talmud, which encompass the oral tradition. Recent scholars clarify that the entirety of the twelfth verse pertains to the law of the Ten Commandments, inscribed by God's own finger on stone tablets (Exod. 31:18). All additional directives from God were imparted to Moses orally, which he memorized and later transcribed.