Exodus 40 - The Tabernacle Erected and Arranged, The Cloud and the Glory

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"Moses sets up the tabernacle and the tent of meeting just as the Lord commanded.  Aaron and his sons are clothed in priestly garments and they are consecrated to serve in the tabernacle.  Their anointing serves to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.  Moses places the testimony in the ark, and he does everything that the Lord commands.  After the tabernacle is set up, the cloud of God's glory covers the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle.  This cloud was over the tabernacle by day and there was a fire inside the cloud by night.  This cloud of fire is visible to all the Israelites and it leads them throughout all the stages of their journey to the Promised Land."

 http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/02/exodus-40.html

Exodus 40 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month (Abib) you shall set up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting [of God with you]. 3 You shall place the ark of the Testimony there, and you shall screen off the ark [from the Holy Place of God’s Presence] with the veil (partition curtain). 4 You shall bring in the table [for the bread] and arrange its setting; you shall bring in the lampstand and mount and light its lamps. 5 You shall set the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony [outside the veil], and put the [hanging] veil at the doorway of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the [bronze] altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. 7 You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the courtyard [curtains] all around and hang up the screen (curtain) for the gateway of the courtyard. 9 Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture; and it shall be holy (declared sacred, separated from secular use). 10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. 11 You shall anoint the basin and its base, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve as a priest to Me. 14 You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15 you shall anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve as priests to Me; and their anointing shall qualify them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” 16 Thus Moses did; in accordance with all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.

 https://womenlivingwell.org/2015/02/its-moving-day/

• CONSECRATION AND ANOINTING. The work was almost finished, and God was making some final reminders about the arrangement of the Tabernacle that was to be erected. Interestingly, it shall happen on the first day of the first month ("The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months to you; it is to be the first month of the year to you." Exodus 12:1-2 / Passover Lamb) -- the same month where God commanded the Israelites about The Passover Lamb and Feast of Unleavened Bread before their Exodus from Egypt. The last step or process was to anoint and consecrate everything for they shall be holy, or declared sacred, set apart for God's purposes. Without the anointing from God, everything will just be physical things made by human hands, it will not transcend the spiritual. That's why it was important to anoint and consecrate everything, including the priests who will serve God and the people.
• OBEDIENCE. This portion of the Israel's epic history, showed the great love and obedience of Moses to God. A servant and leader called by God. He used him as a mediator, just like He will use the priests to be a mediator to the Israelites. Whatever God said, Moses just obeyed. This is what we need to imitate in order to live according to God's good, perfect and pleasing will. Even though we might not understand some things, we just keep trusting the Lord, knowing that He always knows what's best for us. While Moses is a great example of a godly man, he did sin, and died in the end, because he wasn't the promised Savior. That's why God sent His one and only Son to save us, once and for all-- He lived a life in complete obedience to the Father, tempted in all ways, but never committed sin. He was the perfect sacrificial lamb.

17 Now it happened on the first day of the first month (Abib) in the second year [after the exodus from Egypt], that the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars and erected its support poles. 19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded him. 20 He took the Testimony [the stones inscribed with the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark [of the covenant], and placed the poles [through the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil (partition) for the screen (curtain), and screened off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him. 22 Then he put the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23 He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. 24 Then he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25 Moses mounted and lighted the lamps [on the lampstand] before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him. 26 He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil; 27 he burned fragrant incense [as a symbol of prayer] on it, just as the Lord commanded him. 28 Then he set up the screen (curtain) at the doorway of the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the Lord commanded him. 30 He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it for washing. 31 Then from it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they entered the Tent of Meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the screen (curtain) at the gateway of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

https://biblestudentsdaily.com/tag/fire-in-the-bible/

34 Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out; 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey on until the day when it was taken up. 38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

• VISIBLE CLOUD, GLORY OF THE LORD. How awesome was that! He is truly a God who dwelled with His people. It is the same with Lord Jesus, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. God is truly amazing, ever so faithful, and patient with us. He loved us with His perfect love. That cloud, and glory of God became the Israelite's go-signal as well whether to set out or not in their journey to the Promised Land. God will always guide and lead His people. As believers today, we believe that it is God who will also continue to guide and lead us in this journey called life, He will tell us where to go, where to not go, He will show us His great plans and purposes. In fact, He has shows us the way, and that is through His Son Jesus, "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

"They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God." Exodus 29:46    

"I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel." 1 Kings 6:13
 
"My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people." Ezekiel 37:27

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them," Revelation 21:3   



After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):
 
a. On the first day of the first month: This indicates that it was a year since Israel came out of Egypt. This was an amazing year in the history of Israel. They could count the great works of God and measure their own spiritual growth.
i. It is fair to use the passing of time to see how far we have come with God. Some Christians never grow much beyond their initial experience with God. Some who have been Christians for 10 years have only the maturity of a one-year-old Christian – they simply repeat their first year over and over again.

 a. Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed: This describes the priestly use of the laver. They could not properly perform their duties without a ritual cleansing, indicating that God wanted service from pure hands and feet.

 b. As the Lord had commanded Moses: In this section (Exodus 36-40), these words (or something similar) are repeated at least 19 times. The obedience had to be complete and exact – and it was.

