Christ in all the scriptures Heaven upon earth

 Christ in all the scriptures

Heaven upon earth   Exodus 36

We come now to a turning point in the Tabernacle story: "Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man in whom the Lord had put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded"-36v1.  

This is a most thrilling narrative that has resonance in the present day.  It is a deeply spiritual chapter that measures the depths of Divine-Human relationships.  The contrast with chapter 32 could not be greater.  Moses came down from the mountain with more than the two tables of stone containing the ten commandments, the law of God.  He came also with detailed instructions to build a sanctuary in which God could dwell with men.  This section ends in chapter 40 with the glory of God descending on the tabernacle and God dwelling with men for the first time. This fact should immediately draw our attention; that God should dwell with men is surely the ultimate of all existence and the story continues  on into the future when in Revelation 21v3 it is written " And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,  "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God".  This is the first glimpse of heaven upon earth, that will be the experience of all God 's people of all ages.  We move now from design to construction, from thought to practical reality.  

In the chapter there are heart warming themes which we can state now and expand a little later  We see in the chapter God and man working in HARMONY.   We also have a picture of overwhelming human GENEROSITY.    Also we have a picture of unbreakable UNITY;  then a vision of ultimate SECURITY.   Throughout the narrative we have a picture of exquisite BEAUTY; then we have the pillars of  STABILITY.  Overall it is a structure bristling with CHRISTOLOGY.  Sometimes in our weekly church services, we lose the wonder of what we are part of, and it is pictures like these which bring it to remembrance.

God and man working in HARMONY.   This is a persistent theme throughout..."then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man...in whom the Lord had put wisdom and understanding..."-36v1; "...every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom..."-36v2.   This was a physically demanding work, but it had a Divinely spiritual inspiration to it.  Any work for God must have those twin elements, the response of man to use the God-given ability, and the Lord inspiring its use.  This is what happened in the early Church-Mark 16v20, "They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them..."; Acts 2v46, "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily the saved ones".  There are numerous examples in the N/T of this harmonious work between man and God.  We sing hymns and songs, but it is "from the heart";  we preach sermons but it is "not in the wisdom of men's words, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power"; we do good works but it is not to be seen of men, not for self glory.   True prayer is that which is assisted by the Spirit (Romans 8v20).  God graciously uses the ability of men to effect His work.  Peter records "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man serve let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified, through Jesus Christ"-1st Peter 4v11.  Was this the secret of the success of the early Church?  Is it the absence of this that has led to modern day failure?

Overwhelming human GENEROSITY   Moses had to restrain the people's giving.  This is the opposite to the modern trend of sending out begging letters.  It is the opposite of church authorities demanding an increase in giving from their members.  It is the opposite to preachers persuading audiences to give more on the basis that giving to them is giving to the Lord, only to find those same preachers are living in the lap of luxury.  God did not specify amounts to be given, but they gave spontaneously, they gave generously, and there was enough and more for the task, and they were restrained from giving more.  God is not in the business of  burdening His people.  Some have estimated that the material value of the Tabernacle could have been in excess of  25 million dollars in modern terms.  Its spiritual value is many times more than that.  In these days of publicising charitable efforts, when did we last hear of a church restraining the generosity of its people?

In the curtains we have a picture of unbreakable UNITY   We keep in mind that this Tabernacle was much more than a costly, earthly structure; it was a Divine institution.  It was in fact a "pattern of things in the heavens", an earthly symbol of the reality in heaven, beyond our world.  It was, indeed a little bit of heaven on hearth.  Prominent were the heavenly cherubims (v8), the creatures who dwell in the presence of God.  Heaven had come down to earth.   How do we think of  our church, and, indeed, the global church?  Is it just a religious gathering of people, or is it where God is, in this dark, ungodly world? Paul said to the Corinthians that their behaviour should be such that people coming in should be caused to worship and be able to say "God is in you of a truth"!-1st Cor. 14v23-25.  Is there a sense that God is among us, or is it just another social gathering?  Ten curtains, all of one size, joined together in one curtain.  There were no frayed edges, the selvedge seams were perfect. Over this there was the tent, the curtain of goat's hair, which covers the whole.  The Tabernacle symbolises the dwelling of God; the Tent, the congregation of people.  Together they represent God and man in harmony!  The fundamental message is that the Tabernacle is one, "so it became ONE tabernacle"-v13; "...to couple the tent together, that it might be ONE"-v18.  This principle is repeated in the New Testament...ONE pearl of great price, Matthew 13; ONE bread-1st Cor. 10v17; all ONE in Christ Jesus-Gal. 3v28; ONE new man-Eph.2; ONE body, ONE Spirit, ONE hope, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all-Eph.4.  This is how God sees His people, this is heaven's view, this is the pattern of things in the heavens.  We know what God thinks of the division in Israel between the ten tribes and two.  He will not tolerate it forever, and the divided tribes will once again become twelve.  What He thinks of the present divided state of the Church, we can only imagine.  It is estimated that of all churches professing the name of Christ, there are over 42000 divisions (and counting!!).  In light of biblical revelation this is a disgrace and a dishonour to the name of the Lord.  The time has come for peacemakers to emerge, and for divided groups to find a way of co-operation.  The use of divisive rhetoric must cease, such as "we don't have fellowship with them", or something similar.  We should have fellowship with all those with whom the Lord has fellowship.  This is heaven's view and it is the only view that matters.

It is a vision of ultimate SECURITY     Pictures of coverings from the outside world, and boards standing tall in the presence of God on a foundation of silver sockets come together to proclaim absolute security from within and without.  The comment is that the boards were "standing up"-v20.  Bear in mind the biblical picture is of mankind in a fallen state before God.  The word sin in the bible means "missing the mark", or coming short of the standard required by the God of perfection-Romans 3v23.  This places all who are born into the race in a fallen state from birth.  Yet now they are standing on redemption ground, standing tall before God, overlaid with gold, the righteousness of God.  Also they are joined, indivisibly, with adjoining boards, through tenons and bars, and covered above from the elements around.  Beneath, before, around, and above, they stand together, on the merit of Christ's redemption, as symbolised in the silver foundation.

The Tabernacle is a structure of exquisite BEAUTY   From the God of perfection, who created and sustains the universe, a structure of excellence that withstood the storms of 40 years in a wilderness.  Striking features are:

Mathematical precision  Everything measured by the cubit, the most ready measurement being the length of the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger on an average man's hand.  No need for any other measurement.

Variety of materials     From fabrics to precious stones to gems, to oil and spices.

Rich colours   Blue, purple, scarlet, gold, silver, pure white linen.

Skilled workmanship   Work of the engraver, cunning work in metals and fabric, and untold skilful work (35v35, and 36v8).  Crowns of gold, a lampstand of beaten work, a mercy seat of pure gold with cherubims of beaten gold with wings extended, a brazen laver made from the mirrors of women from burnished bronze, a brazen altar with a central grating, staves and rings to facilitate movement.  Superb embroidery with rich, attractive colours.  Pins and cords to stabilize the structure.  Utensils to perform the priestly work.  We bless God for the riches of gifts given to men.

