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1. Then Moshe assembled [yaq'hel] all the congregation of the descendants of Israel and told them, "These are the words which YHWH has commanded in order that [you] should carry them out:
After having his authority established by the glowing face, Moshe now begins his own reiteration of what YHWH has told him. This was not so Moshe could have a grand adventure; he had an enviable life before this, but he was the one suited for the task of leading. The people are in a very bad position. They had built an idol and called it YHWH, as many people still put His Name on things that are not really Him. Moshe has replaced the two tablets, but many people have died and YHWH has moved out of the camp, since His bride has displeased Him. The best they can do is look longingly at YHWH’s far-off tent. They feel guilty, because they are. And while they are in this state, Moshe brings the Torah to them. A new covenant is being established! It should be a very joyful time, but they have many reasons to mourn. They have lost many relatives, and they are ashamed of having made the golden calf. YHWH no longer dwells among them. In the midst of all this calamity, Moshe takes out the tablets and begins to read…
2. "Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there shall be for you a setting-apart—a sabbath of rest to YHWH. Whoever does work on it will surely be put to death.
The first matter Moshe discusses (while still in his full glory) is the Sabbath. He tells them, “I know how you feel. Calm down, relax, be still; let it all go for a day, or you may die of hypertension! You are about to go over the edge. Step back, take a deep breath, take it easy for a moment, and regain your focus. There is a big job coming up, a very serious, tedious one that has no room for error. So don’t carry over the old pain and guilt to add to it; take a rest first.” The Sabbath brings order back to the world and focus to our unity. This is where we begin to build the Dwelling Place for YHWH. Our day off is emphasized even before the job description is given. It may be the last day of the week, but it is also a beginning. There is nothing new about this command; YHWH has been operating according to this pattern since creation. (Gen. 2:3) The liturgy calls it “the first of the set-apart assemblies”, and “last in creation, but first in [YHWH’s] thought (or intention)”. The Sabbath is a prerequisite for the rest of the covenant, so by removing this key ingredient from our practice again, we effectively prevented the coming of the Kingdom. This desisting from labor was seen by the Romans as evidence that the Israelites were lazy; they did not allow their slaves a day off. But the "ceasing" here is not permanent, but more of an intermission with the thought of starting up again--the next day is again the first. It is certainly not just for the Jews; YHWH keeps it Himself! He does not want those around Him working on His day off, and we certainly should not expect Him to meet with us if we assemble on a day when He is at work! The term for "work" here (mel’akhah) means something done to meet our own needs or build up our own households, as opposed to serving others without pay (avodah). The first is closely related to the Hebrew word for "messenger"--one who represents another. The work we do here is sent on ahead of us like a messenger and stored in the heavenlies--the treasure we lay up in heaven. For six days (6,000 years) this type of work will be done, but only avodah done for all of Israel will continue into the Kingdom (the seventh "day"). Today, the Sabbath is the day on which the greatest amount of commerce is carried out by the rest of the world, and it is the day YHWH calls us furthest from it. But even constructing the visible expression of YHWH's "message" was not to be done on the Sabbath. They are not to get so excited or caught up in building a tent for Him that we forget to stop and do what He is doing on this day. That would be like a girl planning a wedding but forgetting to include the groom. These former slaves were free now to give liberally, and they did. But if they obeyed this command, they would be even more separate from other people’s influences, which was their downfall the first time. This was a way to prevent being enslaved again. He was very wise to present these words at this particular time.
3. "You must not kindle a fire throughout your settlements on the Sabbath day."
We can keep an existing fire going on this day if our children will otherwise freeze to death, and the inclusion of the word “day” may suggest that it is especially permissible to do that during the night portion of the Shabbat; YHWH is not unreasonable, but the main point is that even the cooks get the day off, because once we get done preparing food, the day is typically half-gone. Building this dwelling place for YHWH will also require much metallurgy which can only be accomplished by fire. But even when doing the work of the kingdom, we must stop and assemble. Leave the fire until tomorrow. Settlements: both dwellings and sitting together in an assembly. Thus, when Yaaqov (James) tells us that the tongue is a fire, we can derive a figurative interpretation as well as a literal: In our congregations on the Sabbath, we must not cause unnecessary strife, but remain in unity. It is not a time to get angry, especially if you are being corrected. There are six other days in which to raise the issues that need to be addressed between us; we must take care of them before the Sabbath. (Compare Mat. 5:24.) And how much more incumbent it is on us to put out a fire that someone else has started. Do not put another log on it with counterattacks! It is bad enough that such things would take place in Israel on the other six days; it is horrendous on the Sabbath. It will burn our house down if we allow it. Kindling a fire is also linked with YHWH's wrath and vengeance, rather than the peace of the Kingdom, which the Sabbath represents. Rabbi Hirsch also points out that though fire is often destructive, it is also what gave Man the mastery over his environment, and this has to be placed in perspective on the day that most clearly reminds us that all our energies are to be submitted to YHWH and His Kingship over every aspect of our existence more evidenced. Nothing new needs to be made on the Sabbath. Anything that needs to be renewed, we can do without that kind of energy. The sages say that wherever we are, when we enter the Sabbath, we must consider everything to be finished. Get your work done beforehand, so you can relax and enjoy what you have worked for.
4. And Moshe said to the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel, "This is the matter which YHWH has commanded:
Moshe would give more instruction to the leaders responsible for making sure the people did not make covenants with outsiders, but for the whole congregation, he keeps the commands simple and clear. If we get the Sabbath right, it will prevent many other problems, and we can then move on to this next task. Everyone had to be in unity before He could build His dwelling place among us (rather than continuing to live only with Moshe), because it begins with them all coming together in heart and purpose. Also, recall that “commanded” does not mean “requested, suggested, or preferred”!
5. "Take from among yourselves a contribution for YHWH. Everyone whose heart is willing can bring it--YHWH's portion: gold and silver and bronze,
These former slaves who just obtained a tremendous amount of “loot” might want to hold onto it tooth and nail! It is Egyptian wealth, and cannot stay in that condition, but must be unraveled and transformed into something more set-apart before it is useful in Israel. They might have intended to keep these things for their children as a bride-price, but now they are to become a way to provide YHWH with a Bride. Their “Husband” has moved out, because they cheated on Him. To make Him want to come back, it will take more than flowers and a kiss. He is asking for something that will cost them dearly, and daily attention to this task instead of what they would rather pursue. Moshe gives them a glimmer of hope: if YHWH would never consider moving back in with us, why would He tell us to build a tent? Do things His way, repair what you broke, and maybe He will. There are obvious parallels with our own day, when we are recognizing that “our fathers have inherited lies”, and we have told lies and believed lies too. They need this. Not only is the love relationship gone; the protection is too. Israel is exposed to its enemies. We need YHWH’s presence for more reasons than one. He went not to kings, but to slaves, for the buildling materials! Poor people built this dwelling for YHWH! Yeshua said the Kingdom would be built by laborers, so that there was no question that YHWH accomplished it. They could have seen their treasure as back-pay from the Egyptians for all their years of slavery. But giving back to the One who delivered us is how we build the Kingdom. This word for “contribution” stems from the word for lifting up, because whatever we give to the Kingdom is elevated to a higher level. And as our gifts ascend to a higher plane, we are free to do the same, because our possessions will no longer weigh us down. Willing: generous, giving, voluntarily compelled by one's innermost being. "YHWH loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7); one who gives under compulsion is not really giving from his heart, and it gets only as far as its earthly value. It is only temporal, and is not stored up in heaven. (See Mat. 6:19-20.) Everyone has something they can bring to the community of Israel. Those who recognize that they have a calling should respond. You may have more to give than you realize; you just may not recognize it until you volunteer it. Once given, it is up to those He has constituted as leaders to decide how it is to be used. To have a say in how our particular gifts are to be used would be a bribe or a purchase, not a gift. The contribution is not to be taken from any who give grudgingly; that would profane it. But if one is “willing to be made willing”, he can train his heart in that direction by giving away whatever he considers dearest, as Yeshua told the “rich young ruler”. (Mat. 19:16-22). Then our individual wealth is invested in a common venture and indeed elevated to a higher level.