 a. So Moses finished the work: When the tabernacle was finally assembled, it was an earthly model of a heavenly reality. Since Moses was instructed to build and arrange everything according to pattern, it isn’t surprising that we see elements of this tabernacle arrangement in the Bible’s descriptions of heaven.
    · In Revelation 4:1-6, the Ark of the Covenant (representing the throne of God), the lampstand, and the laver all correspond to a heavenly reality.
    · In Revelation 8:2-4, the altar of incense in heaven is mentioned.
    · In Isaiah 6:1-7, the tabernacle structure is implied by the mention of the temple, and the brazen altar is described.
    · In Hebrews 9:23-24, it tells us that at some point in time (after the cross), Jesus entered the heavenly reality represented on earth by the tabernacle, and appeared in the presence of God to offer a perfect atonement for our sins. Therefore, every time before this event, when the High Priest made atonement in the earthly tabernacle, it was “play acting” – and looking forward to – the perfect atonement the Son of God would offer.

 a. The cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle: Obviously, God was pleased with the obedience of Israel. This was not so much because it showed His superiority over them, but it was more so because it proved they really did believe Him and love Him.
i. There is a real and significant connection between the continually mentioned obedience of Moses and Israel (as the Lord had commanded Moses) and this remarkable display of glory. We shouldn’t think that Moses or Israel earned this display of glory because of their obedience; yet their obedience welcomed it.
ii. This is an enduring principle. We don’t earn our rescue, and God doesn’t love us more when we obey. Yet, undeniably, when we walk in God’s light and truth, there is blessing. Proverbs 3:5-6 speaks beautifully to this: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

 b. Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it: The same thing happened when Solomon completed and dedicated the temple – the glory of God so filled the temple they couldn’t stay in it (1 Kings 8:10-11).
i. Without the glory, it was just a fancy tent. The same could be said of a church, of a home, or of the human tent.

 b. Throughout all their journeys: The Book of Exodus ends with great hope and trust in God. Though Israel was in the middle of a desolate desert, had fierce enemies in the Promised Land, and was weak and liable to sin and rebellion, God was with them. This gave them great cause for faith and confidence.
i. “To speak of a journey is to look for an arrival: He who has begun a work of salvation for Israel will complete it (Philippians 1:6).” (Cole) 

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-40.cfm ©2013 David Guzik      

Exodus 39 - The Priestly Garments

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"This chapter contains detailed construction instructions for making the priestly garments, the Ephod, the breastpiece, the robe and other priestly garments, and the Holy Diadem with 'holy to the Lord' inscribed on the plate.  After all the work for the tabernacle and tent of meeting was finished, Moses inspects the work that had been done.  He ensures everything was done according to what the Lord commanded.  Moses blesses all the workers after they pass inspection."

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/02/exodus-39.html

Exodus 39 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet fabric, they made finely woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
2 Bezalel made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. 3 Then Bezalel and Oholiab hammered the gold [into thin sheets] and cut it into threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and into the fine linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. 4 They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two [upper] edges. 5 The skillfully woven sash with which to bind it, which was on the ephod [to hold it in place], was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 They made the onyx stones, set in settings of gold filigree; they were engraved as signets are engraved, with the names of [the twelve tribes of] the sons of Israel. 7 And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be memorial stones (a remembrance) for the sons of Israel (Jacob), just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

http://rockyespy.com/Old%20Testament/Exodus/Exodus%2039.html

• THE PRIEST AS A MEDIATOR. God wanted to redeem Israel, raise Israel as His firstborn (because Jesus, the ultimate firstborn will eventually come from them), forgive and cleanse Israel from all of its sins. Thus, He commanded the making of Tabernacle of Testimony, and appointed priests to temporarily "mediate" for the people of Israel. God empowered the Israelites (mainly Bezalel and Oholiab) with His Spirit to have all the skills in making everything according to God's commands and plans. When you think about it, everything truly comes from God. We cannot serve or give Him anything that we did not receive from Him-- it was Him who gave first, it was Him who loved first. The High Priest in Moses' time foreshadows the coming of the ULTIMATE HIGH PRIEST, who is Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah!

"where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:20

"Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17
 
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:14-15 

8 Bezalel made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. 9 It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a [hand’s] span long and a [hand’s] span wide when folded double. 10 And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree. 14 The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve [in all], corresponding to their names, engraved like a signet, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords of pure gold. 16 They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17 Then they put the two twisted cords of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastpiece. 18 They put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 19 They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20 Furthermore, they made two [other] gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it, close to the place where it is joined, above the woven sash of the ephod. 21 They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would lie on the woven sash of the ephod, and so that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

 http://christrescuemission.org/223exodus_39__holy_garments_for_the_priest

22 Then Bezalel made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23 there was an opening [for the head] in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of armor, with a hem around it, so that it would not be frayed or torn. 24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe; 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all [the way] around the hem of the robe, for service and ministering, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 And they made tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28 and the turban of fine linen, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, 29 and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the work of an embroiderer, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” 31 They tied a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

 http://christrescuemission.org/223exodus_39__holy_garments_for_the_priest

• RICH IN DETAIL AND SYMBOLISM. I think the reason why the priestly garments were so intricately designed by God, and made skillfully, was because it represents Lord Jesus, God's own Son that He sent to be the Redeemer and Mediator, to pay all the penalty of our sins, to be the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God, once and for all. The work and commitment of a High Priest is a special calling, it was no ordinary job. It is being "Jesus Christ" to all the stubborn, rebellious Israelites.