The Tabernacle was aesthetically beautiful with its precision measurements, its connecting rods and tenons; it appeared ordinary on the outside, but breathtakingly beautiful inside.  Points to Jesus who was outwardly normal, but inwardly outstanding.  As it says in Isaiah 53, "When we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him".  However the view of the functioning priests was quite different.  Its constructed beauty is far outweighed by beauty of the New Jerusalem, the home of all the redeemed in Revelation 21.  Take a breath while you read about that.

The structure was marked by STABILITY     Pillars for the vail, pillars for the door of the Tabernacle, pillars surrounding the entire structure.  Pillars in scripture speak of strength and stability-1st Kings 7v21; Galatians 2v8, Peter James and John were, reputedly, called pillars in the church.  In a fluctuating, changing world, we need pillars, those who stand firm always.  The local church is called a "pillar and ground of the truth"-can suggest stability and also testimony.  The curtains secreting the Holy of Holies, and the Holy Place were upheld by 4 pillars and 5 pillars respectively.   In the house of God there is to be no place for "winds of doctrine", rather speaking the truth in love, for the stability and edification of the saints.  

The beautiful work of construction bristles with CHRISTOLOGY!   Every vessel, every fabric, every utensil, every pin and cord and tenon, and every embroidery, brought together by the work of divinely gifted artisans...they all speak of Christ.  It should be our life's exercise to see Him in every part of this, for without Him it is just another building.  From the materials offered, the gold is His Deity; the shittim wood, His humanity; the silver His work of redemption; the brass, His judgment of sin; the fine linen, His pure, holy righteous character; the blue, His heavenly nature; the purple, His royal majesty; the scarlet, His sacrificial devotion.  And so we could go on to see Him in the Ark and its Mercy Seat, in the Table of shewbread, in the Lampstand, at the Golden Altar, at the Brazen Altar, at the Laver of Brass.  He is everywhere and all these beautiful features can be traced in scripture of Him who is our Saviour, who is "the Bread of God" and the "Bread of life", and who is enough to satisfy us forever.  The Tabernacle was a "shadow of things to come"; what will the reality be?  The inspired Hymn by Christian Andreas Bernstein (1672-1699) seems relevant here.

1 O PATIENT, spotless One!

Our hearts in meekness train,
To bear Thy yoke, and learn of Thee,
That we may rest obtain.

2 Jesus, Thou art enough
The mind and heart to fill;
Thy patient life --- to calm the soul;
Thy love --- its fear dispel.

3 O fix our earnest gaze
So wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That, with Thy beauty occupied,
We elsewhere none may see.

 

 

Christ in all the scriptures Preparing for worship

 Christ in all the scriptures

Preparing for worship  Exodus 35

The chapter contains the details of worship, from the materials to be offered (v5) to the items for the construction of the tabernacle (v11-19).  Nothing was left to human design or imagination.  God is not to be worshipped in any old way, but according to the pattern shewed to Moses in the mount.  These lists of materials and components are repeated several times in Exodus 25-40; the materials and the components all speak of Christ so there is no room for deviation.  Following the call to obey the Lord in observing the Sabbath, the people were invited to bring an offering.  Their offerings in response to the call are revealing.  The God, who made all things in heaven and on earth, needed none of their materials, for He could have provided them all.  What He wanted was the devotion of their hearts, as He does ours today.  This will come out in the study.  God, who in essence is goodness, and who gives abundantly of that goodness, deserves the little that we can give in return.  True worship is not empty handed but gives of the gifts one has received. 

The offering was a heave offering (35v5,v21,v24)   This is associated with the shoulder and suggests strength.  All offerings were to be offered with all the strength they could muster.  The word for heave offering is the Hebrew terumah, and means exalted or lifted up.  This suggests an offering directed exclusively to God, lifted up in worship to God.  It could be said that worship is worth-ship, how we value one so great; and so what we bring expresses that.  

All the offerings and components that made up the tabernacle speak of Christ.  One rendering of Psalm 29v9 (Newberry margin) is "In His temple (this must refer to the tabernacle since the temple was not built in David's lifetime) every whit of it uttereth His glory".  Each and every material and component is, in singularly different ways, symbolic of Christ.  He is the subject of our worship as the New Testament repeats time and again.  So the "gold, and silver, and bronze; and blue, and purple, and scarlet; and fine linen, and goats hair, and ram skins dyed red, and badger skins, and shittim wood; oil for the lampstand, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate"-listed in 25v3-7, that make up the components of the sanctuary, (sacred place of worship) and repeated in 35v5-7, together present the glory of Christ, and understanding of these inspires our worship.  God wants to hear in word or in song our appreciation of His Son.

The materials were the offering of willing hearts (v5,v21,v22,v29), and the components made from them were by wise hearts (v10,v25,v34).  In each the offering was from the heart, it was not a mechanical ritual, but the devotion of heart.  In worship, God wants our hearts; in scripture we are those characterised by love for God-as in Exodus 20v6, "them that love me"; Deuteronomy 6v5, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might"; Romans 8v28, "...them that love God, them who are the called according to His purpose".  Of Israel it was said they had become formal in their worship, they "drew near with their mouth, and with their lips they did honour Him, but had removed their heart far from Him", Isaiah 29v13.  True worship, the worship which God desires, and deserves, is from the heart.  Willing hearts are described in the chapter as "those whose heart stirred him up"-that is human exercise; and "those whom His Spirit made willing"-that is Divine inspiration, man and God in harmony.  Together they brought the offering of the Lord to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation (v21).  Wise hearted refer to those who were gifted in artisanship, an ability which was God given.  These used their talents to create the wonderful components that made up the tabernacle.  Those who were wise hearted, were also willing hearted, using their God-given abilities with passion of heart.  It is a fact, that whether we think of the materials given, or the talents to produce the furniture and fabric, all were God given in the first place.  We are simply returning to Him of His own gifts.  As the hymn writer Christopher Wordsworth (1863) has well recorded:

"Oh Lord of heaven and earth and sea, to thee all praise and glory be.

How shall we shew our love to thee, who givest all?" 

Anything we give is only of what we have received in the first place, as Paul said, remonstrating with the Corinthians in 1st Cor. 4v7, "...what hast thou that thou didst not receive?"  

Offerings came from all groups of the congregation   The idea of one-man ministry, or the existence of clergy and laity, are totally foreign to scripture.  The practice of such has had the effect of stifling the contributions of God's people, and robbing the congregation of much needed dynamism.

All were invited to contribute  v5 "Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering to the Lord"; v20 every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom His Spirit made willing"; v22 "and they came both men and women, as many as were willing hearted"; v25 "And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun"; v26, "and all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom, spun goats hair"; v27 "and the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and the breastplate..."; the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord whose heart the Lord made willing to bring all manner of work...".  The matter is clear, all of willing hearts and wise hearts from all people groups in the congregation contributed.  It is a regrettable feature of the present day to see so much gift and passion stifled to satisfy the egos of a few overseers who have their own interests at heart. 

