The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments,[a] the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”
12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31)
Introduction
Now that Moses has received all the instructions concerning the design and build of the Tabernacle, the Lord now tells Moses who it is that He has called to build the tabernacle. Two men are specifically called by name to craft these artistic designs in making the tabernacle a beautiful and glorious place for God to dwell.
Herein we see a few principles of the arts that are worth mentioning. The state of the arts today are in abysmal condition, by and large. Beauty has been replaced with ugliness, glory has been replaced with obscenity, and patient working has been replaced with expediency. This is because the dominating principle of art today is personal self-expression. Art has become the expression of the artist, without any transcendent standard that guides the artist, or allows for critical evaluation of the art. If art is merely self-expression, who can say if it is good or evil?
In the construction of the tabernacle, God called men to devise creative artistry, yet this comes after the law, after the instructions, and thus all of their creativity is to be regulated and done according to the command of God, just as God commanded. Their self-expression was limited within the instructions of God and His standards for beauty and glory. This was not merely a matter of art, but of obedience. In previous chapters we saw that God said this tabernacle was for glory and for beauty – and thus the artist’s construction of the tabernacle was for these ends. We might learn this principle, that the proper end of art is for glory and beauty – which are defined by the righteousness of God and His moral standards. Thus, art is not mere self-expression, but it is to be a reflection of the “imago dei” in man – that we are sub-creators or sub-artists under God, THE Creator and THE great artist of Creation.
In other words, art and sub-creative design are gifts from God, to be used unto the glory of God and not individualistic self-expression apart from God. It is vital that we view art through this biblical lens and critically evaluate art in our day according to Scriptural principles, lest we be taken captive by deceptive art. It is vital, because the enemy twists proper art and so uses the allurements of art to deceive and entice men into sin, whether it be some visual form, or musical form, or anything else. So there are two ditches we do not want to fall into. We don’t want to fall into the ditch of rejecting all art, for that would be to reject good gifts that God has given to lighten and beautify our lives, and to reject the skills and abilities that God has given to some. Nor do we want to fall into the ditch of mindless acceptance of all art, as having merit in itself, lest we be enticed by the devil or evil men to sin. Instead, we must critically evaluate all art, both the content, and the form, from a biblical perspective of true beauty and true glory.
Having considered this idea, let us now look further to our passage and see today the giving of artists to build the tabernacle. In this passage we will find that the Spirit of God is at work in this activity of building the tabernacle. We will see four overarching things that the Spirit of God is doing: 1) The Spirit gives gifts to men, 2) The Spirit is building God’s House, 3) The Spirit gives rest, and 4) the Spirit gives the Law.
The Spirit Gives Gifts to Men
The first thing to note is that the Spirit gives gifts to men. In verse 2 God had called men by name, sovereignly choosing them for this work. And these men which were chosen by God’s sovereign prerogative, God also filled with His Spirit in verse 3. God is the one who appointed these men for this task and He is the one who gave them the skill and ability to carry out this task, verse 1-6.
Notice this about the work of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Spirit in the lives of these men is orderly. The Spirit’s gifting to these men is ordered according to the commands of God. God is a God of order, not of disorder or chaos. And in the giving and creative gifts of the Spirit, God does not change, it is done in an orderly way. For some today, this orderly normal looking work may not seem like the work of the Spirit. But God gives us the pattern in Holy Scripture that the filling of the Spirit is not just seen in biblical prophecy or Scriptural tongues or miraculous signs or supernatural workings. But He is just as active in the normal working and gifting of men, and we would do well to recognize this work.
Even today as every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and we carry out our normal everyday tasks and duties in faithfulness, it is the Spirit of God at work in our lives. And the more we recognize this, the more we will see God’s hand present and working in our lives all around us every day, in love, in good works, in service, and in sanctification.
And so here, in the construction of the tabernacle, God sovereignly chooses Bezalel and Oholiab to lead in this task, and God has filled them with the Spirit of God. First, God set apart Moses through whom He would give the law of the tabernacle. Then, God set apart Aaron and his sons to be priests who minister in the tabernacle. And now, God sets apart the artists to build the tabernacle. All of it is a work of God and His Spirit.
The names of the men whom God has chosen for this task are also meaningful and significant. Bezalel means “in the shadow or protection of God.” Oholiab means “the tent of the Father; or the Father is my tent, that is my protection.”
Thus we see throughout the Bible, and several times in the Psalter, the phrase that the believer hides in the “shadow of your wing, or the shadow of your tent.” This is indeed a sanctuary where sinners may run and find protection in the Lord’s shadow. A sanctuary is a place of refuge and protection, and it is here that a sinner may come through proper sacrifice, and through the mediatorial work of the priests be brought into the sanctuary and be remembered and find refuge in the shadow of the Lord’s tent.
How typological this is of Jesus Christ. How beautifully this shows the faith of a believer in Jesus. It is only in Jesus that a sinner may find sanctuary. It is only in Christ that a sinner may find protection in the shadow of His tent – in the shadow of His wings. It was the flesh of Jesus that Hebrews calls the true tent – and in His flesh, Christ’s arms were outstretched like wings on the cross, for sinners to come and be covered by His tent, in the shadow of His wings.