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; and the Israelites did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; that is what they did. 33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses [for him to inspect]: the tent and all its furnishings, its hooks, its [frame] boards, its bars, its support poles, its sockets or bases; 34 and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of [a]porpoise skins, and the veil (partition) of the screen (curtain); 35 the ark of the Testimony, its carrying poles and the mercy seat; 36 the table and all its utensils and the bread of the Presence (showbread); 37 the pure gold lampstand and its lamps, with the lamps placed in order, all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38 the golden altar [of incense], the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the [hanging] veil for the doorway of the tent; 39 the bronze altar [of burnt offering] and its grating of bronze, its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its base; 40 the curtains of the courtyard, its support poles and sockets, and the screen (curtain) for the courtyard gate, its cords and pegs, and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people]; 41 the [finely] woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests. 42 So the Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 And Moses [carefully] inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. So Moses blessed them.
Footnotes: Exodus 39:34 The meaning of the Hebrew word is not certain; some scholars have suggested that the material is instead a fine leather of unspecified origin.

 http://christrescuemission.org/223exodus_39__holy_garments_for_the_priest

https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html

"The garments mentioned in this chapter are set aside for the high priest to wear in the presence of God.  These garments were holy because they are set apart for the service of God.  These garments are symbolic of the Christian life. As Christians we must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ.  Then, we must live a life to back it up."

https://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/2cor5v21thegreatexchange.html 

"Again, the Old Testament pictures for us the amazing atonement of the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God dying for our sins on the cross, and clothes us with robes of pure righteousness. We stand before a holy God dressed in robes of righteousness without spot and without blemish. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote: "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).
Believing sinners are treated by a righteous God as righteous through their union with Christ. They are justified and saved. God sees us "in Christ."

Exodus 38 - Making the Altar of Burnt Offering, Bronze Laver, Court of the Tabernacle; Materials of the Tabernacle

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"This chapter contains construction details for making the altar of burnt offering, the bronze basin, and the courtyard.  It also lists the inventory of materials used to make everything in the tabernacle."

Exodus 38 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

38 Then Bezalel made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; its top was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high. 2 And he made its horns (horn-shaped projections) on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar [of burnt offering], the pots, shovels, basins [to catch the blood of the sacrificed animal], meat hooks and the firepans [to store live coals]. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze mesh under its rim, extending halfway up it. 5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the carrying poles. 6 And he made the carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.
8 Bezalel made the basin and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the attending women who served and ministered at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.
9 Then he made the court: for the south side the curtains of the court were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits; 10 their twenty support poles, and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 11 And for the north side [of the court the curtains were also] a hundred cubits; their twenty support poles and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 12 For the west side [of the court] there were curtains of fifty cubits with their ten support poles and their ten sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 13 For the east side [the front of the courtyard, there were curtains of] fifty cubits. 14 The curtains for one side of the court gate were fifteen cubits, with their three support poles and their three sockets; 15 and the same for the other side [of the court gate]. Left and right of the court gate there were curtains of fifteen cubits; with their three support poles and their three sockets. 16 All the curtains around the court were of fine twisted linen. 17 The sockets for the support poles were made of bronze, the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were made of silver; and silver overlaid their tops. All the support poles of the court had silver connecting rings. 18 The screen (curtain) for the gate of the courtyard [on the east side] was the work of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, corresponding to the curtains of the court. 19 Their four support poles and their four sockets were bronze; their hooks were silver, and silver overlaid their tops and their connecting rings. 20 All the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were bronze.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/208784132701411596/?lp=true 

• THE TABERNACLE COMPLETED. Finally! I wonder how long, how many days, weeks, or months that the skilled people of Israel were able to do all the things that God has commanded them.. It was all very detailed, nothing God said was not accomplished, everything was followed to a T. For sure, all those metal works and linen works took much time. Maybe despite of being tired, the Israelites worked with joy because the Spirit of God was upon them.

https://lenbilen.com/2018/02/09/exodus-38-the-altar-of-burnt-offering-the-wash-basin-the-courtyard-materials-used/

21 This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as counted according to the command of Moses, for the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. 23 With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful craftsman and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet fabric, and in fine linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the building and furnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were assembled and counted was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26 a beka for each man (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil (partition curtain); a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28 Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the support poles and overlaid their tops and made connecting rings for them. 29 The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels. 30 With it Bezalel made the sockets for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31 and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs around the court.

• THE COST OF THE TABERNACLE. This part of the story shows good governance or leadership of Moses to all the people of God, the Israelites. Moses commanded the count of all the cost of the Tabernacle. This also shows transparency to the people, all their offerings for the work of God were accounted for and documented. There was a system, and it was organized. I believe no material was ever put to waste, and that's good stewardship of God's blessings. God is an excellent God and a God of order-- as His people, we ought to do the same as well, in our jobs, in our personal lives, in our business, in the church, in the missions, etc.

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):   

 a. From the bronze mirrors of the serving women: Exodus 30:17-21 gave the original command to build this container for the water of ceremonial washing. Here only are we told that the bronze used to make the laver came, at least in part, from the polished metal mirrors of some of the women of Israel.
i. It is wonderful to think that these women gave up their ability to measure their own physical beauty to make this reservoir for the water of ceremonial washing. By analogy, it may be said that some are so focused on looking at themselves that they fail to look to Jesus. It is always time to surrender such a mirror to Jesus.
ii. From a New Testament perspective, one may say that believers experience the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26), and that the word of God is like a mirror (James 1:22-25).

 b. The serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting: Apparently, there were a group of women in Israel who served God by regularly meeting to help the priests and the work of the tabernacle.
i. “The verb translated minister is rare and interesting, and is used in only one other place of women in the service of the sanctuary (1 Samuel 2:22). It really means ‘organized in bands for war’, but it is used of ordinary Levitical service (Numbers 4:23, etc.).” (Cole)

 a. By the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest: This priest named Ithmar oversaw the Levites who had the responsibility of managing all these resources. They had a big job to do and seemed to do it well.

 b. Which was counted according to the commandment of Moses: By some estimations the present day value of the materials used in the tabernacle would total more than $13 million (DeWitt). Their combined weight would be almost 19,000 pounds (more than 9 tons or 8,500 kilograms). This was a significant project to manage.
i. “The exact calculation teaches the necessity of thoroughness and accuracy in all things connected with money for religious work.” (Thomas)
ii. Some wonder where Israel got all these resources out in the middle of the desert. But Exodus 12:36 reminds us that the children of Israel left Egypt with great resources because they had plundered the Egyptians, who willingly gave Israel what amounted to back wages for their years of slavery.

 a. Twenty-nine talents: Some estimate a talent to equal about 70 pounds (32 kilograms). This means there was something like 2,030 pounds (920 kilograms) of gold used in the tabernacle.

 a. The silver from those who were numbered: Exodus 30:13-16 described how the Israelites were to give silver as part of a census, a counting of the nation. This accounts for the high amount of silver given. 

 Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-38.cfm ©2013 David Guzik      

  
https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html
"In the Old Testament, the high priest was the only man to enter into the Holy of Holies.  He would only enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the nation of Israel.  After Jesus came to this earth in the form of a man, he bled and died for our sin.  He is the atoning sacrifice for all people, past, present, and future.  From John 14:6, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes into the presence of the Father but by Him."

From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:"  "Every individual will have to personally accept the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  You have to pay the redemption price.  What is it?  Well, it is not silver or gold.  The only condition is that you must be thirsty.  Would you like to have a drink of the water of life?  It is free.  Salvation is free, but it is no cheap.  It cost God everything.  He gave His Son to die on the cross and to pay the price of our redemption.  We are redeemed by His blood."

Exodus 37 - Making the Ark of the Testimony, Table for the Showbread, Gold Lampstand, Altar of Incense, Anointing Oil and the Incense

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"This chapter contains detailed construction accounts of making the Ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense."

https://st-takla.org/bible/commentary/en/ot/matthew-henry/exodus/ch37.html

Exodus 37 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

Construction Continues
Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood—it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it]. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 4 He made carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the carrying poles through the rings at the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6 Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide. 7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold; he made them at the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at the two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings upward, covering and protecting the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were [looking downward] toward the mercy seat.
10 Bezalel made the table [for the bread] of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border of gold for it all around [its top]. 12 He made a rim for it [just under the top] a hand width wide all around, and a border of gold around its rim. 13 He cast four rings of gold for it and fastened the rings to the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry the table. 15 Bezalel made the carrying poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made the utensils which were to be on the table, its dishes and its pans [for bread], its bowls and its jars for pouring drink offerings, of pure gold.

• INTRICATE ARTISTRY. Our God is a majestic, awesome God and what the Israelites were doing or constructing to make the Tabernacle were a reflection of who God is-- full of beauty and wonders. Who would have think that the Israelites with limited education or talents due to 400+ years of slavery in Egypt, will be able to pull off something this outstanding? It was the mighty Spirit of God indeed! Working and empowering all these special, chosen people to serve God and to take part in His great plans and purposes. It made me think of all the people that Lord Jesus had chosen and gifted with His Holy Spirit to disciple people and advance His Kingdom: Peter and Andrew the fisherman, Matthew the tax collector, Paul the former persecutor, etc. Indeed, God can use anyone for His glory and honor! It doesn't matter if the person's past was dark, ugly, or full of pain and brokenness-- if that person was called and saved by God, and that person repented, accepted and believed in the Good News of how God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross to redeem us-- that person will be infused with the mighty Holy Spirit of God and he/she will have a new life and he/she will bear fruits!

https://livingforjesus.com/god-doesnt-call-the-qualified-god-qualifies-the-called/ 

17 Then he made the lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its [center] shaft; its cups, its [a]calyxes, and its flowers were all of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches coming out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches from one side of the center shaft and three branches from the other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in the opposite branch—so for the six branches coming out of the center shaft of the lampstand. 20 On the center shaft of the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with calyxes and flowers [one at the top]; 21 and a calyx was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the second pair of branches, coming out of it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it; all of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.
25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around and its horns; he also made a rim of gold around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
Footnotes: Exodus 37:17 The leaf-like outer part of the flower.

https://biblestudentsdaily.com/tag/beauties-of-the-tabernacle/

• GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE SPIRIT. God is our light, forever and ever. The Menorah or lampstand symbolizes that in the physical Tabernacle. God loves the Israelites so much that He allowed them to have an everyday remembrance of it in the middle of the wilderness-- God knew how forgetful and sinful we are, God knew how stubborn and rebellious the Israelites could be, and yet God remained faithful and steadfast in guiding them.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5


https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html 
From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:"  "The two articles of furniture in the outer court were the brazen altar and the laver.  When you stepped inside the Holy Place, there were three articles of furniture:  the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense.  In the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat...There were seven articles of furniture arranged in such a way as to give us a wonderful picture.  The brazen altar speaks of the cross of Christ where we receive forgiveness of sin.  The laver speaks of the fact that Christ washes or cleanses those who are His own.  The laver is where we confess our sins, and receive his forgiveness and cleansing.  The Holy Place is the place of worship.  In it is the golden lampstand typifying Christ, the Light of the World.  The table of showbread pictures Christ as the Bread of Life upon which we feed.  The altar of incense is the place of prayer.  It speaks of the fact that Christ is our Intercessor...The Holy of Holies pictures Jesus Christ in the presence of God.  In the Book of Hebrews we are told to come to the throne of grace.  The mercy seat pictures this, and this is where we find grace to help and mercy in time of need.  There is a mercy seat for believers in heaven...The Holy of Holies is in heaven today.  We do not go horizontally to God by going to a building or to a man, but we look to heaven and go directly to Him--through Jesus Christ.  "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5).