Special gifts were given to two men, named Bezaleel from the foremost tribe of Judah, and Aholiab from the hindermost tribe of Dan.  These men were endowed with superior ability in making the furniture and fabrics of the sanctuary.  In this specific endowment, the Lord above was including all His people in the sacred construction.  These were godly artisans who were superlatively gifted to produce the fabulous structure.  A similar pattern appears in Ephesians 4 in connection with the Church the body of Christ, and establishes the principle beyond question-Ephesians 4v7-16: "But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Christ, from ascension glory, HAS ENABLED ALL HIS PEOPLE FOR THE WORK)-this corresponds to Exodus 35.  "Wherefore He saith "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men".  He endowed special gifts on certain men-apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers.  The purpose of these leading gifts was to "perfect (bring to maturity) the saints for the work of ministry (service, that is the service of all the saints), for the edifying of the body of Christ".  The leading gifts were not an end in themselves but were given to assist the service of all the saints, to the edification of the whole.  This would only work, says Paul, if the whole body was involved and the success of the building would be "according to the effectual working in the measure of every part".   We all have a part to play, and the corporate effectiveness depends on every one playing their part as they have been enabled.

We are called to a spectacular work, we have been gifted for the task, we must all rise to the occasion, for the benefit of the whole, and not just for the local need, but for the church universal.  Only as we work in harmony and in humility will the work be for His glory.  The gifts of God should not be stifled or negated, but assisted and encouraged.  Paul encouraged Timothy, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee"-1st Timothy 4v14; "Stir up the gift of God that is in you"-2nd Timothy 1v6-7.  The congregation in Exodus 35 was stirred up, and the result was that God descended in glory among them. (chapter 40)  Will I be sufficiently stirred up as to make some contribution to the corporate excellence which is the Church of Christ?

Christ in all the scriptures God's self revelation

 Christ in all the scriptures

God's self revelation and proclamation of His name   Exodus 34

This chapter is a reminder that the bible is a revelation of God.  This chapter ranks high among the number that proclaim the awesome character of God.  Only God can reveal God Himself, as is stated in many places, notably: Matthew 11v27; Romans 8v27; 1st Corinthians 2v10.  Christ is the ultimate revelation of God in visible, audible, tangible form.  The people of Israel are being prepared for worship, after their disgraceful idolatry and shameful behaviour in the matter of the golden calf.  First they must realise the nature of the God whom they worship.  In the broad scope of the chapter we have:

The repetition of the holy demands of God in the second tables of stone  v1-4.

The revelation of the awesome character of God   v5-17.

The requirements of God for His people in worship   v18-28.

The radiance of the glory of God in the face of Moses   v29-35.

At the heart of all this is His self-revelation, pronounced  in unmistakable terms:

"And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, "THE LORD, THE LORD, GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING, AND ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH, KEEPING MERCY FOR THOUSANDS, FORGIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND SIN,AND THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY; VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN, AND UPON THE CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, UNTO THE THIRD AND TO THE FOURTH GENERATION."   

This is the God of Israel, this is the God whom we worship, there is so much here we dare not gloss over it, as we tend to do.  The bible has many titles of God, and we miss much if we don't study the shades of meaning.  All these attributes apply to Christ our Saviour who is very God of very God.

"The Lord, the Lord..."  This is His fundamental name that applies to all His attributes-refer Isaiah 42v8, "I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, nor my praise to graven images".  It is the Hebrew Jehovah, which means "The eternal One", which is, which was, and which is to come, cited many times in scripture.  It defines the unchanging character of God, and applies to His many attributes.  There are at least 12 Jehovah titles in scripture, and, in all these, God remains, and ever will, remain constant.

Jehovah (about 6000 times) Elohim (about 2500 times)-the supreme object of worship;

Jehovah Elyon-the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; 

Jehovah Jireh-the God who provides; 

Jehovah Nissi-the Lord our banner; 

Jehovah Ropheca-the Lord our healer; 

Jehovah Mekadeshkem-the Lord who sanctifies; 

Jehovah Shalom-the Lord our peace, who reconciles us; 

Jehovah Rohi-the Lord our shepherd; 

Jehovah Tsebahoth-the Lord of hosts, who commands vast armies; 

Jehovah Tsidkenu-the Lord our righteousness; 

Jehovah  Shammah-the Lord ever present; 

Jehovah Saviour-Jesus, who deals with all our sins.  

All of these aspects and more are resident in Him at all times and in all situations.  This amazing title is repeated twice (apparently the Hebrew language has no superlatives, and emphasises by repetition).  This underlines the importance of this name relative to all that He is.

"God..."  El, (about 250 times) the diminutive form of Eloah; signifies "strong", "first".  It is a title which shews God to be the Mighty one, the First great cause of all.  El is attached to many names such as Samuel, Daniel, etc.  Israelites loved to name their children with reference to God.  "El Shaddai" is God Almighty, God All Sufficient, and occurs 7 times, while Almighty on its own occurs 41 times.  This title proclaims His right to make decisions and His power to effect them without challenge.  We speak today about human rights, when we should be focusing more on Divine rights, for His will shall be ultimately unopposed.  The might and authority of God (inherent in the title El) are intrinsic to all His attributes.

"God, merciful and gracious..."   Merciful, for He withholds from us what we deserve, because of sin; Gracious, because He lavishes us with favours which we don't deserve.  This is the opposite of the caricature the ignorant world presents of God.  His mercy is strong and irrevocable; His offer of mercy and grace is without grudging, and comes with all the strength of Almighty God.  Both are dispensed in abundance (1st Peter 1v3 and Romans 5v15,17, 20).  Both will outlast the rolling ages of eternity (His mercy endureth forever-Psalm 107v1, 118v1, and 136, every verse; also Ephesians 2v7; Titus 2v11-14).  The grace of God is described as "unsearchable riches"-Eph.3v8.  Many books have been written on the mercy and grace of God, and many more could yet be.  It is God, the First great cause of all, whose power and authority is the greatest of all, who is dispensing mercy and grace to us in a limitless supply that will outlast eternity!  This is our God, this is our Saviour.  A reading of Nehemiah 9v13-23 reveals the extent of His merciful goodness to a rebellious people.  

"God longsuffering..."   God suffers, and He suffers long!  Sin is abhorrent to Him in all its manifestations.  It is a veritable challenge to His throne inspired by Satan, and proliferated by human kind.  How much He suffers we can only imagine.  As well as being a thrice holy God, He is a God of infinite compassion toward human beings who were (without choice) born into a sinful fallen race.  I recall being inspired by the words of Psalm 103v14 "He knoweth our frame, He remembereth we are dust".  As an old friend once quipped, " He remembers, I wish we would remember how frail we really are".  His suffering is compounded by His omniscience of all things and all people at all times.  Sometimes what we know horrifies us, how much more the God who knows all?  His longsuffering is proof of His goodness, faithfulness and His desire to grant us salvation.  The word is made up of two words which, together, mean long tempered, the opposite of short tempered.  It means slow to anger-Joel 2v13, He waits and waits long years before He acts, the subject is huge. His longsuffering is documented in scripture, He is longsuffering toward the wicked-Isaiah 42v14, "I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself"; Romans 2v4, "Despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee unto repentance?"; Romans 3v25 "Christ Jesus...whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God"; Romans 9v22, "God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction"; 2nd Peter 3v9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance".  For nigh on 2000 years now, God has extended the day of grace to an undeserving world which crucified His Son, and still He waits.  While the world goes on ignoring Him, and living in sin, still He waits and suffers.   He is longsuffering toward His people-Acts 13v18, "And about the time of 40 years suffered He their manners in the wilderness"; Nehemiah 9v30, "Many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets"; Isaiah 30v18, "And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you at the voice of thy cry..."; 1st Timothy 1v16, Paul was chosen to demonstrate all longsuffering for a pattern (a model) to all believers; longsuffering is one of the fruits of the Spirit which should be the norm for all of us-Galatians 5v22.  Longsuffering is part of the nature of God, which He wishes to be reproduced in us.  How long did He wait until we were saved?  How long has He waited in our converted days for us to hear His voice?

