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Old Testament

The Pentateuch

What did Moses do when he came down from Mount Sinai?

Moses intended to lay down the law, but he broke it instead—Moses intended to give the Israelites the tablets, but he broke them. He carried with him the two tablets of the covenant. God’s writing was on the front and back of the tablets, and conveyed all that God told Moses while he was on Mount Sinai. Moses saw the Israelites partying, and was furious.

He threw the tablets to the ground, breaking them. Moses’ action and its result were not only expressions of anger, but symbols of God’s anger and the now broken covenant between the Israelites and God. Moses burned the gold calf, and ground it into powder. He scattered the powder in water, and made the Israelites drink it.