Exodus 36 - Building the Tabernacle, The People Give More than Enough

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"Oholiab, Bezalel, and all the skilled craftsmen come together and begin construction on the tabernacle and create everything God commanded.  This chapter details the construction of the tabernacle."

https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/286956-exodus:-willing-hands-and-generous-heart

Exodus 36 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com 

The Tabernacle Underwritten
“Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled person in whom the Lord has put ability and understanding to know how to do all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded.”
2 So Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom the Lord had put ability, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings which the Israelites had brought for the construction of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they continued to bring him freewill (voluntary) offerings every morning. 4 And all the skilled men who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each one from the work which he was doing, 5 and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses issued a command, and it was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the sanctuary offering.” So the people were restrained from bringing anything more; 7 for the material they had was sufficient and more than enough to do all the work.

https://slideplayer.com/slide/5278110/

• ALL ACCORDING TO GOD'S COMMAND. How can everything be done according to God's plans and commandments? It's because God is great, and His plans always prevails. And His ways are always perfect. Even through the imperfect people of Israel. God has put abilities to the (chosen) people, even though they were just 'slaves' in Egypt before, and with His spirit also stirred their hearts to willingly help, serve, and contribute to the building of Tabernacle.
• THE GOD OF MORE THAN ENOUGH. It's amazing how in the middle of the wilderness, everything was provided by God, even to the point that all the offerings of the Israelites were more than enough! Indeed, God is unlimited, and we can never out-give Him.

Construction Proceeds
8 All the skilled men among them who were doing the work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, with cherubim [worked into them], the work of an embroiderer, Bezalel made them. 9 Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were one size. 10 Bezalel joined five curtains one to another, and [the other] five curtains he joined one to another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he also did this on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. 12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain [of the first set] and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was in the second set; the loops were opposite one another. 13 He made fifty gold hooks and joined the curtains together with the hooks, so that the tabernacle became a unit.
14 Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all. 15 Each curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; the eleven curtains were of equal size. 16 Bezalel joined five curtains by themselves and [the other] six curtains by themselves. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 18 He made fifty bronze hooks to join the tent together into a unit. 19 He made a [third] covering for the tent of rams’ [a]skins dyed red, and above it a [fourth] covering of [b]porpoise skins.
20 Bezalel made boards of acacia wood for the upright framework of the tabernacle. 21 Each board was ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 22 Each board had two tenons (dovetails), fitted to one another; he did this for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 And [this is how] he made the boards [for frames] for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side; 24 and he made under the twenty boards forty silver sockets; two sockets under one board for its two tenons (dovetails), and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 For the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards, 26 and their forty silver sockets; two sockets under [the end of] each board. 27 And for the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six [frame] boards. 28 And he made two boards for each corner of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 They were separate below, but linked together at the top with one ring; thus he made both of them in both corners. 30 There were eight boards with sixteen silver sockets, and under [the end of] each board two sockets.
31 Bezalel made bars of acacia wood, five for the [frame] boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle’s other side, and five bars for the boards at the rear side to the west. 33 And he made the middle bar pass through [horizontally] halfway up the boards from one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards and the bars with gold and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars.
35 Further, Bezalel made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of an embroiderer. 36 For the veil (partition curtain) he made four support poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were gold, and he cast for them four silver sockets. 37 He made a screen (curtain) for the doorway of the tent, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer; 38 and [he made] the five support poles with their hooks, and overlaid their [ornamental] tops and connecting rings with gold; but their five sockets were bronze.
Footnotes: Exodus 36:19 Similar to morocco leather.
Exodus 36:19 Hebrew uncertain.



   After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

a. The people bring much more than enough: This shows how blessed giving can be when free from human manipulation and tricks. Willing hearts will always give enough as God blesses the work – indeed, the people were restrained from bringing.
i. “When the heart is truly stirred, and the spirit makes willing, giving is robbed of all meanness; indeed, it ceases to be calculating. Nothing is too precious to be given, no amount is too great.” (Morgan)
ii. “Compare the story of the anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:7), and the generosity of the Philippian church (Philippians 4:14-19).” (Cole)

iii. This also shows that Moses and the planners of the work knew how much was enough. They job was organized and planned to the extent that they understood what they needed, and when they had more than enough. When God’s people are asked to give to something, they should expect that it be well organized, planned, and managed.

 b. And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient: Moses showed great integrity by not gathering more than the project needed. God told him to take an offering for the building of a tabernacle, and when the tabernacle was provided for the offering was over. The purpose wasn’t to amass endless resources, but to properly put those resources into action.
 i. Indeed too much: This follows the pattern of God’s giving to us. God gives us much more than we ever need, and our giving is simply a response to His.  

    Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-36.cfm ©2013 David Guzik     

Exodus 35 - Sabbath Regulations, Offerings for the Tabernacle, Articles of the Tabernacle, The Tabernacle Offerings Presented, The Artisans Called by God

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"Moses reminds the Israelites of the Sabbath day of rest.  Afterward, the Israelites bring a freewill offering to the Lord, and craftsmen come to do all the work that the Lord had commanded to be done.  The people of Israel brought more than enough materials to do all the work that was required to build the sanctuary.  God appoints Bezalel and Oholiab to lead the construction of the sanctuary."

Exodus 35 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

Moses gathered all the congregation of the sons of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the things which the Lord has commanded you to do:
2 “For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any kind of work on that day shall be put to death. 3 You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”
4 And Moses said to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, and bronze, 6 blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7 and [a]rams’ skins dyed red, and skins of [b]porpoises, and acacia wood, 8 and [olive] oil for the lighting, and balsam for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, 9 and [c]onyx stones and other stones to be set for the ephod and the breastpiece.
Footnotes: Exodus 35:7 Similar to morocco leather.
Exodus 35:7 Hebrew uncertain.
Exodus 35:9 See note 25:7.