6. "blue, purple, and crimson scarlet, bleached [linen], and goats' hair,
7. "and rams' skins dyed red, takhash skins, and acacia wood,
8. "and oil for the luminary, and spices for the oil of anointing and for the sweet incense,
Each household must have brought along some olive oil for cooking, but as it turned out they did not need to use it for that purpose since they had manna, so it could be used for these two purposes.
9. "and onyx stones, and stones to be set [filling] in the efod and for the pouch,
The tabernacle was built out of things that once belonged to Egypt--just like those "called out" from paganism to become the Temple built of living stones. The kings of the earth and the nations will bring their glory and honor into the New Yerushalayim, but there will be nothing that will profane it. (Rev. 21; see note on 38:8) But these precious stones had not been mentioned when Moshe told the people to ask their Egyptian neighbors to “lend” them things to use for their festival. (11:2; 12:35) Could some of them have come from what had belonged to Yosef or even Avraham, and survived through the time of slavery, possibly even hidden in Yosef’s tomb?
10. "And let everyone who is wise-hearted among you come and fashion all that YHWH has commanded:
Wise-hearted: It is not just those who have skill that are allowed to do the work, but those who understand why they are making it, not just how. This should be our approach when we obey: to seek out the greater principle behind what YHWH has commanded us to do, so that we can carry the analogy over into other challenges that are not directly addressed in Torah.
11. "The Dwelling Place, its tent, its covering, its hooks, its planks, its pillars, and its sockets;
Note that the tabernacle is a different thing than the tent; the dwelling place goes beyond the physical components. (What can contain YHWH?) The assembly of the people is the real dwelling place, but the picture had to be built so we could see what we are meant to become.
12. "the ark and its poles, the atonement-covering and the veil of the screen;
13. "the table, its poles, and all its utensils; and the bread of the faces;
Non-Levites would not make this holy bread themselves, but they were not currently in a position to be growing more grain, and this had to be made every week, so they needed a large supply of wheat, which the people needed to contribute. So some grain must have been brought along when they left Egypt, as with Yosef’s brothers. But this is the only bread which really needed to be made at this time anyway, as they were constantly being fed by manna, so contributing it would not cause anyone to starve.
14. "the illuminating lampstand, its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil of illumination;
15. "and the incense altar and its poles; the oil of anointing, and the sweet incense; the curtain for the entryway to serve as the door for the dwelling-place;
Other items were to be built just once, and they never change. But what is on the table, menorah, or the altar -- the bread, oil, and incense -- had to be replenished, as seen in Yeshua’s parable of the ten virgins and their oil. The unity must be maintained, the revelation must keep coming, and prayer needs to be continued all through the Kingdom.
16. "the altar of burnt [ascending] offering, its poles, and all its utensils; the washbasin and its base;
17. "the [slung-over] drapes of the enclosure, its pillars and its socket-bases, the screen for the entryway to the courtyard;
The socket-bases are described here as belonging to the enclosure, not the pillars, as previously. Each of the components of the whole actually belongs to and is defined by the whole.
18. "the stakes of the tabernacle, and the poles of the courtyard, and their cords;
Stakes, or tent-pegs (Heb., yothed): A yothed was also used as a nail on which to hang the implements of service in the Tabernacle. Of the Messiah, it is said, "I will drive him as a nail [yothed] in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house, and they shall hang on him all the glory of his Father's house." (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 22:21-24)
19. "the woven garments to minister in the holy place, the holy garments for Aharon the priest, and the garments for his sons [in which] to serve in the office of priests."
At this point, only what needs to be made is listed; no detail is given, for not every one needed to know that. What they all needed to know was that there was much to be built, and that therefore their individual contributions were likely to be necessary. None of them was independently wealthy; this was not something that could be accomplished only by a few. So the need was big enough for everyone to be able to contribute. If they were willing, each could be a part of bringing YHWH back to Israel’s camp. And so can we. What an offer! You Can help fix what we and our ancestors broke! But we need to show Him that we are really, really serious.
20. Then all the descendants of Israel went out from Moshe's presence.
21. When they came [back]--everyone whose heart lifted him up, and everyone whose spirit made him willing--they brought YHWH's contribution for the work of the Tent of Appointment, and for all its service and for the holy garments.
Not just the leaders or the talented, but anyone who wished to be a part in building the Dwelling-place for YHWH—who realized the treasures they had plundered from Egypt would be much better used as part of YHWH’s teaching-tool than hidden away in their tent or kept for private use--could contribute. And they did! He might not have gotten such a response if everything had been going well, but it was not, so they felt more urgency about giving things that they might have still been using. The last time they had all gathered together, they had built an idol; this time it is to build a place for YHWH to “live”. They recognized that this was a step toward the reconciliation they needed. When things in our lives are dying off like the people here, we are more likely to look into where we need to get our hearts right. After all Moshe had seen and after YHWH Himself had cast much doubt on their worthiness, he must have been extremely encouraged by their response. Lifted him up: urged him to do something above his ordinary actions. But the term is the same as the “forgiveness” in 34:7, teaching us that the process of being forgiven was what prepared their hearts. It actually means “to lift off”. (The Hebrew word is nasa—easy to remember because of spacecraft “lift-offs”!) This is part of what the Sabbath is about—to lift the burdens off ourselves. But it is also about lifting the contribution high enough that YHWH is willing to take it. When YHWH saw that they were doing more than talking, but actually bringing what He asked for, He forgave. Those who were willing to do what needed to be done in order to fix what they had broken were the ones who had a spirit of giving. Maybe that is why it is called “for-giving”. Yeshua told several parables about how forgiveness is meant to spark the spirit of generosity and a desire to give back. When we have something lifted off us, we are lighter and have more room to lift burdens off others.
22. And the men came in together with the women--everyone who was of a willing heart and everyone who offered a wave offering of gold unto YHWH. They brought in bracelets, nose-rings, [signet] rings, ornaments—every [kind of] gold article.
They brought precious articles that had NOT been made into the golden calf. This is where all of that gold should have gone to begin with; Moshe had to throw it away because it had not. What we waste on investing in our own pursuits is not available for the Kingdom. Not everyone in the community had participated in this sin, but YHWH withdrew from the whole community because of it. Wave offering: What could not be burned on the altar was waved before Him like other things not to be used in ceremonies or utterly destroyed. It will remain in use for the Kingdom instead. The waving was also to say that it was no longer theirs; they gave it, let go of it, and stepped away.
23. And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet-crimson, and bleached [linen], and she-goats' [hair], and rams' skins dyed red, and takhash skins, brought them.
Was found: Some must have gone looking, or neighbors who knew what gifts each had may have told those who were collecting what was needed. Likewise, we each have something all of Israel needs, and having it pointed out by others helps us deal with the problems in our hearts that hold us back from giving of our time, talents, and substance for His higher purpose. We may not know what we could give or what talents we have to offer until we go looking. You won’t “find a minute” until you look for one and prioritize this.
24. Everyone who lifted up a contribution of silver and bronze brought the contribution to YHWH, and everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, they brought it.
Work of the service: the work of a slave but for payment [with compensation].
25. And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands, and they brought spun yarn--blue, purple, crimson-scarlet, and bleached--and they brought she-goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and takhash skins.
