On the Sabbath
Today as we look at chapter 35-39, we find that everything here is a repetition of what we’ve seen in chapter 25 and following concerning the materials and instructions for the tabernacle and the priests. So we will obviously not read all of this, but we will look at the big themes throughout this section and its place in redemptive history. The big difference now is that these chapters tell us that the people carried out these commands and constructed the tabernacle as God commanded them to do.
One of the reasons I believe all these details are reiterated here is because when God first gave these commands, it was before the people rebelled and made the golden calf. God first gave these instructions starting in chapter 25. As the people grow impatient with Moses who is on the mountain, they make the golden calf and break the covenant in chapter 32. Then Moses intercedes on their behalf and God graciously renews the covenant. And now we are shown that the people are finally carrying out the construction of the tabernacle, testifying to the fact that God has indeed renewed the covenant and answered Moses’ prayer. So these chapters are an answer to Moses’ prayer.
But before we see the construction of the tabernacle begin, we have a reiteration of the Sabbath laws at the beginning of chapter 35. God has made clear time and again His Sabbath requirements for the people, that six days they shall work, but the seventh shall be a day of Sabbath rest, holy to the LORD. So as they embarked on constructing the tabernacle, they are exhorted to remember the Sabbath. This is a great work they are about to begin in building a house for God, but they must not profane the God they are building a house for by breaking His Sabbath and working on the seventh day. Elsewhere the Sabbath is called a sign of the covenant. So the Sabbath is essentially the true test to see if they are faithful to the covenant. Even something as noble as building the tabernacle, would not be pleasing to God if they did it on the Sabbath. So the marching orders are: six days you shall work and construct the tabernacle, but the seventh you shall rest.
The Contributions of the People
So, the first thing to note is how the tabernacle is provided for. The supplies and materials for building the tabernacle were provided through what is called a free will offering. That is to say that it wasn’t through the required tithe, or a tax, but through willing and generous hearts that desired and chose to give to God’s work. Moses tells the people in 35:5, “Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution…” Now this free will offering was not one in which they could bring whatever they wanted. They couldn’t just bring whatever old 2×4’s they had laying around in their shop. It was a free will offering, but it was to be only the materials which God commanded to be used in the building of the Tabernacle. So it was costly. It wasn’t the unwanted junk or leftovers. It cost them. And that is when you see a true generous and willing heart. Anyone can give the unwanted things in their garage, but it takes a truly generous heart to give the costly things. And this is precisely what we see in verse 20 and following.
Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord‘s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord‘s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:20-29)
One of things that they bring is their gold, and specifically gold earrings are mentioned. In this we see what we might consider a reversal of the golden calf when they gave their gold earrings for the construction of the idol. Or we could say that here we see repentance for the golden calf. No longer are their gold earrings going for idol making, but for the building of God’s dwelling tent.
So the tabernacle was supplied by repentant, generous, and willing hearts of the people, returning to the LORD the treasures which He gave to them as they were led out of Egypt. This is a poetic twist in the story, that the riches of Egypt were plundered as Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods were routed by Yahweh, and so were used to build a center of true worship to the One True God. The victor gets the spoils.
Now one principle we see here is that God provides through His people. He provides through the generous and willing hearts of His Church – as the Spirit of God makes them generous and willing. You see, the things we see here are types and shadows of Christ and His Church, as we saw when we walked through these details in previous chapters. Christ in the flesh is the true tabernacle, and through Him, His Church, His people, are made living temples. So it is in His Church, through the means of His people that God provides for His people. In the New Testament, the church is to be willing to provide for the needs of the body with generous hearts. We are not to be idle, but to work and provide for our households, and be willing to generously give, and these means are the norm through which God provides for needs. As Paul writes about such an example in 2 Corinthians 8:1ff, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints – and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” Do you notice what he says there? Their great generosity was the work of the grace of God that was given to them.
