Deuteronomy 10:1-11--New Tablets of Stone

Deuteronomy 10:1-11
English Standard Version

New Tablets of Stone
10 “At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’ 3 So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. 4 And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. 5 Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me.”

6 (The people of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And his son Eleazar ministered as priest in his place. 7 From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with brooks of water. 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.)

10 “I myself stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights, and the LORD listened to me that time also. The LORD was unwilling to destroy you. 11 And the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people, so that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them.’

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God graciously commanded Moses to come back up the mountain and receive another set of stone tablets identical to the first, but it took the same amount of time again for Moses to be up on the mountain.  We see this set of stone tablets is to go inside the Ark of the Covenant (we've talked about this represents our hearts).

We then jump all the way ahead in the story to the death of Aaron--that's way later in the story, but that's the next thing that Moses wants to remind the people of--that Aaron paid the price for his sin and he too died in the desert, but the LORD was faithful to provide a new High Priest in Eleazer who would serve during the time of Moses and the time of Joshua.  The LORD gave the ministry of the Tabernacle and their portion of the sacrifices would be their inheritance.

Moses comes back to the incident at Mount Sinai and reminded the people that the LORD tested Moses with regards to destroying all the people, but Moses pleaded for the LORD to have mercy for the sake of His Name's sake.