Each woman proved her wisdom by her willing work. The capable woman who "lays her hands to the spindle, and [whose] hands hold the distaff...whose household is clothed in scarlet” (Prov. 31:10ff) is reminiscent of this passage. (“Household” here could simply read “house” in Hebrew. Therefore that chapter is an allusion to the Tabernacle!) Yarn: It is doubtful that they had rolls of wool and dye with them. These were royal colors. They probably pulled apart the fine clothing donated by the Egyptians, thread by thread, and separated it by colors. This way they picked apart the glory and honor of the rich Egyptians (a symbol of the world system) and could discern what was useful to the Kingdom and what was not. As the Glad News of Yeshua has gone out into the world, it has often become mixed with useless and even pagan material, and as in Yeshua's parable of the dragnet (Matt. 13:47), the kosher must be separate from other fish, and the latter thrown back, before the people acceptable for the holiest Dwelling Place can be fashioned from what is "caught". This donation of the finest clothing left the people with the simpler clothes, so that no individual would have glory; rather, the only glory in the camp would be what was woven back into the Dwelling Place and its accessories, which were for the sake of the entire community.
26. And all the women whose hearts were lifted up with skill spun the she-goats' hair.
27. And the leaders brought the onyx stones, and stones to be set [filling in] the efod [outer garment] and for the pouch,
It is not clear whether the leaders simply brought what had been turned over to them, or whether they brought of their own wealth, which the people might have given them earlier simply because they were appreciated for their leadership, thinking they would know better how to make use of them. Onyx stones: the only ones mentioned specifically are of the same material as Yosef’s stone on the breastplate, and were placed on the shoulders where the efod was suspended. This indicates prophetically that the tribes of Efrayim and Menashe, his sons, would be leaders in bearing the burdens of the whole community in the job of maintaining YHWH’s Dwelling. For the pouch: Not all onyx is black; some is white, and this may therefore tell us what the Urim and Thummim, which went into the pouch, were made from.
28. and the spice and the oil for illumination and for the oil of anointing, and for the sweet [perfumed] incense.
The leaders brought what it took to make the incense (a symbol of our prayers) rise. Prophets were often sent for to pray for the sick because the people perceived that they had more merit before YHWH. He listens more readily to those who are already doing what He wants done.
29. So every man or woman whose hearts impelled them to bring [materials] for all the work that YHWH commanded to be done by the hand of Moshe--the descendants of Israel--brought a voluntary [offering] to YHWH.
Voluntary: or spontaneous. They committed to it immediately, so they would not be able to honorably back out or keep some for self because of the delay. YHWH likes it when we so "trap" ourselves so we will be sure to see it through. Give before the fire grows cold. That is the kind of approach YHWH will want to move into! Even if you can only give wood, you receive as much of a share in the Dwelling-Place as those who could bring gold. Sometimes it will cost more than you expect, but you will never be disappointed; it always pays off in one way or another. Do you think you can out-give YHWH? Of course, you may invest dollars and get shalom, or invest precious stones and get community; this is not a financial investment. He can open the windows of heaven, but if you are just looking for Mammon, you are talking to the wrong Person.
30. So Moshe told the descendants of Israel, "Look: YHWH has called B'tzal-El the son of Uri, the son of Chuwr, belonging to the branch of Yehudah, by name,
Chuwr was a man with a giving heart—even making the ultimate sacrifice, according to Midrash--and YHWH remembered this and blessed him by giving his grandson this special privilege.
31. "and He has filled him with the spirit of Elohim in wisdom, intelligence, and in all knowledge and craftsmanship,
Spirit of Elohim: or , possibly “a powerful desire”, strong motivation to put their energy into what they knew YHWH wanted done, as well as empowerment to get the job done.
32. "to devise inventive designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze,
33. "and in cutting stones to set, in carving wood, to work in every [type of] craft of [thoughtful] design.
34. "And He has put in his heart [the ability] to teach--he and Awholiav, son of Achisamach, belonging to the branch of Dan.
Moshe was willing to see that it was done and was done properly, and he had seen what these things were to look like.(31:1) But he had to delegate this responsibility to people who could take the vision he conveyed and get others excited about it as well as teaching them how to produce the desired results. These artisans probably also found out about their task for the first time at this point. When YHWH had given it to Moshe, he was on the mountain and could not tell them. It took both of them, with their different points of view, to form a three-dimensional picture. Dan means "judgment"; Yehudah (B'tzal'El's tribe) means "praise"; YHWH's dwelling-place is built through both. He has put in his heart: LXX, "gave improvement in understanding". The ability to teach: This required someone who could more than merely instruct people in how to build the physical tent. They had to see the deeper implications of what they were building. These two men had to oversee others whose hearts were willing, but who were not used to this type of work. Some may have thought they knew all there was to know about their particular craft, but these artists were not free to express themselves, but simply were called to use their know-how in physically bringing about everything YHWH had shown Moshe, just as he described it to the foremen.
35. "He has filled them with wisdom of heart to do every [type of] artisan’s work—[that] of a skilled worker, an embroiderer of blue, purple, crimson-scarlet, and fine linen, and of the weaver, workers in any kind of craftsmanship, and those who devise designs.
These were “masters of all trades” who could oversee people who were each skilled in only one area. We are also in their position: without a Dwelling-place for YHWH. He comes and visits when He deems the camp clean enough, but wants a permanent, acceptable place among His “Kingdom of Officiators” who can then teach the rest of the world the way YHWH wants to be known. (Yeshayahu 49:6; Micha 4:2)
CHAPTER 36
1. So B'tzal-El and Awholiav worked along with everyone who was wise of heart, to whom YHWH had given wisdom and understanding to know how to do all sorts of work for the service of the Holy Place--for all that YHWH had commanded.
Work for the service: these are complementary opposites. It means doing the work in which one is skilled and which one usually earns his living from but this time without pay, as a gift to the Kingdom. This newly-repentant people did exactly as they were instructed this time, without putting their own slant on it, even though they were artists and might not have thought blue was the best color for Aharon! Many know what needs to be done, but few actually do it. If we cannot see what needs to be accomplished, it will never get done. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 29:7ff) These men could look at yarn and see a tent. This is the first time in Torah any individuals are called “wise” (though this is YHWH’s vision for the whole nation, per Deut. 4:6.) How had YHWH given wisdom and understanding to these artisans? Through their sitting under these two men’s teaching. (35:34) It did not fall out of the sky. Moshe was the only one who heard directly from YHWH; the others had to trust him to be telling the truth. They did not have to wait on a direct word from YHWH before doing what their authority had already told them was His agenda. (See v. 6.) The answer to how the overseers became wise is hinted at in the word for “understanding”. It means “making distinctions”. Like a flow-chart, it involves ruling out some options, and making the right choices; this also narrows down the possibilities in later decisions. As in Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”, each choice we make affects what kind of people we become. Choosing rightly today makes it easier to make a hard choice tomorrow, but taking the “road more traveled” makes it less likely that we will ever come back to the same juncture and make the more difficult but better choice. YHWH chose men who knew what they were doing, because this had to be done perfectly, or the nation would be taught wrongly. These men understood the science and could see the many layers of what needed to be done, and were familiar with the materials. There is much to be said for being willing to try, but more to be said for doing it rightly. Let the baker bake the bread, but if you can realistically aspire to be a baker also, then do so. Stretch yourself to be more than you think you are. Those who obtain the Kingdom are those who look for a place to serve YHWH and His people. They were not novices, but they were also not born that way. They gained their expertise by experience in Egypt, and now they were turning it completely toward the Kingdom of YHWH. All the understanding in the world is useless unless we are doing something to bring it from potential to reality. May we, like they, be people YHWH can trust to get His work done rightly, and whose work He can respect. You will probably need to give up other visions you had for yourself in order to focus on doing so.
2. And Moshe summoned B'tzal-El and Aholiav and everyone who was wise of heart, to whom YHWH had given a heart of wisdom--everyone whose heart had lifted him up to come near toward the work in order to accomplish it.