 

Gifts for the Tabernacle https://www.goodsalt.com/details/prcas2638.html

• THE SABBATH EMPHASIZED. After some time, when the 2 Tablets were replaced by God, and the Israelites have witnessed how Moses' face shone because of God's glory-- the work of Moses to gather the Israelites to deliver all of God's messages and commandments with them from being at Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (twice), has started. But first, Sabbath! Before Moses and all the people start all the 'works', they needed to be reminded of God's command to keep the Sabbath, or 7th day rest. Or everything will be all in vain, I think. Their work should be aligned and centered to God and all His commandments, after all, everything that they will set to do is for God's glory and honor. God is the best worker! He created everything from nothing! With His word, and He made man with His own hands according to His own image and likeness. But on the seventh day, when everything was complete, God rested, enjoyed and appreciated His creation, and it was very good. We should be like the same with God-- after all our labor for six days, we devote time for resting, relaxation, and remembrance and appreciation of God on the seventh day.
• GIVE FROM A WILLING HEART. God is a generous, gracious GIVER. And He does it willingly and wholeheartedly. That's why He commanded the Israelites-- He commands us-- to give cheerfully, and out of the willingness and overflow of our hearts. If we do that, God knows it, and if we don't do that (we give reluctantly), God will still know it, so let's always pray that God will help us give with the willing heart. In fact, what more can God give us? When He has already given us the greatest gift, the greatest miracle, the greatest treasure that is His Son Jesus, who redeemed us from all sin and death.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

10 ‘Let every skilled and talented man among you come, and make everything that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle (sacred dwelling of God), its tent and its covering, its hooks, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark [of the covenant] and its carrying poles, with the [d]mercy seat and the veil (partition curtain) of the screen [to hang between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies]; 13 the table and its carrying poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the [divine] Presence (showbread); 14 the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense and its carrying poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, the screen (curtain) for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and all its utensils, the wash basin and its base (stand); 17 the court’s curtains, its support poles and their sockets, and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; 19 the finely-woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests.’”
Footnotes: Exodus 35:12 See note 25:17.

• SKILLS AND TALENTS COMES FROM GOD. God gifts the skills and talent, but it's the people who will come and volunteer. Again, God is inviting His people to partake in His great plans and purposes. Help, give, work, from a willing heart! Because it glorifies God. Like Jesus, God's Son, who willingly gave up His life so that all of humanity, all who receive Him, shall be saved and forgiven.

20 Then all the congregation of the Israelites left Moses’ presence. 21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches, earrings or nose rings, signet rings, and necklaces, all jewels of gold; everyone bringing an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 Every man who had in his possession blue or purple or scarlet fabric, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and [e]rams’ skins dyed red and [f]porpoise skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s offering; every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. 25 All the skilled and talented women spun thread with their hands, and brought what they had spun, blue and purple and scarlet fabric and fine linen. 26 All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other stones to be put in settings for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spice and [olive] oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29 The Israelites, all the men and women whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill (voluntary) offering to the Lord.
Footnotes: Exodus 35:23 Similar to morocco leather.
Exodus 35:23 Hebrew uncertain.

 

https://st-takla.org/bible/commentary/en/ot/matthew-henry/exodus/ch35.html 

• GOD'S SPIRIT EMPOWERS PEOPLE AND STIRS UP HEARTS. Wow, Israel's response and obedience was overwhelming! It was not because the people were good, great, strong, and awesome (they were stubborn, rebellious), it's because their God was awesome! Indeed God will use anyone mightily despite their weaknesses, or failures, just as long as they were willing, available and obedient to God :)
  

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and skill, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge in all [areas of] craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 He has also put in Bezalel’s heart [the willingness] to teach [others the same skills], both he and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do the work of an engraver, of a designer, and of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and in fine linen, and of a weaver; makers of every work and embroiderers of [excellent] designs.

• THE SELFLESS SPIRIT OF GOD. God is the most selfless-- Lord Jesus, God's only Son selflessly gave up and sacrificed His life for us all, so I'm not surprised how the Spirit of God worked in the artists' hearts, giving them the willingness to teach others with the gifts that God has gifted them. Again, it was all for God's glory! How awesome.

  After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

 a. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord: In the coming chapters, there was a lot of work for Israel to do. They had to build a complex and exact tabernacle of meeting. Yet before they did anything, they should be reminded to enter into God’s rest and to respect the Sabbath.
i. The same principle holds true for our walk with God. Anything we do for the Lord must grow out of our rest in Him, and rest in His finished work on our behalf.
 b. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death: This was a strict call to obedience. Before they did the work of building the tabernacle, God first called Israel to the work of simple obedience. Basic obedience is a pre-requisite for doing work for the Lord.
 ii. The Hebrew language has two words for work: avodah and melachah. Avodah is a general term meaning work, while melachah is a word more related to business and things specifically forbidden on the Sabbath. One might say that here, God allowed some work (avodah) to be done on the Sabbath, but did not allow certain things on the Sabbath, especially business-related things (melachah).

 b. Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: This offering came from God’s command, not from Moses’ clever fund-raising techniques. This shows God’s normal way of channeling resources to His work – by the gifts given from His people with a willing heart.
 i. God could cause the money and materials to appear by a miracle. Yet He chose to fund His work through the willing gifts of His people. He works this way because we need to be a giving people.
 ii. This idea is echoed in 2 Corinthians 9:7: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

 a. All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses: After Moses asked them to give, he sent them home to decide what they would give. This shows that Moses did not use manipulative techniques, such as asking people to make quick, public decisions about their giving. There was no manipulation at in Moses’ request.
i. Moses didn’t have a contests pitting one tribe against another, to see which tribe could raise the most money, or any other such nonsense. God did the work in the hearts of the people.
 ii. Though their hearts were willing, they didn’t know what to give, when to give, or how to give until Moses led them. Willing hearts still need to be told when there is a need and how they can meet that need.