In particular, these men, Bezalel and Oholiab, are also typical of Jesus Christ in being filled with the Spirit for the task of building God’s house. It is said of these men in verse 3, “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship…” And so we find these prophetic words concerning the Christ in the prophet Isaiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:1-2). You see here the similar language, that just as these men were filled with Spirit for the work God gave them to do, so the Christ would be filled with Spirit for the work God gave Him to do.
And just as the Spirit filled these men for the building of God’s house – so the Christ is filled with the Spirit for the building of God’s house. It is Jesus who builds His Church. He died for her, to purchase her with His blood. He saves her, and continues to build her – as living stones into a dwelling place for God – God’s house.
Just as God is sovereign in choosing Bezalel and Oholiab and giving them skills and abilities, so God is sovereign in dispensing His gifts to us. God sovereignly gave gifts for building the tabernacle, and in the New Testament, God is sovereign in giving gifts for the building up of the body, the New Testament tabernacle. As God filled these men with the Spirit for building the tabernacle, so God fills men with the Spirit, indeed, every believer, giving them varied gifts for building up the church, the household of God. As it says in Ephesians 4, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ …And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” Now when it says, “He led a host of captives,” what is this, but Exodus language. And then God gave grace to each one, and specific gifts to specific men for equipping the saints for the work of ministry – this is just as God led Israel out of Egypt and gave certain men gifts to equip the priests for the work of ministry. And today, we have the apostles, prophets, and evangelists of Scripture, and shepherds and teachers, that is the continuing pastoral office, for the equipping of the saints for ministry. So gifts of grace are given to each one of us wherein we bless and encourage and exhort one another, and specific gifts of offices, Elders and Deacons today, are given to the church for building up the body. And in each one of these things, God is sovereign in dispensing these gifts for our good and upbuilding, the building of God’s house.
So what do we do with these gifts? When you receive a gift you are to receive it with gladness. Be thankful for the gifts God has given you and steward them well. Be thankful for the gifts God has given to others who minister to you. The temptation would be to ungratefulness. The temptation would be to look at the gifts God has given to others, or the varied callings, stations, and offices He has given to others and to envy, wishing you had what they had or wishing you were where they are.
Instead, we are to receive all of God’s gifts with gratitude, recognizing His sovereign choosing and wisdom and dispensing His varied gifts. On the other hand, neither are we to be proud or think more highly of ourselves because of the gifts God has given us, for it is a gift, given by God’s sovereign grace, not something of merit in us. As 1 Corinthians 4:7 says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
The Spirit is Building God’s House
So the Spirit gives gifts to men, and secondly, the Spirit is building God’s house. As it is God who chose these workers to build the tabernacle and filled them with His Spirit, so it is the Spirit, through these means, that is building God’s house. This is not a work of the flesh or the will of man, but a work of God through His chosen vessels. So it is that God’s New Testament House, the Church, is built by God’s Spirit. As God calls men to Himself, and gives gifts, and gives officers, He is the one building His house, as His Word is preached and builds up the body and is applied, it is a work of God.
The elders are not the ones who build the church. The church is not the pastor’s business which he grows like a CEO. Nor is the church the work of the members’ hands to build it by their flesh or might. We labor and work, we do the work of the ministry, we encourage, rebuke, and exhort, we evangelize and disciple, but not by our might, or by our flesh. You might be able to build a crowd or an organization by great personalities, or oratory skill, or flashy programs and activities, but the true building of the church is the work of God’s Spirit, through His means. He does it through His Word and the ordinances, and through His Spirit-filled people faithfully doing the work of the ministry.
So if the Spirit is building His Church, we want to be a part of that don’t we? We want to be willing vessels ready for God to use. So we must be submitted to His will and obedient to His Word, and not take creative license into our hands and do what we think is best. We must love those whom God has put in fellowship with us, and labor to fulfill those “one-anothers” together – not neglect the fellowship, or tear each other down, or backbite, or gossip. So look for the Spirit’s working in the fellowship and how you can be a part of that – love, encourage, build up one another in the truth, apply the Word of God, confess, repent, forgive, repeat.
The Spirit Gives Rest
So the Spirit gives gifts to men, the Spirit builds God’s house, and third, the Spirit gives rest. Verse 12 and following, of Exodus 31, now turns the discussion to the Sabbath and the keeping of it with its penalties for Sabbath breaking. Now, this may seem odd, or a bit out of place for this to be found here, especially since we have already seen the Sabbath laws. But of course, God has His purposes for reiterating these Sabbath laws at this point.