Come near: The same Hebrew term is often translated “sacrifices” or “offerings”, so drawing near to YHWH has the connotation of laying aside what we hold dear for the privilege of being closer to Him. Those who volunteered had to put aside things they thought were important to make time to learn and then carry out the work. Yeshua told his disciples the same: leave it to your Father, who knows your needs, to provide for everyday matters; you seek the Kingdom above all else. To do all that He has commanded will require more than squeezing it into our spare time. It must be the occupation that overrides all other priorities. These men built a model from the blueprint so we today can build the real thing it pictured—a unified Dwelling Place for YHWH. Work: rooted in the word for “representative”. When we must choose between representing Israel and representing our physical employer, which one carries the most weight for us if their interests conflict? Our occupation must not hinder our service, only make it possible. “YHWH knows My heart” is no excuse; He tests our hearts by our actions. It makes no difference where your heart is until your “feet” are there, too. YHWH grants us the “heart” (motivation) to rise to the next level, but we must then take the steps to get there. (Faith is only proven by our works.) Willingness is a crucial element, but if the work is not actually done, people will die, as with an improperly-built airplane. For too long we have relied on His mercy and slid by, but the kingdom will not get built that way. Kings do not live in outhouses, but amidst gold. We need to become golden, taking responsibility to make sure it is done correctly by both ourselves and all whom we teach. How can He dwell in a house that has never been built? We do our best at what is most important to us, so this is what needs to become our top priority. By YHWH’s enabling, we can do better than our own best. And where you are weakest, learn from those who know what they are doing, for you may end up needing to do someone else’s job in a pinch. And keep improving. Never think it is enough until the Dwelling Place is complete.
3. And they carried away from Moshe’s presence every contribution that the descendants of Israel had brought for the work of the service in the Holy Place in order to make it ready. Yet they brought him still more freewill offerings morning by morning,
They did not all bring their contributions right away, and some people were convicted at night or kept thinking of more things they could bring. The root meaning of “morning” is “the breaking forth”. From this we can learn that we should bring our voluntary offerings as soon as the idea comes to mind, before the heat of the day makes them stale, before the pressures of the day make us forget our intention or we talk ourselves out of it. Just as we should not delay to bring our firstfruits, we should “strike the iron while it is hot”, while out motivation is strong and it can still count toward something significant in the Kingdom, in whose “bank” it is stored for us if done for the right reasons. (Mat. 6:19-20) Like a hot-air balloon, we can only rise up (which is the root meaning for the word “contribution” here) when there is nothing holding us back. Ironically, as we give our best and take on YHWH’s burden, our own burdens become lighter. These people did not even wait for the sun to come up. They brought it as early as they could, digging as late into the night as they needed to, to find something to bring. They prioritized doing whatever it would take to get YHWH to move back into the camp. Those who could not do the work themselves wisely brought it to those who could. Only what they gave made it into the history book; what they kept was of no account. But the “contribution” here is what was required of the congregation (35:5ff); the freewill offerings (literally, spontaneous generosity) went above and beyond what was commanded. Yeshua was rewarded for pouring out his soul even unto death and bearing others’ burdens, not just his own. (Yesh. 53:12)
4. so each of the skilled men (those who did any kind of work for the Holy Place) came from his work which they were doing,
5. and addressed Moshe, saying, "The people are bringing more than enough for the service of the work which YHWH commanded to be done!"
This is amazing. It is more common for YHWH’s people not to be doing enough toward the coming of His Kingdom, yet here we see that the Dwelling Place will not be built until we are doing too much. Where does the zeal come from that says, “Please take everything I have”? Such extravagant giving is not the result of an everyday routine. 3,000 Levites had just died because the gold they should have brought for the Tabernacle was used to make an idol. They did not want to be too attached to gold, which had trapped them the last time! This tent is designed in part to remind them to remain this repentant, to keep the flesh which so quickly returns from growing back over such sensitive hearts. How can we get from where we are to the point of bringing more than enough to make YHWH’s Dwelling what it needs to be? By remembering YHWH’s mercy and all He has done for us. (In Hebrew, “thank you” is related to the word for “hand”, and therefore is not a matter of mere words, but of giving back.) And by striving to outdo one another (and our own record) in serving one another, not for personal glory, but so that the work from which we (and, more importantly, He) will all benefit actually gets done. In the process we will learn true unity. It may cost us possessions, privacy, or our own ways of seeing and doing things, but it allows us the privilege of participating in His festivities—a much deeper kind of joy. (Mat. 22:13)
6. So Moshe issued an order, and they caused it to be voiced throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman do any more work of contributing toward the Holy Place!" So the people were restrained from bringing [any more].
Contributing toward: from a root meaning “raising up”. But why is it called work? The bringing of the materials constituted work toward the Tabernacle’s realization just as surely as the part the craftsmen played in shaping it into the right pictures of what constitutes a place YHWH can make His home. David declared that those in his army who watched the baggage would be paid as well as those who were assigned to go and fight. Those who babysit our children so that we can carry out the work of the Kingdom are just as valued. But imagine how ashamed one would be if he procrastinated and was just getting his contribution to the artisans when they realized they had enough already. The offering would no longer be accepted. Another reason it is called work is that it included not just bringing golden rings or Egyptian garments, but unraveling and re-weaving them to a certain stage of readiness for the artisans to use. (35:25) They had to extract gold from some otherwise-unsalvageable items dedicated to paganism. What was tarnished had to be cleaned up and presented in usable condition. The most valuable possession we can give is ourselves, for we become the pattern for those who follow. We do not want to become vessels fit for destruction, or worthy of only being a bedpan rather than a cup for a king to drink from. We want to be the kind of vessels He would want to put something valuable in. Our work may be what turns the light on for someone else, and therefore lasts forever. So when it looks sufficient, polish it still more. Learn more, teach more, improve your communication skills, take more risks and try doing what you have seen as beyond your reach. These people enthusiastically took it as far as they could before handing it over to the specialists—thus serving those who were serving them, making their job easier. (Galatians 6:6.) Restrained: One hopes their attitude upon hearing this was one of disappointment rather than relief. But there will come a time (and even now it has begun) when Yeshua's command to go into all the world to retrieve the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel and others in order to build YHWH’s true dwelling place reaches its optimum capacity, and to bring in more would profane it by making it too common. The dragnet has been cast forth, but it is now being pulled back in. It is time to be drawn back to the center, from which the original witnesses were sent. There has been time for the building stones to be collected; it is now time for the building to begin. The raw materials have been assembled; now the next stage begins. As we are not to do any work on the Sabbath, only service, the Kingdom is no longer a time to evangelize; rather, it is time for those who have been gathered back in to stop gathering the materials (Num. 15:32) and be what they were gathered to be-- a community among whom YHWH can dwell and be at home.
7. And their materials were enough to accomplish all the work; indeed, there was excess left over.
Can you see yourself in this story? Do not fail to bring wood just because you cannot bring gold. You cannot bring what you do not have. Build up to being able to bring more, but do not leave the lesser undone. If everyone is bringing what he has, everyone is bringing the same thing. They could have decided to keep the excess for themselves or save it for when repairs were needed, but they did not want to be responsible for misusing anything. Having too much would soon cross the line from being a blessing to being a burden. The people’s giving told YHWH that they were sorry they had built the golden calf and were thankful that He was even thinking about moving back in, because they knew He did not have to. They did more than fix what they broke. In Yeshua's multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Matt. 15; Mark 6), which also represented the retrieval of the dispersed tribes, there was also excess, and he gave strict order that none be wasted. YHWH considered Yeshua's sacrifice to be above and beyond what was needed to restore the preserved of Israel; He would also make him a light to the nations, since there was enough bread to feed them also. (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 49:6; compare Mat. 15:27.)