Paul continues this thought in the next chapter, 2 Cor. 9:5ff, “So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
This is the same language used in Exodus 35. It was a willing gift, not an exaction. It was not reluctantly or under compulsion, but from a cheerful heart. This is how Christians are to give. And Paul’s motivation or example for this is the Lord Jesus, who, though He was rich, became poor, so that by His poverty, we might become rich – rich in grace, rich in heavenly blessings.
This is what we are called to. This is what is required in the New Testament Church, the people of God. Do you have a willing generous heart? A cheerful heart? Then that is the work of God’s grace. And notice from the example of the Macedonians giving from their extreme poverty – you don’t have to have a lot to be generous. If you consider your heart and you find that it is not generously and cheerfully filled with sacrificial love for the brethren, and you find that your heart is close-fisted, and reluctant toward the body of Christ – then there is only one place that you can get this kind of love. Not from your flesh. But from the Lord Jesus, who gave up Himself, who left the riches of heaven for poverty on earth, so that we might be rich in grace and rich in good works. He can change your heart. He can fill it with love, if you look to Him and consider how He freely gave of Himself, how He willingly laid down His life, to redeem you from bondage in Egypt, to rescue you from the poverty of your sin, that you might share in the riches of Heaven. A giving heart is given. Ask Him for it.
From the willing hearts of the people in Exodus 36:3-7 we find that they kept bringing their offerings every morning, until there was more than enough and then Moses had to restrain them from bringing anymore, “for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.” There is more than enough in Christ, and through His people, so that there is no lack.
The Skill of the People
The next thing we notice in Exodus is that not only was the tabernacle furnished by the willing hearts of the people, but it was also constructed by the God-given skills and abilities of the people. Exodus 35:10, “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded…” Verse 25, “And every skillful woman spun with her hands…” Verse 26, “All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair.”
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”
2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. (Exodus 35:30-36:2)
So we find that there were skilled women who willingly used their abilities to help in what was a feminine way of contributing, as they primarily spun the fine twined linens for the beauty and adornment of the curtain. God has given women the skills for beautifying and glorifying the work of man – and they do so in the construction of the tabernacle, they do so in the Church – with the beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit, of nurture and care, of help, of adorning with godliness, and of teaching the younger women in love and service. And this is not to be overlooked. Godly women are a vital element in contributing and building up God’s house.
And then we meet again Oholiab and Bezalel who were filled with the Spirit with knowledge and skill for the cutting of stones, construction, and such things to lead in the work. And notice in verse 34 that Ohliab was also inspired by the Spirit to teach. It does seem that the context implies he was given the inspiration to teach these types of skills and knowledge – not necessarily of teaching the word of God in this case. Nevertheless, the picture is here of the masculine gifts of work in the church – of stones and construction and teaching. The heavy lifting foundation building. And the teaching was given to certain men for building up the house of God.
The beauty of all the work done by willing hearts with gifts from the Spirit to build up God’s house ultimately points to Christ – who is The Builder of God’s Church. Jesus said, “…upon this rock, I will build my Church.” He is the one who has dwelt among us and has put His hand to building a fit place for God to dwell, and it is a beautiful work. And sometimes it is a hard work. Sometimes in the building of His Church, Jesus has to take a chisel and chisel out stony hearts, and chisel out the sin in our lives, and it hurts, but it’s good and He’s making something beautiful. But in all of the cutting of stones, and the carving of wood, and the weaving of twine, Jesus does it with a willing heart. We grumble and we might say, “ouch,” but it is with strong hands of love and care from the willing heart of Christ to work on us and build up His House.
And Jesus does this most normally through the means He has given – His people, His offices, His ordinances, His Word. He has given gifts to His Church for the building up of His Church. He has dispersed diverse gifts among His people to build up one another – His house. Some He has given to fill those two offices of His Church. Some He has given the ability to teach. He gives willing hearts. With this same language Peter charges elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” So God’s people build up the body, like Christ, with willing hearts. But it is not just those who are elders and deacons, but all in the body of Christ, though not all teachers, are given other diverse gifts that are vital to construction of God’s house. God has given some practical things like material means to bless God’s church. He has given some more time than others to serve and pray. But the amazing thing about the Church, is that we are all given the Holy Spirit, who works in our lives to bring about the fruit of the Spirit, by which we are each called to carry out the responsibilities of membership, to build up one another, bear one another’s burdens, encourage one another, spur one another on to love and good works, to forgive one another, to be hospitable, to restore one another with a spirit of gentleness when we sin, to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with those with rejoice, and the list goes on.