What we should note on this, is that the purpose of building the tabernacle and the place for sacrifice and worship, is so that the people would have rest. If they work and labor hard to build the tabernacle in the service of God, and yet do not rest in God, they have not actually obeyed God. The point of all of these things concerning the tabernacle is that the people would rest in God, be set apart, and consecrated to Him. The Sabbath was the ultimate test if the people’s hearts truly trusted in the LORD or not. It is easy to look at all kinds of religious working and service and think that is the sign of true piety and faith. But for Israel, it was the Sabbath that was the true sign of consecration to God. It was hard for one to rest from his labors and trust the LORD to provide. Resting seems like doing nothing, and the flesh would rather show its labors and work and depend upon those things. But God says to rest. It is so serious that God says the one who breaks the Sabbath is to be put to death and his soul cut off from his people. He would be cut off from his people because the Sabbath was the ultimate sign of consecration to God as His people. The Sabbath is here said to be a sign, to be a sign of sanctification, a holy set apart day, and a covenant with the people. To break it would be to break the covenant and show contempt for God. Thus they would be put to death and cut off.
How extreme a penalty this may seem to our flesh, but this is because our flesh has no regard for God or keeping His laws. God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts so much higher than our thoughts. These laws were good and right from a good God who provided rest for His people. Breaking God’s laws and disregarding His provision is not “no big deal,” it is high treason and contempt. Thus, Israel must learn this. True religion does not belong to them to invent or customize to their liking, but it is a gift from God to receive. The laws, covenant, tabernacle, priesthood, did not come from the people, it did not come from Moses, it did not come from man, it came from God, and it is His prerogative to give and regulate, and ours to receive with thanks.
So the Church today, as the living tabernacle is to rest in Christ, our True Sabbath rest. The flesh prefers to do religious works, good deeds, and outward displays of piety, but the gospel says to rest. Christ says “come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is our covenantal obligation, rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The penalty for refusal to do this remains. The death penalty for Sabbath breaking in the Old Covenant shows us the penalty for not resting in Christ. If we refuse to rest in Christ and trust Him to provide for us what we need before God, then we get the death penalty, as it were. Rejection of our Sabbath Rest results in God Himself carrying out the execution of death upon us. Refusing to Sabbath in the LORD will result in our being cut off from God’s people, and never entering final rest, but being under eternal torment and unrest. So as Jesus says, He calls to all who have ears to hear His voice today, “come to me, and I will give you rest.” So where are you resting? In your religious devotion and good deeds? Or in the work of Christ on your behalf? This makes all the difference. We can labor and work to be a good person our whole lives, but if we do not rest in Jesus, we have labored to build a tabernacle but spurned the Sabbath – we’ve missed the point – missed everything – missed it all – and will be cut off. So today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, but lay your life down in Jesus. Kill that flesh and law, surrender your arms, and lay down upon the Lord.
The Spirit Writes the Law
So the Spirit gives gifts to men, the Spirit builds God’s house, the Spirit gives rest, and finally, the Spirit writes the law.
Verse 18 tells us that when God finished speaking with Moses He gave him two tablets of stone. A lot of times we think of this as being the Ten Commandments with five commandments on each stone tablet. It is my belief that instead of five commandments on each tablet, it was two copies. So all ten commandments, which were the summary of the covenant God made with Israel, all on each tablet. As a covenant document, this provided, symbolically, a copy for Israel and a copy for God. So take that for what you will.
The fascinating thing here is that it says it was written in stone with the finger of God. Now we know that God is spirit and does not have body parts. So with the role of the Holy Spirit in this whole chapter, as well as other biblical texts, this leads me to believe that the “finger of God” is a way of referring to the Holy Spirit. So these tablets of stone were written by the Spirit of God.
So why do I believe this? Jesus makes an interesting statement in the gospels. In Luke 11:20 Jesus says that He casts out demons by the finger of God. But in the parallel passage in Matthew 12:28 Jesus says that He casts out demons with the Spirit of God. So the phrase “finger of God” can be a phrase referring to the Spirit of God. Furthermore, writing the law is what the Spirit does. In the Old Covenant, He wrote the law on tablets of stone. But in the New Covenant, something greater has come. No longer do we have the tablets of the law written on stone, but the law is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
This is what was promised in the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31 where God says, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” So no longer is the law outside of us on stone tablets, but within us, written on our hearts. And 2 Corinthians 3:3 explicitly connects the Holy Spirit to this work, saying, “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” See how the Apostle Paul interprets the Bible, making this connection to the tablets of stone, to the tablets of human hearts. No longer is the law written on dead stones, but in living hearts. And this is greater. For that ministry of death, as Paul says, was carved into stone, was glorious, but was a glory that was being brought to end, so how much greater is the permanent glory, and how much does the ministry of righteousness far exceed the ministry of condemnation? This is what we have in Jesus Christ.
The fact that Spirit no longer writes in tablets of stone, but on human hearts, is a reminder, or a sign, that in Jesus, we are no longer condemned. We are no longer administered death, but ministered life. It is a reminder that our sins are forgiven, and we have been set free. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Your sins are many, they are ugly, they condemn you. But in the gospel, Jesus does not. They are not held over you, they were nailed to the cross, on Jesus, in His flesh – taken care of at the True Tabernacle – so that you are now forgiven and free. So rejoice that we do not have two tablets of stone in a gold box in a tent made with human hands, for it means, that in Jesus, who came in flesh, your sins are forgiven. Rejoice in your salvation, and in the Lord who saved you. For in the darkness of your sin, and the darkness of the world, light has shone in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In the darkness of death, light has come forth. Jesus is alive, His Spirit is here. Amen.
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