Verse 1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
Application: Moses did not give the people his interpretation of the words of the LORD. He gave them almost word for word the communication he had gotten from the LORD when on the mountain. He did not try to edit, rewrite or change the words in any way. Likewise, the church today has the very words of the LORD available to each member. In the English language, the most accurate and reliable version is what is used here in this web site, the King James Bible. Yes, there are many other English versions to choose from, but the KJB is the least edited, rewritten and changed version available in the English language. Why? Because it is a word for word translation and not a thought or concept translation. The translators, as accurately as possible, applied an English word for each Greek and Hebrew word. They did not put their own ideas into the translation. Therefore, like Moses, believers have the words of the LORD given to them and all they have to do is read them and then act upon or “do them.”
Verse 2-3 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
This was a serious commandment with a death penalty attached if violated. The purpose was to build faith and obedience among the people in that they would have to rely upon the LORD to take care of their farms and businesses for one day a week and they would have to give up their own wills and submit to the LORD by using the sabbath of rest to reflect upon His might, power, grace, mercy and goodness. In return they would have better health, both physically and mentally, as their bodies and minds could relax and get away from the daily business of living in a fallen world. In return, hopefully, they would get to know their LORD more intimately as they focused on Him for that one day a week. This practice would be well known by the pagan nations living around and trading in the nation Israel as foreign products could not be sold or brought into the land on the sabbath day of rest.
Application: Is this commandment in force today in the Church? The answer is “no.” It was given to the Hebrew people and this writer cannot find any place in the New Testament where either Jesus or the apostles demanded observance of a particular sabbath day of rest with the consequences of violation being the death penalty. Furthermore, the weekly sabbath instituted by God through Moses began at 6PM on a Friday night and went to 6PM on a Saturday. The early church began the practice of meeting on the first day of the week (today’s Sunday) instead of on the last day of the week. The christian church is under a new covenant and not under the rules and regulations given to the Hebrew people of old. Jesus is recorded in many verses in the Gospel books as violating the sabbath law when He plucked ears of corn to eat or when He healed the sick and handicapped on the sabbath day of rest.
Verses 4-9 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
Offerings unto the LORD have always been done, and taking an offering in the churches of today is not a new practice. Yes, there are churches that have leaders that “beg” for money and that make promises such as in giving to their church, the church member will get richer (name it and claim it heresy). There will always be charlatans in the religious world because there is a Devil, but the true church of Jesus Christ will give so that the ministries of their church can continue and so that the building maintenance and utilities can continue. Offerings do not always need to be in the form of money. The Hebrew people were asked to bring very specific things for the building of the tabernacle. No cash was asked for or received. Believers today give offerings of their time and of their possessions as well as money.
Verses 10-19 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, 13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, 14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, 16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
It has been estimated that the Hebrew people numbered over a million souls when the women and children were counted along with the men. So, not everyone would be able to work on the items listed above. But the people that the LORD had given talents to in the area of construction, metal work, apothecary and fabric making would volunteer to do the jobs necessary for the building of the tabernacle. These people would be wise and be guided by their hearts which would be right with God.
Application: It has been estimated that about 10% of the members of a church do 100% of the work necessary to keep the church flourishing. Things like grounds keeping, cleaning of the sanctuary and the bathrooms, teaching children’s church and Sunday school cannot be paid positions in most churches as they run on donations. Think about what you, the reader, contribute towards your local church body. Perhaps the LORD will give you a wise heart to perform a specific task for the work of your church. If you are willing, He will lead you into a ministry of some kind that will be rewarding and suited perfectly to your personality and availability. Think about it.
Verses 20-24 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. 23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them. 24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’S offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
Application: Obviously not every person came with an offering, but those whose hearts and spirits were stirred by the LORD brought just what was needed to get the job done. So it is today. Have you, the reader, found yourself giving to a stranger on a street corner, or helping a stranger with some task, a person that you most likely will never see again? That is the Holy Spirit stirring you to help. Believers are the hands and feet of Jesus and He uses them to meet the needs of others. Be sensitive to the stirring of the Spirit within you. It will bring joy to your life.
Verses 25-26 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.
Please notice that women were included in the work of the tabernacle. This writer will continue to stress that the King James Bible is written in the masculine tense, but that does not mean that women were not included in all aspects of the Hebrew lifestyle, government, military, religious, economical and historical record. God is not a respecter of gender. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Verses 27=29 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
Note that the rulers did not just expect the people to supply the need while they sat back and watched. They pitched in too and brought that which the LORD laid on their hearts to bring.
Verses 30-35 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
Bezaleel’s name means “in the shadow or protection of God”. Aholiab was his assistant and his name means “Father’s tent”, rather a fitting name as he and Bezaleel were to supervise and build the tabernacle which was essentially a big tent.