𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮: (𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝑫𝒐)

Picture Moses, fresh from meeting with God, holding the tablets of the Law, only to smash them in anger. Not the best example of stewardship, right? But let’s not be too hard on him—he was angry at Israel’s rebellion. Fast-forward to today, where we’re entrusted with something greater than tablets—the Gospel of Grace revealed to Paul. Will we be better stewards, or are we guilty of breaking it like Moses broke the tablets?

𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙬: 𝘼 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥

1. The Breaking of the Tablets

(Exodus 32:19)

Moses broke the stone tablets in anger after seeing Israel’s sin of idolatry. The tablets represented God’s Law, a perfect and holy standard given to Israel, but their failure to uphold it led to their immediate violation of the covenant.

 Exodus 32:19 says, “And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.” 

The broken tablets symbolized the broken relationship between Israel and God due to their sin.

2. God’s Response: Rewriting the Law (Exodus 34:1-4)

Despite Moses’ anger and the people’s failure, God instructed Moses to carve out new tablets and have God Himself inscribe the Law once more.

 Exodus 34:1-4 says, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.” 

This shows God's serious commitment to His covenant and His Word. Even though Moses failed, God didn’t abandon His plan; He had Moses remake the tablets and reestablish the covenant.

𝙋𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚: 𝘼 𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥

1. The Mystery Revealed

(Ephesians 3:3-6)

Unlike the Law given through Moses, which was a visible covenant for Israel, Paul was entrusted with revealing the mystery of the Gospel of Grace. This mystery, hidden for ages but now revealed to the Church, is the message of salvation by grace through faith alone. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:5-6, 

“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” 

This Gospel is distinct from the Law and was not made known to previous generations but is now revealed for all who will believe in Christ's redemptive work. (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

2. Our Stewardship Today

(1 Timothy 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:13)

As believers today, we are stewards of the sound doctrine revealed through Paul. Paul calls this the "glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" (1 Timothy 1:11). 

It is our responsibility to handle this truth faithfully. In 2 Timothy 1:13, Paul urges Timothy, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” We, too, are to hold fast to the sound doctrine that Paul delivered, guarding the Gospel that is the message of grace.

𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮

God has revealed to us sound doctrine through Paul, which is essential to our understanding of the Gospel. The Gospel of Grace stands in contrast to the Law.

While the Law was given to Israel under the Dispensation of Law, the Gospel of Grace is God’s revealed mystery for the Body of Christ under the Dispensation of Grace.

 This Gospel, revealed through Paul, is God’s final word for salvation today. As Paul wrote in Romans 16:25-26, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.”

Just as Moses was entrusted with the stewardship of the Law, we are entrusted with the stewardship of the Gospel of Grace. It’s not a broken system, nor is it meant to be mixed with the old; it is the clear message for the Church today. 

The question is, will we handle it faithfully and pass it on as a good steward, or will we mishandle the truth like Moses mishandled the tablets?

God will judge according to Paul’s Gospel. As Romans 2:16 says, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” The judgment is based on how we respond to the revelation of the mystery given to Paul. It is a message that demands proper stewardship, for in it lies the truth of salvation for all who believe.