Fleshy Tables

Moses descended from Mount Sinai carrying two tables [tablets] made of stone, on which God had written His law. (See Exodus 31:18, Exodus 32:15-16.) When he saw the people worshipping a golden calf, he threw the tables down, smashing them. (See Exodus 32:19.) But the Lord mercifully wrote the law again on a second set of tables. (See Exodus 34:1-2, 27-29.) Thereafter, these tables sat in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle, out of sight and out of reach of the people. (See 1 Kings 8:9, Hebrews 9:4).

But God wanted His people to internalize His law, not to admire it from a distance. As they prepared to enter the promised land, Moses urged them to internalize the law and incorporate into all aspects of their lives:

These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

When the prophet Abinadi was questioned by the priests of King Noah, he recited to them the Ten Commandments, because, he said, “I perceive that they are not written in your hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most part of your lives” (Mosiah 13:11).

In contrast, the apostle Paul complimented church members in Corinth for taking God’s law to heart:

Ye are…the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

2 Corinthians 3:3

How can we write God’s law in our hearts?

1. As Moses taught the children of Israel, we internalize God’s law by immersing ourselves in it, thinking about it and talking about it constantly.
2. As Abinadi taught King Noah’s priests, we have to want to obey the law for it to become part of us.
3. As Paul taught the Corinthians, as we seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost, He writes God’s law on our hearts.

Today, I will take God’s law to heart. I will strive to better understand what God wants me to do. I will seek to hear and follow the Holy Ghost, knowing that He can change my heart so that my desires are more closely aligned with God’s will.