"God, abundant in goodness and truth..." All this is in the context of God's humility, He descended in the cloud (v5) to speak with Moses.  No less humility was it when Jesus stooped to take human form to reveal God to us.  A similar phrase is used in John 1v14 where it says Christ became flesh, and dwelt among us in visible moral glory, full of grace and truth.  Both go together, He never dispenses grace at the expense of truth, but grace to man, and loyalty to God in perfect balance.  The common notion that God is a capricious, vengeful, God is far from the truth.  He combines the riches of goodness with reality, and He does it in abundance.  There is no frugality or austerity or hypocrisy with God.  The vision of God passing by him, and communing with him for 40 days, was so radiant and brilliant that his face shone with reflected glory, and he was unaware of it, but everyone saw it.  The remaining verses are an expansion of this abundance of goodness and truth.  Just how kind is God, how much does He shew His lovingkindness?  The answer is here, "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (the three biblical words that summarise the meaning of human sin) and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."  In the first part His grace to those who are justified; in the second, His government and ultimate judgment on unbelievers-an example of grace and truth working in harmony.  Exodus 20v5-6 puts it like this-government on those that hate Him, grace on those that love Him.  There are no half measures with God, people either love Him or hate Him.  He is a jealous God, it is part of His nature, it is written in His name.  He has a right to be, He created us, He sustains us, He secured redemption for us.  He wants all of us, not just part of us; He wants love, for the alternative is hate.  James wrote, as if to verbalise this, "The Spirit that dwells within us lusteth to envy"-James 4v5.  To love Him is give our all, as He gives us His all-possibly a reference to Numbers 11v29.

Moses bowed his head in worship, as we should do, for this is our God, this is our Saviour, and He deserves the very best we can give.

Christ in all the scriptures Shew me thy glory

 Christ in all the scriptures

Shew me thy glory  Exodus 33

Chapter 32 plumbed the depths of human depravity: chapter 33 scales the heights of Divine glory.  The chapter is a dialogue between God and Moses, and reveals the heart of God in a way no other portion of scripture does.  The epitaph was written over Moses life in Deuteronomy 34v18, "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face".   The chapter is about the intimacy of Moses with the Lord of all heaven and earth.  Indeed, Jesus was called "a prophet like unto Moses"-Deuteronomy 18v15, which marks out Moses as unique in the history of men.  The world has an expression, "It's not what you know, but who you know that counts"; Moses knew God more than any man apart from Christ, and the little knowledge of Him who is infinite, caused him to want to know more and more.  Jesus said that this is the very essence of eternal life, to know and continue to know the only true God-John 17v4.  The Apostle Paul said that "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord", he was prepared to suffer the loss of all things.  Nothing compares to the intimate knowledge of God, this is the message of the bible.  So what do we learn about God from this chapter?

He expects the leadership to take responsibility for the people v1a      "And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart and go up hence, thou and the people which  thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt...".  He repeats what He said in 32v7, "thy people whom thou hast brought up".  God makes the leaders responsible for the behaviour of those whom they lead.  He does the same in the New Testament-Hebrews 13v17, "Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account".  In the clamour for spiritual leadership, which is a trait of the modern day, those who seek such recognition, bring upon themselves considerable responsibility.  Not only will they give account of themselves (Romans 14v12), but also for the state of those under them.

God will be faithful to His word  v1b   "...unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land".  He will never break a promise, though men do constantly.  His word is His honour, and it will never fail.  Despite the treachery of redeemed Israel, He will lead them to the promised land.  Something similar to this was said by Paul in 2nd Timothy 2v13, "...if we are unfaithful (most versions), yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself".  He will always be true to Himself which is total reliability.  We can trust Him, can He trust us?

His direct presence among us is conditional  v2-3 "I will send an angel before thee...I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff necked people: lest I consume thee in the way".  God's attitude to sin and rebellion is unchanged and unchangeable.  He is repulsed by sin and will not dwell in its presence.  Too much emphasis on "easy-believism" has clouded our understanding of God, and reduced our concept of holiness.  He removed His presence from the temple in Ezekiel's day because of secret idolatry-refer Ezekiel 8v4; 9v3; 10v4; 10v18; 11v23.  The smug attitude of modern day churches is captioned in the spurious claim based on Matthew 18v20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them".  The crucial factor is in my name; He does not put His name to evil, and when gatherings go on condoning it, we will not have His presence.  It is a travesty for churches to claim otherwise.  God will not condone in the church what He will condemn in the world.  Indeed, Peter says, quoting from Ezekiel, "judgment must begin at the house of God"-1st Peter 5vThe effect of this was decisive; the people stripped themselves of all their ornamentation which had been associated with idolatry and humbled themselves before the Lord.  God separated Moses from the camp and set up a tent of meeting outside.  "Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp".  It is of the Lord to separate from evil. 

God draws people to Himself through the power of example   v4-10

I know this because I was brought to the Lord through contemporaries who were coming to Christ in a local church mission. There were 16 saved around my age and I was the last to come!  God had Moses pitch a tent far from the camp and His pillar rested there.  From a distance people stood outside of their tents, witnessing longingly as the Divine presence exonerated Moses and his followers.  Joshua joined him and others followed.  Soon a trickle became a crowd, and those left behind were jealous-they knew that God was calling them from their failure.  He will do the same with Israel in the future, as He will use the Gentile converts to cause Israel to return-refer Romans 11v11-14, Paul speaks of them "provoking them to jealousy" and "provoking to emulation".  The power of example is great, and we all have some influence in our own sphere.  When all the words are finished the example of lives becomes decisive.  How wonderful are the ways of God, how well does He know us! "And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door, and all the people stood up and worshipped, every man in his tent door".   They were suitably humbled and transformed from worshipping the gods of Egypt to worship God.  Oh, that I were the more able to provoke to worship, than is often more the case, to provoke to anger and bad ways.

