Now the Lord said the Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. . . .” Exodus 34:1-2
Twice Moses spent 40 days on the mountain and came down with 2 tablets of stone. The first set where hewn and engraved by the finger of God. But Moses shattered those tablets upon discovering the idolatrous golden calf.
When God called Moses back up the mountain, He told Moses to hew the 2nd set of tablets. Why? Why did God require Moses to prepare and present tablets of stone? God promised that He would write on them, but Moses had to hew them and bring them to God.
I believe God is using the two sets of stone tablets as a picture of the Old Covenant (Testament) and the New Covenant. I believe there are many lessons here for the diligent student. The Old Covenant was broken by man, ending in judgment and death (Ex.26). The New Covenant requires that we prepare and present our hearts to God. God will write His Covenant on the tablets of our hearts, if we will bring them to Him.
It was during this second 40 days on the mountain that God hide Moses in the cleft of the rock. It was then that God revealed His name and His nature to Moses (Ex. 34). It was here that God promised to perform miracles and drive out enemies. It is from this second encounter (covenant) with God, that Moses returned glowing with the glory (Holy Spirit) of God. Wow! All of that sounds like the result of asking Jesus into our hearts!
I don’t claim to understand all the symbolism here, but it certainly is an intriguing study.