 ii. The people gave what they could. Not all could give gold or precious gems, but they could give some goat’s hair. Certainly, a gift of goat’s hair could be just as welcome in God’s sight as a gift of gold, if it was given with the right heart.

 b. Those who do every work and those who design artistic works: The leaders of the work of building the tabernacle had a unique inspiration of the Holy Spirit to do this important and practical work. Since God wanted the work done according to a certain pattern (Exodus 25:9), it made sense that He specially inspired some to do the work.  

   Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-35.cfm ©2013 David Guzik    

Exodus 34 - The Two Tablets Replaced, The Covenant Renewed, Moses’ Face Shines

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"God tells Moses to cut two new stone tablets like the 1st ones and to ascend Mt. Sinai so that He can give Moses the Ten Commandments again.  Moses does as God commands.  God comes down in a cloud and says this to Moses:  "Yahweh--Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin.  But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the father's wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation."  After this, Moses bows and worships God asking forgiveness for Israel's sins.  God reminds Moses and the Israelites of their covenant obligations.  They are to never bow down to another God because the Lord, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God.  God tells them not to make treaties with the inhabitants of the land God has promised for them (the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites).  Moses was with the Lord on the mountaintop of Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights.  He did not eat bread or drink water.  He wrote down on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.  Moses descends the mountain to tell the Israelites what God had commanded.  His face shown like a radiant light from being with God for so long."

 

https://faithlutheranokemos.org/th_sermon/exodus34/exodus-34/

 

 Exodus 34 Amplified Bible (AMP)

https://www.biblegateway.com 

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed [when you learned of Israel’s idolatry]. 2 So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. 3 No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; nor let flocks or herds feed in front of that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and he got up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took [a]the two tablets of stone in his hand. 5 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he proclaimed the Name of the Lord. 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness); 7 keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].” 8 Moses bowed to the earth immediately and worshiped [the Lord]. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor and lovingkindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”
Footnotes: Exodus 34:4 Some expositors suggest that the two tablets of stone were small enough to be easily carried. The pictures of Moses carrying large tombstone-size tablets are the result of an artist’s rendering, and are not supported in the Bible.   

• THE GOD OF 2ND CHANCES. And many, endless chances.. Personally, I could not count how many times the Lord has saved me, forgiven me, helped me, and delivered me from my sins.. At this point, God was restoring the (rather symbolic) two tablets of stone because the previous one was broken (by Moses) due to Israelites' sin of idolatry (Golden Calf). God continues to use Moses mightily as a 'mediator' to his fellow Israel brothers.

"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." Psalm 86:15 

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23  

• THE ROCK THAT IS JESUS. The 2 Tablet of Stones contains the written commandments of God, and it is God Himself who wrote it. Does the 'stone' somehow foreshadow Lord Jesus and who He is? He is often called the Cornerstone and the Rock of ages.

"let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health. "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone." And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12   
 
"having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:20-22   
 
"The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone." Psalm 118:22     

•  GOD OF ALL COMPASSION. God was full of compassion, that He only not saved Israel numerous times, but also, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) Jesus, the Son of God, is the complete expression of God's COMPASSION! When He walked the earth, He showed so much compassion to many people, and He ultimately gave up His life for the salvation of the world.

"When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." Luke 7:13    

"And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." Matthew 15:32     

"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36   
 
"When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick." Matthew 14:14

10 Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will do wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been created or produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live shall see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful and awesome thing that I am going to do with you.
11 “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Watch yourself so that you do not make a covenant (solemn agreement, treaty) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a [dangerous] trap among you. 13 But you shall tear down and destroy their [pagan] altars, smash in pieces their [sacred] pillars (obelisks, images) and cut down their [b]Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the prostitute with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you [c]to eat his sacrifice (meal), 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters would play the prostitute with their gods and cause your sons also to play the prostitute (commit apostasy) with their gods [that is, abandon the true God for man-made idols]. 17 You shall make for yourselves no molten gods.
18 “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover). For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.
19 “All the firstborn males among your livestock belong to Me, whether cattle or sheep. 20 You shall redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None of you are to appear before Me empty-handed.
21 “You shall work for six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; [even] in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [on the Sabbath]. 22 You shall observe and celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Harvest, First Fruits, or Pentecost), the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering (Booths or Tabernacles) at the year’s end. 23 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord [d]God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will drive out and dispossess nations before you and enlarge your borders; nor shall any man covet (actively seek for himself) your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times a year.
25 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover (Unleavened Bread) be left over until morning.
26 “You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your ground to the house of the Lord your God.
“You shall not [e]boil a young goat in his mother’s milk [as some pagans do].”
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Footnotes: Exodus 34:13 Symbols of the mother-goddess Asherah, usually a tree or pole dedicated to her and placed near her many shrines.
Exodus 34:15 Lit and you would eat. It was commonplace in ancient cultures to invite friends to a sacrifice to a pagan deity. Aside from its religious implications, at the end of the ceremony the sacrifice became a meal for all present and served as a social occasion.
Exodus 34:23 Heb YHWH (Yahweh), usually rendered Lord.
Exodus 34:26 This may have been a pagan practice, perhaps a fertility rite.