With God, one man can make a difference in any community  v11-17

The Lord knew Moses was upright, different from the rest, and He could rely on him to be faithful.  Indeed it is recorded that "Moses was faithful in all God's house"-Hebrews 3v2.  However, Moses was perplexed about the journey through enemy territory to the promised land.  He appeals to God's grace, that is he asked for something they did not deserve, and reminded the Lord that he had found grace in His sight-v12-13.  Perhaps he was referring to the fact that when he left Egypt, he had committed murder, and yet God saw fit to call him to lead the people.  This was nothing short of unmerited favour.  Also on his return to Egypt, he had failed to circumcise one of his sons, and God rebuked him, again, an evidence of God's grace.  God assured him that He would go with him, personally, all the way-"My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest", v14.  Moses pleaded for His presence to be with the whole camp through the journey, and answered-"If thy presence go not with us, (understood, referring to them all) carry us not up hence.  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?"  Moses repeated prayer for all God's people to enjoy His presence as they journeyed, was accepted by God..."I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name"-v17.  Moses' prayer was very bold; he demonstrated in his prayer that he was concerned about the reputation of the Lord in the ungodly nations around.  His request was for Divine glory, and God honoured it.  One man, with a godly attitude made a difference to the nation.  God agreed to go with them, but only when they fully understood His repulsion toward their sin, and His absolute right to withdraw benefits as He chose, and only after they had humbled themselves.  There would be many more times in their history when God removed His presence, temporarily, and Israel must yet learn the holiness of God, that He is apart, above, greater than all, and that He alone is worthy of their worship. 

God's glory is His grace!     "And he (Moses) said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory."  The chapter deals with three aspects of the character of God-His government, His grace, and His glory.  He asserts the right to govern His people by granting or withholding privilege as He will-v1-10.  He takes account of their erring tendencies, and is gracious toward them-v11-17.  He displays His glory within the limitations they can bear it-v18-23.  The spectacle of God and man speaking to one another in such intimate detail is truly amazing.

Moses wanted to know more, which is always the effect an infinite God will have on us.  In the verses, God's grace is prominent-v11, v12, v13, v16, v17.  From a source I cannot remember, I picked up a phrase that describes grace, the grace of God, as "compelling excellence", that is, such demeanour that compels our attention.  The grace of God is His unmerited favour bestowed upon undeserving individuals, and is said to be "the exceeding riches of grace" that will never be exhausted-Ephesians 2v7.  Forever, God will demonstrate His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  In a world of blame and counter blame, surely this is compelling, that the Majesty of heaven will be gracious to undeserving rebels!?  Moses was a murderer, albeit out of loyalty to his kinsman; he was also negligent in family life by failing to circumcise his son at the command of God.  The people whom he led out of Egypt had turned to rank idolatry, yet now God was prepared to forgive them, and take them to the promised land.  Such favour is compelling, coming from the Lord of heaven and earth, and it is no wonder Moses wanted to know more.  The request to be shewn His glory was somewhat misplaced, but understandable, for to know something of God compels us to want to know more.   This is God's answer to Moses request:

"I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy upon whom I will shew mercy".  

UNMISTAKABLY, HIS GLORY IS HIS GRACE!

There are many aspects of the glory of God.  Scripture abounds with the many facets of His glory that sets Him apart.  The word is kabod in Hebrew (200 times in KJV) and doxa in Greek (168 times in KJV).  The root of the word glory is WEIGHT, but figuratively so, suggesting value, worth, splendour which is evident to all.  The biblical study of the glory of God is inexhaustible, but we can tabulate a few here in order to grasp the meaning.  In all these aspects God is higher, greater, superior to all.

The glory of His eternal existence-Psalm 90v2; He is "the Ancient of days"-Daniel 7v9.  He is glorious in His faithfulness-Lamentations 3v23; 1st Peter 4v9-He is utterly dependable, the antithesis of all that is fickle and changeable (His promises are sure).  He is glorious in holiness-Isaiah 6v3; Rev. 4v8 He is the Lord of hosts, who live to proclaim His worth-He is apart from all sin and infirmity of man.  He is glorious in His impartiality-many times over we learn there is no respecter of persons with God-Deuteronomy 10v17; 2nd Chronicles 19v7;  Acts 10v34-35; Romans 2v11, 3v22, 10v12-13; Ephesians 6v9; Colossians 3v25.  He is glorious in His inscrutability-Job 11v7, Ecc. 3v11, 5v9, 8v17; Isaiah 40v13-14; Romans 11v33-36.  He is glorious in His omniscience, He knows all things, the end from the beginning, the past from the future; at all times He knows the trends of all groups and the character and actions of all individuals-refer Psalm 139v1-13,147v5, 33v13-16-nothing is hid from the eyes of Him who knows all.  He is glorious in His omnipotence-Joshua 10v10; Judges 4v15; 1st Samuel 7v10; Psalm 33v6-9, 68v14; Ezekiel 1v24; Daniel 4v17, v25, v32; Matthew 28v18; Revelation 11v15, 19v6.  He is glorious in His omnipresence; the word does not occur in scripture, but the fact of it is imprinted on almost every page; Psalm 139 records it, He is everywhere!  The plaque on the wall of my aunt and uncle said "God is the unseen guest at every table, the silent listener to every conversation".  Spurgeon said, "God is everywhere, His circumference is nowhere, but His centre is everywhere.  Others have said, "He is not nowhere, He is NOW HERE!"  The repeated assertion of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount was that the Father "sees in secret", there is nowhere God is not present.  We could go on "ad infinitim"-He is glorious in His longsuffering, His love, His mercy, His righteousness, His justice, His sovereignty, His wisdom, His truth, His compassion, His transcendence, His AURA-Christ is said to be the brightness (effulgence, outshining) of His glory.  Perhaps it was this appearance Moses wanted to see, but it was not possible; however he saw His back parts, as God in full shekinah glory passed him by.  God cannot be seen, physically, He dwells in light unapproachable (1st Tim. 6v16); even the angels who inhabit His presence must cover themselves before Him (Isaiah 6).  He reveals Himself in the face of Jesus Christ (2nd. Cor. 4v6).  

He says to Moses, "THERE IS A PLACE BY ME...", that place was in the cleft of a rock!  That is where Moses saw the glory of God, on the ledge of a cleft rock.  The picture is plain, we see all the goodness of God, His mercy and love and compassion at a very special place, the place where the rock was cleft...the place called Calvary, where Christ the Rock of ages was cleft for me, as the hymnwriter has penned it.  Christ on the cross is described as the wisdom of God, and the power of God (1st Cor. 1v24).  It is clear from Exodus 33, and a host of other scriptures that Christ on the cross is the glory of God, for it was at that place, and on that occasion, God was able to reveal Himself in all His fulness to sinners like myself.  No wonder Paul could write, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world"-Gal. 2v23.  For Paul, all the glory of this world fell to dust in light of the of the glory of God expressed on a Roman cross.

"God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST!"

This is nothing short of compelling excellence, the grace of God in Christ, which has opened the floodgates of mercy to mankind, to the praise of His glory.

Christ in all the scriptures Christ the Mediator

 Christ in all the scriptures

Christ the Mediator  Exodus 32

The travesty of the golden calf worship

This chapter is without doubt one of the most astonishing chapters in the bible, which carries a warning to every generation.  The events in the narrative are quite breath taking.

The redeemed people of Israel descended into rank idolatry and moral profligacy.

God threatened to annihilate them, in His anger against them.

Moses interceded and God repented.

Moses separated the faithful Levites who slew the leading culprits and 3000 died.

Moses offered himself as a substitute but God refused, saying He would visit them in time. 