8. So every wise-hearted [person] among those carrying out the manufacture of the Dwelling Place made ten curtains of bleached [linen], blue, purple, and crimson-scarlet. He made them with kh'ruvim, the work of an artisan.
The remainder of the chapter is essentially a repetition of what was commanded in chapter 26, but here it is actualized.
9. The length of one curtain was twenty-eight by the cubit, and the width was four by the cubit. The one curtain was the same size as all the [other] curtains.
Cubit: a measure that varied from 18 to a little over 20 inches; less formally, the distance from one's fingertip to his elbow.
10. And he joined five curtains one to [another], and five curtains he joined, one to [another].
Five: Nearly every measurement in the Tabernacle is a multiple of five (Bullinger), a number that of course suggests the Torah. One to another: literally, one to one.
11. And he made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain, from the extremity at the joining-place; he did the same at the edge of the outermost curtain at the second juncture.
Joining-place: the same Hebrew word is used of a notebook or “binder” today.
12. He made fifty loops on one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was at the place [where] the second was coupled. The loops held one curtain to another.
13. And he made fifty hooks of gold, and he joined the curtains by the hooks, and to one another, and so the Dwelling Place became one [unit].
Fifty days after Yeshua's resurrection, after the counting of the omer [grain-measure], his followers were "all in one accord", forming a unity in which no seam could be found. At that point the presence of YHWH came and indwelt them visibly in tongues of fire as it had in the pillar of cloud fire over the Tabernacle, which was a model of this single unified community. In the later Temple, stones were put together as the curtains had been in the Tabernacle, and Kefa uses the analogy of us as "living stones" making up a dwelling place for YHWH. (1 Peter 2:5) As the lost tribes are reunited with Yehudah (Y'hezqEl/Ezekiel 37:19), and both houses of Israel are joined to Yeshua, and after Yeshua has everything placed under his feet, he too will submit everything to the Father, YHWH (1 Cor. 15:24), so that He again can be one and His name one. (Z'kharyah 14:9)
14. And he made curtains of goats' [hair] as a tent over the Dwelling Place. He made them [with] eleven curtains.
15. The length of the one curtain was thirty by the cubit, and four cubits [was] the width of the one curtain; the eleven curtains had the same size.
16. And he joined the five curtains separately [as one part] and the [other] six curtains as [another] part.
17. And he fashioned fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain at the juncture, and he fashioned fifty loops on the edge of the other curtain that adjoins it.
18. And he made fifty hooks of bronze to join the tent together, in order to unite it as one.
Hooks: or clasps. Join [and attach in v. 17]: the same word as is used in Hebrew for "friend". This is an excellent picture of forming a true community and an excellent example of why one needs to learn the original language. Such nuances do not come out in translations.
19. Then he made a cover for the Tent [made] from rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of takhash skins above [it].
20. And he made the boards for the Tabernacle from acacia timbers standing upright.
21. The length of the board was ten cubits, and a cubit and a half was the width of the one board.
22. The one board was connected by two pins--one to one [another]. Thus he did for all the boards of the Tabernacle.
23. And he fashioned the boards for the Tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side toward the right,
Right: Directions were measured when properly "oriented"—that is, facing east. North is a direction associated with judgment (Yirm. 1:14) especially by invasion (Yesh. 14:31; 41:25; Yirm. 1:13-15; 50:3,9,41; 51:48; Yehezq’El 26:7), and is therefore the “left” side. The entryway to the Tabernacle court was on the east side, so "the right" as used here is as it would be seen from YHWH's throne between the two kh'ruvim.
24. and he made forty sockets of silver [to go] under the twenty boards--two sockets under each board for its two [segments].
One "foot" of silver with two slots held half of each board in its groove so that the two were held together stably. (v. 30) A hole running the whole width of the board ran through its narrow side so that several boards could be held together firmly by a long pole that slid through them all (v. 33). Then there were also clasps (the Aramaic says "hinges") on the outer side of the boards, holding two together (v. 22) for added sturdiness.
25. And for the second side of the Tabernacle, toward the north, he made twenty boards,
26. and their forty silver sockets--two sockets under the one board and two sockets under the [next] one.
27. And he made six boards for the westward side of the Tabernacle.
28. And he made two boards for the corner posts of the Tabernacle on the two flanks.
Flanks: literally, "thighs"; Aram., "far end". Possibly on the east side, to support the curtain that formed the entryway that could open. Like thighs, they bore the greatest weight of any piece.
29. And they were even at the bottom, while becoming completely joined at its top to the one ring; he did the same to both of them on the two flanks.
Even: literally "twinned" or “coupled”. Joined: or “together”. Being even at the bottom, they would be straight all the way up, but the top especially had to be united—a lesson also for how other interactions within Israel should work.
30. So there were eight boards and their silver sockets--sixteen sockets (two sockets under each board).
31. And he made bars from acacia wood: five bars for the boards of the one side of the Tabernacle,
32. and five bars for the boards of the second side of the Dwelling Place, and five bars for the boards of the Dwelling Place for the westward flanks.
Second side: the north side (v. 25). Flanks: or possibly, back corners.
33. And he made the middle bar to run through the middle of the boards, from end to end.
34. And he overlaid the boards with gold, and he made the rings gold (as housing for the poles), and he overlaid the bars with gold.
Gold: the part closest to the Dwelling-Place had to be of the purest metal.
35. And he made a veil of blue, purple, crimson-scarlet, and twined bleached [linen]. He made it of imaginative work, with kh'ruvim [on it].
36. And he made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their nails [were also of] gold, and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
Nails: or hooks.
37. And he made a screen for the entryway to the Dwelling-Place--blue, purple, crimson-scarlet, and twined bleached [linen]--the work of an embroiderer.
38. Its five pillars also, with their nails, their capitals, and their binding-rings he overlaid with gold, but their five sockets were of bronze.
The footings, which touched the earth, were always of a metal inferior to the one further inward, closer to the indwelling presence of YHWH. They actually succeeded in completing the work the way YHWH told Moshe to have it done. (v. 1) It was no longer a pattern; it was now a three-dimensional reality, but still a picture of something greater which is up to us to bring to reality—an even more challenging task.
CHAPTER 37
1. Then B'tzal-El made the Ark of acacia wood--two cubits and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
More detail about the teachings behind the things in this chapter is found in chapters 25, 26, and 30. The point here is that B’tzal-El is following orders just as he was told to do it. YHWH chose him because He knew he would. And he is honored for it to this day. Is YHWH’s work what you are honored for?
2. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and he made a border of gold for it all around.