The body of Christ is essential. We need one another. Do you believe that? Do you love God’s people? Do you willingly fulfill your membership responsibilities? Jesus is willingly committed to building up His church. If you say you love Jesus, are you willingly committed to building up the body, as He is? Do you need to repent of working against the handiwork of Christ? Do you need to forgive someone? It’s hard work sometimes. But it’s God’s work. It’s where He has chosen to make His home – in sinners that He has saved and is sanctifying and making beautiful, slowly but surely. Speaking of the Church Paul says in Ephesians 2:22, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
In this part of redemptive history in Exodus, I think of the contrast between the work of the Hebrew people in Egypt to now, the work of building the tabernacle. In Egypt it was burdensome forced labor. In the tabernacle it was willing work with skills they were blessed with. In Egypt they were forced to make bricks without straw – not even provided with what they needed to do the work. In the tabernacle they were given more than enough to do the work. In Egypt they were forced to work for Pharaoh – who saw himself as a god – probably constructing things to the false gods of Egypt. In the tabernacle they are working for Yahweh, the God of their fathers, building His house, a true place of worship to the one true God. In Egypt it was endless and tiring work. In the work of the tabernacle, there was weekly rest, required Sabbath.
We too were once slaves of darkness and sin. We too were once driven by a merciless taskmaster, sowing seeds of corruption. We too once built with stubble and hay to be burned in fire. But we have been delivered from Egypt. We have been transferred to the Kingdom of Light, where Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light. Where we are given willing hearts and filled with His Spirit who produces fruit in us. And we are given good works, which were prepared beforehand for us to walk in. We once built our house on the sand, but we now have Christ the Rock, upon whom we build our life.
The Work of the Spirit
I’ve mentioned it, but it bears repeating, in the moving of their hearts, it was the moving the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who makes His dwelling place, and makes willing servants. The work is the Lord’s and is successful because He does it. God spoke it and it came to pass. God gave the commands, the word, the instructions, and it was done, just as He said, just as He commanded. This is the common refrain. Exodus 39:1, “They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 5, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 7, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 21, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 26, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 29, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 31, “…as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verse 32, “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.” Verse 42-43, “According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.”
What God says, God brings to pass. He gave willing hearts to do all that He had commanded. It is the work of the Spirit. Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” After all Israel had been through – their deliverance from Egypt, their testing at the waters of Meribah, their war with Amalek, their rebellion at Sinai – the work was finally done.
We can be sure that the good work that God has done in us will be brought to completion. Sometimes it might feel like we are hanging on by a thread. Sometimes we might not know how we are going to make it through. Sometimes we may be filled with sorrow. But Christ will build His Church. He will present her without spot, wrinkle, or any such blemish. If we are His, we will one day finish the race, and hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Because Jesus finishes what He starts. And even before the work in us was ever begun, 2,000 years ago, He cried out, “It is finished!”
As we saw Moses there blessing the people as they finished the work, we see Christ there, blessing His Church. So, that indwelling sin you hate and you tussle with, but you know you don’t hate enough, one day will be shed. The trials and suffering and sadness you experience now, you won’t forever. The tears you cry, one day will be wiped away. The faith with which you look to Christ, will one day become sight.
So run the race. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. Don’t let your heart long for old Egypt. Persevere. Endure. Keep repenting. Keep forgiving. Keep believing. There is a crown of life to be had. There is glory that awaits. There might be giants in the way right now, there are dragons to be slain, but there is a promised land to be had. There is your Jesus one day to see. Don’t you want to get there? Don’t you want to get there together?
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