All this within 3-4 months of their deliverance from Egypt!  We have to ponder that this was the action of  those who had been released from a 400 year slavery; had been showered with benefits; had been given the hope of a new life in the promised land.  By mighty Divine miracles in Egypt they had been set free from the tyranny of the greatest power on earth; they had escaped the pursuing armies which threatened to recapture them by the opening up of the Red Sea.  This was the largest migration ever taken, consisting of over 3 million people with all their livestock.  This is the same people who, in Exodus 15, sang praises to God for the wonder of their salvation.  These were the chosen people, whom God called "a peculiar treasure unto me above all peoples...a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation"-Exodus 19v5-6.  We ask ourselves, is it really possible that such people could be so ungrateful, so forgetful of all the blessings?  We recall the New Testament sounds a warning to the church age, "Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning" (instruction)". Again, referring to the history of Israel, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things..."Now all these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall"-1st Corinthians 10v6-12.  The propensity in the human heart, even redeemed hearts, is to rebel and depart from the living God.  Israel fell from great heights to incredible lows in their crass idolatry and consequent depravity.  We are warned that the same propensity is within us today.  There are many lessons we can learn from this, but first we must observe the reality of what happened.

We begin by stating the overall picture, which is that of the generation who departed Egypt. only two males, over 20 years of age, Joshua and Caleb, as well as some women and children, and the tribe of Levi, entered the promised land-Numbers 14v26-35.  Association with God demands reverence to Him, those redeemed should live in His fear.

Israel's rebellion  v1-6  Moses delayed to descend from the mount, and the people took drastic action.  In the course of this we will see that most people are easily led in a bad way.  "The people gathered themselves together..." this was against Moses leadership (and by implication, God's leadership).  They demanded that visible, tangible gods be made whom they could follow, they could no longer stand an invisible God or an absent leader.  The seeds of this discontent had been sown in their murmuring about lack of food and water.  Two revealing things must be observed; firstly Aaron, Moses brother, encouraged the rebellion by facilitating their demands in ultimately creating the figure of a golden calf, using the melted down gold from the women's earrings.  Did Aaron sense an opportunity to replace Moses as leader?  There are plenty of such power seekers in religious life today.  Aaron was weak, self-seeking, and in denial when later challenged.  He went as far as building an altar before this man-made god, to sacrifice before it, and he proclaimed a feast on the morrow to take place.  This was in direct opposition to God, for the image of the golden calf  was one of the gods of Egypt.  In Exodus 12v12, on the very day of the Passover, God said," Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment, I am the Lord".  Now a few months later, the whole camp of Israel, assisted by Aaron, are worshipping the very god whom the Lord condemned.  All Israel had sunk into open idolatry, idolising the very godless regime from which they had been delivered!  Secondly, we note that there is no record of one dissenting voice to the treacherous spectacle.  The silent majority , by their failure to protest, have become collaborators in the evil.  Failure to speak in a situation of rank evil, is tantamount to supporting it.  An example of this is found in Revelation 2v20, where the risen, exalted Jesus challenged the church at Thyatira, "Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants---"-the word sufferest is to suffer without protest, to remain silent when evil is perpetrated.  The word is also translated allow or permit; by turning a blind eye, or by saying nothing, we subscribe to the evil.  A quotation attributed to Edmund Burke, an Anglo/Irish politician, of the 19th century, and used by many famous men, is that "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!"  It is a worthy thing to desire peace and unity, which is the usual excuse for silence, but not when those are based on evil.  The idolatry of heart led to excess in body-"The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play".  The play involved naked dancing as is evident from the narrative.  Idolatry issued in licentious behaviour and that in public in the sight of their enemies.

The Lord's reaction  v7-10  He was very angry as you would expect; His chosen people, the only people on earth He called His own, resorting to godlessness in the extreme.  He interrupted His communion to inform Moses, and in the process disowns them as His people.  He says to Moses, "thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt..."   He rehearses all they had done; from on high-the Lord knows all about us, He sees what we are doing, and knows the intent of our hearts.  He is so disgusted that He wants to annihilate them and make of Moses a great nation.  Throughout their history there were many occasions when His people sank into idolatry, and His forbearance was tried to the limit.  We have no Divine right to live and act as we please; we recall in the church age He threatened to remove the lampstand at Ephesus; He threatened the rebels at Thyatira with illness and even premature death; He wanted to vomit out the Laodiceans because of their sickening behaviour.  God's longsuffering is legendary, but there are limits.  He hates idolatry, we exist on His earth to worship Him alone.  He demanded of Israel, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"-neither any likeness in heaven and earth-Exodus 20v1-4.  Indeed, such was His desire for humans to worship Him to the exclusion of all else, He laid down the pattern before us all, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might"-Deuteronomy 6v5.  This is quoted in the New Testament, and applies right down to the present day-refer Matthew 22v35-40; Mark 12v28-31, and is the fundamental principle of all living.  The answer to the question, what is this life all about? is here.  It is all about heart and soul worship, with all the energy we have, to the Sovereign Lord of all heaven and earth.  Instead we are bowing down to, and making icons of people, of animals, of the inanimate creation.  Here we have God's chosen worshipping a creation of their own hands.  How demeaning for God's highest creation, and, at that, the elite among them, to worship a golden calf formed from the molten gold of the women folks earrings!  We might well ask, where are we today, who demean humanity to this base level?

Moses intercession  v11-14  Moses and Samuel the prophet were the greatest intercessors before the Lord-Jeremiah 15v1.  These men stood between an angry God and a sinning people.  As such Moses is a type of Christ who intercedes for us when we go astray.  Consider the following before we look at the nature of his intercession: Isaiah 53v12, "And He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made (R.V continues to make) intercession for the transgressors; Romans 8v34, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?";  Hebrews 7v25, "Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them".   Christ, then, intercedes for us continually before God.  The reality is that to one degree or another, even in redeemed lives, we will all sin.  All sin, no matter its extent, or who commits it, is hateful to God, and even more hurtful when being enacted by a believer.  Christ is our mediator, who comes between, and pleads the merit of His own life and sacrifice.  None of us know from what grief we have been saved due to His intercessory work on our behalf.  He makes our prayers and worship and service acceptable, as He maintains our communion with the Holy God.  Without Him there would be no possibility of fellowship with Him, as we read in 1st John 1-2v6.  We are here on His earth by His permission!

The intercession of Moses was unique, "Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?"  The Lord had said to Moses, "thy people whom thou hast brought out of Egypt"-Moses responds with thy people whom thou hast brought, with mighty power!  He focuses first on the Lord's relationship to them, and His powerful work on their behalf, that freed them from the tyranny of Egypt.  Next, he speaks of the testimony before the godless world around, particularly the Egyptians, who would mock at such judgment.  Then he reminds Him of His covenant promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the very honour of His word to them was at stake.  Relationship, reputation, honour; all these were involved in the perception of the Divine.  The intercession was decisive, and "the Lord repented of the evil He thought to do unto His people".   This is a most revealing characteristic of God.  It tells us God has emotion, why wouldn't He, for He created us as emotional beings.  He is not robotic, He has feelings, and sometimes His feelings transcend His intellect.  When He gave the law to Moses, God said, of graven images, and any likeness created by man, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God..."-Exodus 20v5.  He is grieved when those on whom He has poured His blessing turn to worship lesser gods, He feels it intensely.  Amazing that the man Moses could be on such speaking terms with God, that he had such understanding of the Divine.  How much more has Christ, our mediator, for us!