Gold itself represents purity, so is it not redundant to specify “pure gold”? The term for “pure” here is one of ritual cleanness, which is symbolic of unselfishness. Thus this unification of Israel which is typified by the Ark is to be covered with selflessness. The inside must match the purity of the outside--as Y’shua said, "Either make the tree beautiful and its fruit also useful, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt." (Matt. 12:33) One reason the pig is particularly mentioned as not being kosher is that it looks kosher on the outside--it has a cloven hoof. But you must study it more carefully to realize that it does not chew its cud like the cow, both to purify the food physically and to be a picture for us to emulate as we meditate on YHWH's words day and night. (Psalm 1:2) Our thoughts, concerns, desires, and motivation must match our outward actions. If there is too much pressure from the outside, unmatched by inner pressure, a thing will collapse, while if the opposite is true it will explode. Most people believe their motives are right, but often we are ignorant of what is right, or did not think through the possible consequences of our actions. The “Golden Rule”, “Do to others what you would want them to do to you” (Mat. 7:12), simply put, means, “Take care of one another.” Many think no one else will take care of them, so they look out for self, no matter how much it hurts others. To alleviate the guilt this inevitably brings, they reach out to care for people on other continents whom they do not even know, but by loving those we can see (1 Yochanan 4:20), we acquire the “gold” to overlay our hearts. As we begin to do selfless deeds which give us the appearance of goldenness on the outside, the more it spreads to the inward motives. Many claim to be golden on the inside, saying, “YHWH knows my heart.” But what looks like gold may only be aluminized gold plating. It will all be tested. If we have not plated it on the inside, the box will still burn, though there is gold on the outside, and it will be lost as well. Fire does not burn in the same place twice, so if we judge ourselves rightly, when His test comes, there will be nothing left to burn up. (1 Corinthians 11:31) This box will contain the Torah! If we are golden both inside and out, we too can have the Torah written on our hearts. It is about the fact that YHWH wants a people. What would we still be willing to do if there was no benefit in it for ourselves? One day we will no longer search for the ark of the covenant (Yirmeyahu 3:16), because when we have full understanding of how to love one another and “do unto others”, we will have become the ark. Loving our neighbor means wanting him to obey the Torah, not wanting him to feel nice; otherwise the “Golden Rule” will not work in real life. At first, “our thoughts are not His thoughts” (Yeshayahu 55:8) and we need to act contrary to our natural inclinations to please YHWH. Even Yeshua had to go against his own inclinations to obey YHWH’s will. Israel agreed to “do and listen”—simply obey and thereby learn to understand His ways through what He asks us to do. This is meant to change the way we think. The only way to cover it with gold is to dip it in (surround it with) gold—to fill our lives with what pertains to the Kingdom. We need to avoid deliberately exposing ourselves to things that would turn our hearts in the opposite direction. We cannot avoid rubbing shoulders with those whose purpose is not the Kingdom, but do not take their ways into yourself. But we can also be deeply involved in selfless causes which nonetheless mean nothing to YHWH. Bringing about the Kingdom is His heart’s chief desire and Israel’s only responsibility, as noble as other symptom-relievers may seem; we need to put our energies into what will make the most fundamental improvements.
3. And he cast four rings of gold by its four feet: two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side.
4. And he made [separate] poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Over and over in Scripture we see wood (or trees--the same word in Hebrew) representing corruptible humanity. Overlaying wood with gold represents the atonement (covering) that allows us as sinful, mortal beings to participate in holiness and in building or furnishing YHWH's dwelling place. The word for “overlay” is identical with one meaning to expand our outlook and transfer it to action. This can take place when we share our understanding with one another.
5. And he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark [by which] to carry the ark.
What is made to contain the covenant is portable. To some extent, we can keep YHWH’s covenant anywhere in the world. It is binding on us wherever we go. We have no Temple now, but this should never be an excuse for not getting as close as we possibly can to obeying His commands precisely. What we can do in our exile is still enough to consume our entire lives, and the remembrances of the fullness can still give us understanding that prepares us for the day in which they are no longer rehearsals but the real thing. Running water is an apt picture of Torah, because it is not locked into one place, but works in situations we do not automatically associate with “religion”. We can apply Torah principles to situations it does not mention directly, as King Shlomoh did when two women claimed the same child, through an analogy with what it does say.
6. And he made an [atoning] cover of pure gold--two cubits and a half long and a cubit and a half wide,
This chest itself is not the treasure; what is in it is, and even that is only representative of what will result if we obey it. Our job right now is to make the box suitable to have this special lid placed upon it. If our selfless deeds are done begrudgingly (see note on v. 2), the inside of the box is not yet covered with gold, and the lid cannot be set in place yet, so YHWH has no place to rest His presence. To adapt a phrase from the movie Field of Dreams, “If we build it, He will come.”
7. and he fashioned two kh'ruvim of gold; he made them hammered [out of one piece] from the two ends of the atoning cover--
The kh'ruvim really form the framework for the One Who sits between them. They can represent two kingdoms that came from one father (Yaaqov) but who now look at the Messiah from two different viewpoints. Neither has to do the other's bidding, but only follow the instructions of the Master who sits between them. The sages say they are also considered to be “woven together” as a husband and wife (one meaning of the word for “protective enclosure” in v. 9), two yet one, typifying YHWH and His bride.
8. one kh'ruv from this end here, and one kh'ruv from that end; he made the kh'ruvim out of the atoning-cover--from both of its ends,
9. with the kh'ruvim spreading their wings upward, forming a protective enclosure over the atoning-cover, with their faces each toward his brother; the faces of the kh'ruvim were toward the atoning-cover.
Protective enclosure: shutting off the approach of anything from outside—the duty of the kh’ruvim when Adam and Chavvah were cast out of Eden as well. Faces toward each other, yet faces toward the cover: This sounds contradictory, but it is not, because of what was under the cover—the covenant, which is the basis for re-establishing relationship both with one another and with YHWH. When we let Him down, He looked at the covenant and decided to have mercy and spare us. We look at the covenant to learn how to be a better “wife” to Him. When we look at one another and find Him, another stage of the Kingdom will be ready.
10. Then he fashioned the table of acacia wood, its length two cubits, its width a cubit, and its height a cubit and a half.
11. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border-molding of gold for it, all around.
Once our actions and motives are in line, He makes a protective fence around them. We are to act as one another’s borders. None of us alone as individual pieces of wood can support His weightiness (authority); only the completely gold lid (the Kingdom) can do that. If there is no proper foundation, He cannot arrive to rule over us.
12. He also made a rim for it, the breadth of a spread-out hand, all around, and made a golden border-molding all around for its rim.
13. Then he cast four gold rings for it, and set the rings on the four edgings that were for its four legs.
14. The rings were flush against the rims, [as] housings for the poles to carry the table.
Flush against: or, parallel to, alongside, corresponding to.
15. And he fashioned the poles from acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.
To carry: This Dwelling-place was mobile until it came to its final resting place, where He has set His Name.
16. Then he fashioned the utensils which [went] on the table--its trays, its spoons, its cleaning-pans, and its pitchers with which libations are poured--of pure gold.
There is an intimacy even in eating together. This is YHWH’s table. It shows He receives Israel as His family, because the loaves representing all twelve tribes in unity are on it. They have frankincense, which in Hebrew is from a word for “whiteness” or purity, poured on top of them from the pitchers. This represents the twelve tribes united for the right reasons. At the end of each week, the priests consume the bread on YHWH’s behalf, showing that He becomes one with that bread. The accessories also have the sanctity of the table itself, for we who support those whose role is more prominent must also have pure lives.
17. Then he made the menorah of pure gold; hammered to hardness out of [one piece] did he make the menorah: its base, its shaft, its calyxes, its knobs, and its blossoms,
A special hammer is required to accomplish the shaping of gold without adding anything to its surface. In the same way, special tools, possibly never seen before, are needed in order to make Israel one again. Questioning our motives is one of the tools to help us get there more quickly.
18. and six branches going out from its sides--three branches of the menorah from its one side, and three branches of the menorah from its second side.
19. On the one branch were three almond-shaped calyxes, a knob, and a blossom, then three almond-shaped calyxes, a knob, and a blossom on one branch, and so on for the six branches that go out from the menorah.
LXX: "three on this side, and three on the other, made even with each other".
20. Then on the menorah [itself] were four almond-shaped calyxes, its knobs, and its blossoms,
The menorah itself: i.e., the central post. It was known in ancient times as the shammash, or servant. The servant (Yesh. 42:1; 52:13) is the vine, and his students are the branches. (Yochanan 15)
21. with a knob under two of its branches, a knob under [the next] two of its branches, and a knob under [the last] two of its branches, for the six branches that go out from it.
22. Their knobs and their branches were part of it; all of it was one [piece of] workmanship hammered from pure gold.
I.e., it is all one piece; the branches, etc., were not made separately, then attached later. The menorah that has been made for the next temple (see photo) was cast from gold poured into a mold, to be replaced when the ancient technique is again discovered. It appears to be a stylized almond tree. In the Land of Israel, an almond tree is the first sign of new life after the winter. The Hebrew term for almond (tree) means “watchful”, “awake”, or “alert”, for one watches it to know that the aviv that determines when Passover falls is coming soon. It is thus made up of those who are on constant lookout for how to ascend closer to YHWH.