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• COVENANT RELATIONSHIP. God repeated or re-affirmed His covenant upon Israel once again! And it was truly awesome, as God promised that He will do "wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been created or produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations." But the Israelites needed to do their part too, by obeying all of God's commandments. It will be an ultimate test of faith, endurance, and trusting/hoping in the Lord for them.. We all know that the generation of Israelites that were rescued from Egypt wandered for 40 years in the wilderness (with Moses), because of their sins, stubbornness, and disobedience.. But, despite all that, God was TRUE AND FAITHFUL to His covenant-- through the (chosen, firstborn) people of Israel, God sent His one and only Son Jesus to redeem and save us, and that's the GREATEST MIRACLE of all.💖
• WHY OBEY AND FOLLOW GOD? Because God seeks to protect the Israelites, God seeks to protect us from the deception, trap, and slavery from the enemy, from our sins. God wants to have a personal relationship with us, through our Mediator Jesus-- He wants to fulfill His great plans and purposes in our lives, too. And if we love God, we should follow and obey Him.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." John 14:15-18

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him; and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites approached him, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had said to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, [f]he would take off the veil until he came out. When he came out and he told the Israelites what he had been commanded [by God], 35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, how his skin shone [with a unique radiance]. So Moses put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with God.
Footnotes: Exodus 34:34 The apostle Paul refers to this incident when he says that we all may, with unveiled faces, behold the glory of the Lord, and be transformed (2 Cor 3:13-18). That ability to personally approach God was once given only to the great leader of Israel, but it is now within reach of each individual believer. The gospel has no boundary keeping people at a distance from God; all believers may reverently approach Him.

 

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• SHINING BECAUSE OF GOD'S GLORY. Moses spent another 40 days and 40 nights with the Lord, to be able to finish the making of two tablets of Testimony. Our faces and our lives will shine and brighten as well when we spend more time with the Lord, praying and listening to God.

"The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;" Numbers 6:25   
 
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16    

"For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6   


After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

e. By no means clearing the guilty: If His love and forgiveness are rejected, God will punish and that punishment will have repercussions through the generations that hate Him (Exodus 20:5).
i. His loving, gracious, and giving character do not cancel out His righteousness. Because of the work of Jesus, the righteousness of God is satisfied and the grace and mercy of God are righteously given.

 a. I will make a covenant: This was God’s covenant, that Israel was invited to join. He did not negotiate the terms with Israel. Instead He dictated the terms to the people of Israel through Moses.
 b. I will do marvels…all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord: God’s plan was to glorify Himself to all the nations (all the people) through Israel, and to show His glory through the great things He did among them.
i. Israel had a choice regarding those great things. Either the great things would be blessings so impressive that every nation would know that God alone had blessed Israel (as was the case with Solomon). Or, the great things would be curses so horrible that every nation would know God had chastised Israel and yet kept them a nation (as was the case with the exile). Either way, God would glorify Himself through Israel among the nations.

 iii. I will do marvels: “This seems to refer to what God did in putting them in possession of the land of Canaan, causing the walls of Jericho to fall down; making the sun and moon to stand still, [and so forth].” (Clarke) 

(Exo 34:12-16) Israel must be separate from the Canaanites in worship, politics, fellowship and marriage.
 b. And they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods: There was a definite connection between the worship of the Canaanite gods and sexual immorality. Many of the Canaanite gods were fertility gods and were worshipped with ritual prostitutes and sex.

 a. The Feast of Unleavened Bread: First mentioned in Exodus 12:14-20, this feast spoke of the purity God desired among Israel before Him, when all leaven – a symbol of sin – was put away and Israel walked in a symbolic purity.

 b. So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water: This was a completely unique and supernatural fast. It is definitely possible (yet remarkable) for someone to live without food for 40 days, but by any account it is a miracle to go without water for this long. This kind of fasting is never repeated or recommended in the Scriptures.

 a. Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him: Close communion with God physically affected Moses. His face had a shining appearance that was so noticeable that both the leaders and the people of Israel were afraid to come near him.
i. After such a remarkable fast we would expect that Moses looked pale and sickly. Apparently not; instead his face shone with a radiance and glory so great that it made others hesitant to come near him.
ii. It is true that a life lived with God affects physical appearance, especially the face. The peace, joy, love, and goodness of God should be evident on the face of the one who follows Jesus. Yet what Moses experienced seems beyond that general principle, and a direct result from his remarkable communication with God (his face shone while he talked with Him).

b. Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone: Wonderfully, Moses did not know this. He was unaware of the greatness of his own spiritual radiance. This was because Moses was a genuinely and deeply humble man (Numbers 12:3).
 ii. We read of only two men in the Bible whose faces shone like this: Moses and Stephen (Acts 6:15). Both were humble men. “I am afraid, brethren, that God could not afford to make our faces shine: we should grow too proud. It needs a very meek and lowly spirit to bear the shinings of God.” (Spurgeon)

 b. He put a veil on his face: It is easy to think that Moses wore the veil so the people would not be afraid to come near him (Exodus 34:30), or that the purpose of the veil was to protect others from the glorious radiance of Moses’ face. Yet the Apostle Paul explained the real purpose of the veil: not to hide the shining face of Moses, but so that the diminishing glory of his face would not be observed because the glory was fading.
i. Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away (2 Corinthians 3:13). The Old Covenant had a glory, but it was a fading glory. God didn’t want people to see the fading glory of the Old Covenant, and lose confidence in Moses.
ii. The Old Covenant was great and glorious – but it looks pretty pale in comparison to the New Covenant. A bright autumn moon may look beautiful and give great light, but it is nothing compared to the noonday sun. 

  Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-34.cfm ©2013 David Guzik