Moses reparation  v15-29  Intercession with heaven is one thing, but reparation on earth is necessary.  Inaction is as bad as silence, in modern terms, "sweeping issues under the carpet", hoping the problems disappear.  I recall one brother saying of the problems in a certain church of which he was part, that so much had been swept under the carpet, he risked breaking a leg walking down the aisle!  Moses came down with the tablets of stone, written with the finger of God, which banned any form of idolatry, and broke them at the foot of the mountain.  He moved into the camp and dismantled the golden calf, ground it to powder, and mingled it with water, forcing the people to drink the bitter water.  He then called for a division in the camp, to which the tribe of Levi responded.  The call was "Who is on the Lord's side?", and that response meant they had to move through the camp and slay the leading culprits who failed to respond.  3000 died as the token judgment of God fell, instead of the whole camp being slain, as God had first said.  When evil comes among God's people, it has to be rooted out.  Unfortunately the modern trend is to pretend the Lord will overlook. Moses also remonstrated with Aaron for his part in the rebellion, but he was in denial, saying that he put the gold in the furnace and out came a calf! Enough said!

Divine retribution  v30-35  God was true to His word; token judgment had fallen, but the nation as a whole had been spared.  Moses offered himself as a substitute to save them any more punishment, but God could not accept him as that, for he was a sinner.  Only when a sinless man offered Himself , could God accept a substitute in our place.  This was to be the role of Christ who took our place, as Peter wrote, "Christ, once for all suffered for sins (R.V.), the Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God"-1st Peter 3v18.  Only a sinless sacrifice would be acceptable to God.  Israel had committed a great sin, and it must punished.  Until Christ came, the terms of communion with God was as written in Hebrews 2v2, "...every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward".  God had no choice but to bring retribution from time to time on the dissenters among them.  Today, we are blessed, not because we are better than they, but we have a perfect substitute.  We must avoid taking the grace of God for granted, or, as Jude put it, "turning the grace of God into lasciviousness".  We dare not presume God will not act, even in a day of grace, and the N/T abounds with examples to the contrary.

Christ in all the scriptures God's rest

 Christ in all the scriptures

God's rest 

 Exodus 31v12-18; Psalm 95v7-11; Mark 2v27; Hebrews 4v1-11.

There seems little connection between the equipping of the workers in the tabernacle in v1-11, and the teaching of the Sabbath in v12-18.  That is until we realise the narrative continues on the theme of God's work.  The Sabbath is presented as God's rest from work on the seventh day after creating the universe in six days..."for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed"-Ex. 31v17.   His work on the tabernacle, through men, took 9 months, and both sections relate to God's work.  Using a timelines from Exodus 12v1, 16v1, and 40v1*, we see it took nine months to complete the tabernacle from conception to construction.  This is amazing, that the God who created and shaped the heavens and the earth in six days, took much longer to construct the tabernacle.  One chapter in Genesis describes the creation of the universe, yet He takes 15 chapters to detail the tabernacle.  From this we understand the relative importance of each.  It also takes nine months to create a baby in the womb-Psalm 139v13-16 says the development in the womb of a human foetus is the work of God! did God have humanity at heart in the design and building of the tabernacle? 

We can see a correlation between the two constructions.  In Creation, God declared His delight at the work, proclaiming it was good-Genesis 1v4, 1v10, 1v12, 1v18, 1v21, 1v25, and in 1v31 it was all very good.  We can only imagine the beauty of creation, untainted by sin and degradation, and by man's abuse, for the creation as it is now is breathtaking enough.  "Good" can be translated excellent, beneficial, functional, beautiful and God's handiwork is all of these.  He finishes with the pronouncement of very good, exceedingly good, exquisitely beautiful.  What we know of the physical world, causes us to wonder at the intricacy, the perfection of the earth which is our home.  Similarly the tabernacle is described in glowing terms...Exodus 25v1-7,Materials of the highest quality from the offerings of the entire congregation, who brought so much they had to be restrained (36v4-7); constructed with skill, Divinely given-31vs3,v6, and built to perfection, Exodus 31v4-5 "...all manner of workmanship"; 31v4 "...to devise cunning works in gold" etc. The tabernacle was built to exact specification as God had instructed Moses (chapters 39-40), and the Divine approval came in person as the glory of God descended and filled the tabernacle (40v34).

God rested at creation in Genesis 2, and He sat amongst His people in Exodus 40.  In uniting these two portions together we find the biblical principle of the Sabbath illustrated.  Why did God place so much importance on it, even under the threat of capital punishment?  What does the Sabbath mean for today?  We have to ask this for Sabbatharianism is not dead in religious circles, and has caused much confusion and conflict.  In the immediate context of Exodus 31, the Sabbath is emphasised in the context of a 9 month intricate work project where the workers were reminded to curtail their work to six days, and to rest on the seventh.  God did not need to rest because He was weary, for "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps"-Psalm 121v4; also Isaiah 40v28 "The everlasting God, the Lord, Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary".  He could have made the universe in seven days or even hours, but He knew we needed rest, we needed a break from work if we were to perform to our best, so He established the principle of rest.  Behind this day of rest in seven, is a wonderful design that presents the true meaning of the Sabbath, and it is this:  GOD RESTED UPON A FINISHED WORK!! and He wants His people to observe that constantly.  Genesis 2v2-3 proves it, as does Exodus 40v33-34, as does Hebrews 4v1-11.  The principle of the Sabbath is that God rested on the finished work of Christ, and we are to rest on that with Him.  Interpreting Hebrews 4, we note it is "His rest"-God's rest, 4v1, v3, v5, v9.  He rested by ceasing from His work, and we rest by ceasing from works-our own efforts and abilities.  God rests on the finished work and so must we.  Hebrews 4 remarks that Israel did not enter into rest because of unbelief, and there remains opportunity for all who will believe.  Christ has declared the work is finished on the cross, and there we must rest.  The Sabbath was never intended to be a religious burden imposed by men, as it has become, resulting in all kinds of rules and regulations, not of God.  Our Lord remonstrated with the Pharisees of His day-Mark 2v27 "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"!  It was for the benefit of man, not to place a burden on him.  This is the Lord interpreting His own instruction to the nation.  They had made it a religious stick with which to beat people and bring them under their control.  At the same time they rejected the one of whom the Sabbath speaks. There is no demand to Christians to rest for one day in a week, although by design it is beneficial.  We rest on the finished work of Christ and we do it every day of the week!  Our rest is God's rest, and it is awesome in its reality.  Six days, there was evening and morning, light and darkness in Genesis 1; in Genesis 2 there is only day without a night!  God's rest is the eternal Sabbath based on His finished work.  As outlined in Daniel 9v24, based on the work of Messiah Prince, "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the most holy".  This is God's rest, this is our rest; the weekly Sabbath, if still practised by some is only symbolic.  With some, Sunday is the new Sabbath, but there is no basis for this in scripture.  God rests in Christ who "has brought life and immortality to light in the gospel".  He is rest for the weary for the burdened, for the downcast, as He said in Matthew 11 in that great invitation in verses 28-30:

COME UNTO ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  TAKE MY YOKE upon you, and LEARN OF ME; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find REST UNTO YOUR SOULS.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light".