23. Then he made its seven lamps, its snuffers, and its firepans of pure gold.
24. From a talent of pure gold he fashioned it and all of its implements.
25. And he made the altar of incense from acacia wood: its length a cubit and its width a cubit--a square. And its height was two cubits, and its horns were a part of it.
A part of it: shaped from the same piece, not attached separately. This altar is the only piece of tabernacle furniture that has only whole numbers as its measurements--no half-cubits at all. Incense represents prayer (Revelation 8:4), and so it teaches us that prayer must be whole-hearted or it has little result: Yaaqov writes, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (5:16) And prayer is rooted in the concept of judging ourselves rightly so we can ascend as an aroma that pleases YHWH. Why are we asking for YHWH’s mercy or direction? Is it just for self, or is it for the benefit of all of Israel? This is the smallest piece of furniture in the Dwelling Place, showing that prayers are not meant to be grandiose or boisterous. (Eccles. 5:7; Mat. 6:7) We are specifically commanded not to misuse this altar by offering anything but incense on it. (30:9) How would we misuse prayer? By saying we need to pray about something which YHWH has already made clear, like which things are food for us or what day we are to rest. He is not going to change His Word just because we wish things were different! Or by using it to reprimand others indirectly, using it to make ourselves look more pious than we are, etc.
26. Then he overlaid it with pure gold--its roof and its walls all around, and its horns; he also fashioned for it a border-molding of gold all around.
27. Then he made two gold rings for it, from under the border-molding on its two joist-beams on its two sides, as housings for the poles to carry it by.
Joist-beams: or simply, holders.
28. And he made the poles from acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29. Then he prepared the holy oil for anointing, and the pure incense of fragrant spices, the workmanship of a compounder of perfumes.
This oil is never to be used for private purposes (30:38), but is enjoyed by any who come into YHWH’s presence. YHWH involves our senses strongly in all aspects of His worship, and smells are the best memory aid in the world, for He wants us to associate this pleasant aroma with His will. Compounding perfumes might not have been Betzal-El’s specialty, but he had to give YHWH what He asked for. If he could not do it, he either had to find someone who could or learn to do it. Sometimes our natural inclinations serve us well; other times they betray us heavily. But every piece of furniture is important, or it will not truly be YHWH’s dwelling place, but only a tent. Out of all of Israel, only three men had the vision; the other craftsmen all had to hear what they had seen and carry it out. But no one can rest comfortably until it is all built.
CHAPTER 38
1. Then he made the altar of ascending [offerings] of acacia wood--its length five cubits, its breadth five cubits (a square), and its height three cubits.
“Altar” in Hebrew is from a word meaning “from [the] slaughter”, for though it is the “hearth” of Israel (the center of the nation’s family life, where the fire was always kept burning), this life comes from another’s dying—a foreshadowing of Israel’s reunification being made possible by Y’shua’s death and our own dying to self. Israel’s descendants have never ascended as far as we could, but today we have another open door to do so; let us not fail.
2. And he fashioned its horns on its four corners (its horns were part of it), and he overlaid it with bronze.
Horns: literally, a part “shooting forth” like a sunray from the altar, not animal-like horns stuck onto it. Bronze is often a picture of judgment. “Brazen” is an idiom for stubbornness in both English and Hebrew (Yeshayahu/Isa. 48:4). The first step toward change is confession of our need to improve, which comes from judging ourselves honestly.
3. Then he made all of the altar's implements--the caldrons, the shovels, the tossing-pitchers, the meat-forks, and the firepans; he fashioned all of its utensils from bronze.
The things to be used in fire-related activities are all made of bronze.
4. Then he made a meshed grillwork of bronze under its ledge extending [downwards] toward its midpoint,
5. and he cast four rings for the four extremities of the grating, as housings for the poles.
6. Then he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze,
7. and he inserted the poles into the rings on the side-beams of the altar, to carry it with. He made the altar hollow with [wooden] panels.
8. And he made the bronze washbasin, along with its bronze base, from the mirrors of those [women] who assembled in order at the doorway of the Tent of Appointment.
Assembled: usually used in reference to battle. Those who assembled: the word is the same as in YHWH-Tz'va'oth--the "Master of Hosts" or armies, but the term is feminine, and is also related to the word for “order”, for troops receive orders. Only men were numbered for physical warfare, but we are speaking of spiritual warfare here. It was the practice to have crowds of people (not just men) outside praying at the hour of the burning of incense. (Lk. 1:10) The root word for "pray" in Hebrew means to render a judgment call like an umpire--in other words, to examine closely (as one would do in the mirror of the water) and make changes as needed. The washing symbolizes repentance—a spiritual act in itself. But since the washbasin itself was made from mirrors, it would be highly reflective, so that when the priests came to wash their hands and feet, they could also examine their faces--a picture, Yaaqov (1:23-25) tells us, of looking into the Torah to find out who we really are and making sure that our actions measure up to what YHWH has already made us–purified, righteous servants to one another. (Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10) Donating their mirrors was a picture of giving up their vanity, which removes many causes of conflict and temptation. Hirsch points out that articles normally used to stress physical appearance have been transformed into something that represented keeping oneself holy. But tradition says that since these women had the mirrors in Egypt, they used them for the building up of the nation of Israel even before they donated it for another holy use. Though the men came home utterly exhausted from their slave-labor, the women made themselves so attractive with their mirrors that the men were still given strength to procreate. The British Museum has a collection of such highly-polished bronze plates from Egypt that were used for mirrors. The doorway is exactly where YHWH told Qayin that sin crouches, awaiting an invitation. (Gen. 4:7) So it is wise to post “guards” there. He tells us to write His words on the doorposts (Deut. 6:9), so that, as by the blood of the Passover lamb placed on the doorposts, the destroyer can be held at bay. (Ex. 12:23) The priests had to wash their hands and feet here or be in danger of death. (30:20) This carries over to anyone who serves YHWH; without reprentance we cannot draw near. (Mat. 5:24) The word “mirrors” is based on a word for “vision”. (They are also called “looking-glasses”.) The vision of the armies of heaven at our disposal (2 Kings 6:17) can also give us the courage to ally our righteous inclination with them and win the battle. Women tend to be more spiritually-minded than men, so to have them warring for us in prayer is to have a strong ally. But we cannot call upon our allies (YHWH and those in Israel who have not turned their gates over to the enemy) unless we are taking steps to fight the temptations as well.
9. Then he made the enclosure: on the south side, toward the right hand, the fine-twined linen drapes of the enclosure--a hundred [when measured] by the cubit.
Enclosure: or, courtyard. It was made of cloth, so it did not physically keep out anyone who did not already respect it, only “keeping honest people honest”, but it defined a set-apart area, which corresponds with fences around the Torah itself to keep us protected as part of the household as long as we remain inside. What is inside is set apart; what is outside is profane (common). There will always be common aspects to our lives; we have to use the bathroom, etc. But the goal is to put more and more into the realm of the set-apart.
10. Their pillars [were] twenty, and their bronze socket-bases twenty; the pillars' pins and their attaching clasps were of silver.
Nails: or hooks. Twenty: “His place” has the numerical value of 20. “The Place” is a common title for the Temple Mount where the successor to the Tabernacle would finally rest.
11. Then for the northern border, a hundred by the cubit; their pillars twenty, and their bronze socket-bases twenty; the pillars' pins and their attaching clasps were of silver.
12. And for the western border, drapes of fifty by the cubit, their pillars ten and their socket-bases ten; the pillars' pins and their attaching clasps were of silver.