In that great chapter Leviticus 23, which outlines the prophetic programme of the work of Christ, in the seven feasts (or appointed seasons) of the Lord, from the Passover to the Tabernacles, the script begins and ends with a Sabbath of rest.  This is so important to God that Christ in His death will bring in eternal rest.  In the words of Isaiah 32v17, "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."

*Footnote  Israel settled in Sinai 3 months after the Passover in Egypt Exodus 16v1; Moses spent 40 days in the mountain to receive the pattern for the tabernacle-thus 4 months after Passover they had the pattern; the tabernacle was erected in the first month of the second year out of Egypt.  Therefore from conception to construction was 9 months.* 

Christ in all the scriptures God's work

 Christ in all the scriptures

God's work  Exodus 31v1-11

The chapter is in two parts: v1-11 God's workmen; v12-18 God's rest.

Chapters 25-30 The conception of the tabernacle: chapters 31-40 The construction of the tabernacle.  There is a similar pattern concerning the Church, the body of Christ in Ephesians 1-2...chapter 1 the conception of the church; chapter 2 the construction of the church.  This makes the tabernacle relevant to the present day, as the church is still in the building-Eph. 2v21, and the purpose of its construction is of "an habitation of God through the Spirit"- Eph.2v22.  This is the record of how God uses His redeemed people in the construction of His dwelling place among them as we shall see in v1-Bezaleel; v6a-Aholiab; and v6b all that are wise hearted.  The work of God is intricate, and requires ability beyond the natural, which only He can provide, and does so in abundance.  We remind ourselves that the gifts for the work of the church are endowed by Christ:

"He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things.  And He gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry (service), for the edifying of the body of Christ"-Eph. 3v10-11.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all"-1st Corinthians 12v4-6.    

These are Divine gifts, given to the church for the variety of spiritual work in the Church.  It is a pertinent question, what am I doing for the Lord with the gift I have been given?  All of us have been spiritually gifted, in a variety of ways, as it says in 1st Corinthians 12v7, "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (or for the profit of all).  The word for every man is the Gr. hekastos, and does not apply to males only (being translated "every one" some 20/75 occurrences.  Furthermore the word is the superlative of ekas, and can only mean each and every one.  Thus, each believer is singularly gifted from above!  More attention needs to be given to this astounding truth, for the lack of it has resulted in too little activity in churches.  You are gifted, I am gifted, we all are gifted in the measure (the portion) that Christ decides.  Let us find it and use it for the benefit of all!  

We are introduced to Bezaleel and his deputy Aholiab who were the chief artisans of the Tabernacle, along with the wise hearted of the children of Israel.  There are two predominant phrases in the construction of the tabernacle-"willing hearted"-25v and "wise hearted".  In the work of God we need both qualities.  A number of important points are raised:

We are pointed to their calling; "See I have called by name Bezaleel..."Behold I have given with him Aholiab...and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom..."-v2-6. We are all called to highest service, and there should be a sense of being called to this greatest privilege.  Do we have the sense of Divine calling in our life?

We are introduced to their connections; "Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah"; Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan".   Sometimes God highlights the family/tribal backgrounds, which lends light on God's chosen servants.  Bezaleel was the grandson of Hur who stood with Moses and Aaron in the conflict with Amalek-Exodus 17v10-12, and again was present when Moses ascended Mount Sinai-Exodus 24v14.  The Chronicles reveal that Hur was the son of the union between Caleb and Ephrath, and links the family to Bethlehem-1st Chronicles 2v19-20 and 2v50, with 4v4.  Who can forget the prophecy "And thou Bethlehem Ephratah...out of thee shall He come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel"-Micah 5v2.  It is apparent that God blesses and uses some families through the generations.  Bezaleel had a good pedigree, and he was very gifted.  Interesting to trace our family history in relation to God.  Less is known of the pedigree of Aholiab, and nothing at all is said of "all the wise hearted" who contributed to the work.  These are the unknown, unsung heroes, who will be acknowledged in eternity.  Most of us belong to this latter category, but our part is no less significant.  We should note that Bezaleel is of the tribe of Judah and Aholiab of the tribe of Dan.  In the history of the twelve tribes, Judah is best, and Dan the worst of the tribes.  Judah is known for loyalty, and Dan for idolatry.  Dan was last to be allocated inheritance in the land-Joshua 19;also it is is omitted from the list of tribes in Revelation 7-so bad was their departure.  God calls one from each, proclaiming that He will call His servants, regardless of pedigree.  Bad family connections is no hindrance to serving God.  God is Sovereign and chooses His workers by infinite knowledge.  It is a fact that Judah and Dan, in the early days, contributed more to the military numbers than any other tribe, being 74,600 from Judah, and 62,700 from Dan, being the highest populated tribes.  These were the most active of all the tribes.  

We consider next their calibre  The work of God is of the highest order and requires those who serve to be of high quality.  "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.  To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber in all manner of workmanship."  Concerning Aholiab-Exodus 38v23, "And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen."

No thought here of "anything will do".  The work of God requires skill and dedication to see the work through to completion, and God, Himself, supplies the ability.  His work is a noble work, which requires high standard, knowhow wisdom, practical skill, pleasing to the eye, informative to the mind, acceptable to God.  The calibre of these men was supreme and their work was quality.  

Now their commitment  "...that they may make all that I have commanded thee."  Chapter 40v33 says "And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate.  So Moses finished the work".  With the help of Bezaleel and Aholiab, and an army of helpers, everything was done to God's design.   "Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses"-Ex. 38v22.   This is followed in chapters 39-40 with 16 observations that everything was "AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES".   Then the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle-40v34.  These men completed the work and Moses oversaw the erection of the only dwelling place of God on earth at that time.  Reminiscent of Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"-2nd Timothy 4v7.  Bezaleel and Aholiab, with the help of many others, made the tabernacle, the ark, the mercy seat and all the furniture; the table, the lampstand with all its implements; the altar of incense, the brazen altar and tools; the laver and its foot; the cloths of service, the holy garments for Aaron and his sons; the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, all as God had prescribed.

We can think of their character  This is imprinted in their names; Bezaleel means "In the shadow of God", and Aholiab means "tent of my father".  In spiritual terms Bezaleel lived close to God, and Aholiab had pilgrim character, he live in the prospect of heavenly life.  Reputation of God's workers is important enough, but character is paramount.  Reputation is what men think we are, character is what God knows us to be, and that is all important.  Life and lip in harmony, doctrine and deeds in balance.  I quote the words of Eric Alexander of the Church of Scotland ministry; he said, "God's primary concern is with the worker than with the work done", or he said, put another way, "He is more concerned with what we are, rather than what we do".  The same man said on another occasion, "God has much more to do in you than He will ever have to do through you".  I encourage readers to listen to Eric on Voices for Christ or Sermon Central-he has a unique way of presentation, and has had a huge influence on me.  God saved us to change us, our lives sometimes speak more than our lips.