13. Then for the eastern border (toward the sunrise), fifty cubits.
14. Drapes of fifteen cubits to the shoulder-support, their pillars three, and their socket-bases three.
15 is the numerical value of the Hebrew for “His garment”, which corresponds to this outer curtain and later to the veil at the entrance to the Holy Place in the Temple, which was called “YHWH’s garment”, which He tore in mourning when His unique Son was murdered.
15. And for the second shoulder-support from this [side] and that of the enclosure's gateway, drapes of fifteen cubits, their pillars three, and their socket-bases three.
16. All the drapes surrounding the enclosure were of fine-twisted linen,
17. and the socket-bases for the pillars [were] of bronze; the pillars' nails and attaching clasps [were] of silver, the plating over their capitals of silver, and all the pillars of the enclosure were banded together by silver.
Hirsch points out that "this repeated insistence on the silver which was on the pillars of the forecourt seems to wish to stress the contrast to the copper feet, and thereby...the symbolic meaning of the forecourt as the place for self-betterment, self-refining... The whole appearance of the pillars represented the upward struggle from the standpoint of that of copper to that of silver.”
18. And the screen for the gateway of the enclosure was the workmanship of an embroiderer--blue, purple, scarlet-crimson, and fine-twisted linen--and twenty cubits in length, and the height and breadth five cubits, parallel with the enclosure's drapes.
19. Their pillars [were] four, their bronze socket-bases four, their hooks of silver, the plating of their capitals of silver, and their attaching clasps of silver.
20. And all the stakes of the Dwelling-place and the enclosure all around [it were] of bronze.
The tent pegs are the smallest part, but by no means inconsequential. The Tabernacle could never be set up without them. The Holy of Holies was the smallest room in the Temple complex, but that is where YHWH chose to rest His presence. We must not despise the small things. (Zech. 4:10) Ezra 9:8, 9 says it is YHWH’s special favor that we are allotted a stake in His Holy Place, for it sustains us during our time of servitude, showing that He remembers us in our exile. Bronze also represents judgment, and if it were not for the “minor” judgments we make every day, the “larger” aspects of the dwelling-place for YHWH would fall down.
TORAH PORTION
Va-Yaq'hel
(Exodus 35:1-38:20)
INTRODUCTION: What follows seems like a “re-run” of what came before, but this time the plan is actually being carried out. It is going from a drawing to something tangible, tying together the teachings from the whole book. It is not just, “This is what YHWH says”, but “This is what we need to do about it.” Repetition establishes a matter in our memories, and our memory had just proven to be extremely short. But he starts with the Sabbath to clear our heads and make us ready to carefully consider the Ten Commandments, which seem to be all the people had heard up until that time—enough to warn them not to do what they did, but needing more “fleshing out”. But before any of the details of what was given in the ten utterances are discussed, it is time to actually build YHWH’s “dwelling place” so that He could be back with His people and give a focus to our national life so that we, like the physical tent, could become one. And absence has certainly made our hearts grow fonder; the call for materials was met with such a volume of response that Moshe has to put a complete stop to the donations! How many ministries have you ever seen do that today? May we inherit at least as many of these “generous genes” as we inherited the stiff-necked ones!
“Rapprochement”
Much of this reading seems to be just a reiteration of the list of components for the Tabernacle and the clothes to be worn by those who officiate in it. The difference, though, is that this time it is not just being commanded; it is actually being made.
The point is that they did exactly as YHWH had commanded—no small thing in light of the major offense that had taken place between the giving of the blueprint and when it was actually carried out. There is now greater significance to these people offering themselves for service—some of whom were not even particularly skilled at it (Exodus 36:2) as the master craftsmen who led them were. (35:30-35) But they were willing to learn, or, if they didn’t think they could, were glad to at least provide the supplies.
How often do we see people giving more than enough (36:7) when it is voluntary (35:29)? That in itself is a wonder. But they probably realized that now the contribution (35:1) was a means to return to YHWH and possibly even a way to coax Him to return to our midst, for now there would be a place dedicated to Him. Before that, YHWH met Moshe in his own tent, which he took outside the camp because they had made the camp “dirty”. Now that they have demonstrated repentance, a way to have Him back among us is made available—but it has to be done in this way, or it will not work.
Some of the commands here may be mainly for practical purposes: the coverings that overlay the Tabernacle’s structure are divided into two rows of 5 and 5, or in one case, 5 and 6. (36:10, 16) This may be because if all of them were connected all the time, they might be too heavy to carry when it was time to move, so it was broken up into smaller parts. But even that holds a lesson for us, because they were taken apart only when they had to be transported, but when the components were an actual structure, they were always whole.
The boards that give the Tabernacle its structure are also to be “completely joined together at the top” (36:29) In general, YHWH seems to enjoy uniting things that were not always one. But those who, at the highest levels, uphold and give to shape to the community of YHWH’s people—His truer dwelling place, of which this is only a picture—must especially be in unity, or the House cannot stand.
And when we see a number, we should investigate to see where else in Scripture that number is used. Is there any connection between the two concepts? For example, we see 50 loops or hooks connecting the curtains together (36:12). We should ask ourselves, “Where else do 50 of something join two similar things together?” How about the 50 days that link the Feast of Unleavened Bread with Shavuot? Search out the intricacies of what the analogy is meant to teach.
Anomalies in the text—the seeming paradoxes—wake us up if the list of items made seems to be getting monotonous, so they should be given special attention. For example, we are told in 37:9 that the kh’ruvim are to both face each other and face the lid that forms the covering for the ark—the place where YHWH says He will meet us (25:22). It doesn’t seem to make sense, so there has to be something deeper here. Could it be that their facing each other is actually what constituted the covering and the place to meet YHWH? If so, what does that tell us about our interpersonal relationships?
So don’t just gloss over the repetitive lists. Look deeper—especially into the Hebrew—and you will find that they are not so irrelevant to your daily life after all. At times we all do things that make YHWH want to distance Himself from us, and herein lie the lessons for how to get Him back in a way He can live with.
Study questions:
1. Why do you think there is a reiteration of the command to observe the Sabbath (35:1-3) right when Moshe actually begins to implement the collection of materials for and construction of the Tabernacle? (Exodus 35:4-35)
2. Have you ever seen a modern parallel, where donations far exceed the need and donors are told to stop giving? (36:1-7) What would this mean for those who might have procrastinated in their giving?
3. Why do you think the details of construction, which had all been given already when YHWH first told Moshe to have them made, are repeated in the description of their actual making? (36:8-38:20)
4. Does having a willing heart mean we can bring anything we want? Why or why not?
5. 38:8 is the only time we are told specifically who provided the material to build a particular item. What might this tell us about these donors? About YHWH Himself?
Companion Passage:
The Sidewalk
for Kids
Wouldn’t your parents be surprised if, after you did all your chores, you came back to them and said, “Is there anything else I can do?” They would probably still find you something to do, but if you kept doing this until the house was so spotless and clean that they had to say, “No, go do something fun; there’s nothing left for you to clean up”, you might be the one that was surprised, but they would sure be impressed by your hard work, wouldn’t they?
But that’s exactly what took place here. When it was time to build the Tabernacle and all its furniture, the people—our ancestors—kept on bringing more and more of the gold and silver and clothes that the Egyptians had given them until Moshe had to say, “Stop! Don’t bring anymore! We have more than enough!”
Notice, though, that YHWH only told Moshe to accept the gifts from people who really wanted to bring them. If they had to be asked more than once, YHWH didn’t want what they brought.
Now Yeshua said that deciding that you’re going to do it anyway, after saying you won’t, is better than saying you will but then not getting it done. But only the olive oil that comes out the first time the olives are pressed can be used to light the menorah in the Tabernacle. If you have to press the second time, the oil might get used somewhere else, but not for the most important things.
And what if you put it off and waited too long, saying, “I’m about to bring it! I’ve been meaning to get around to it!” but then the call comes to stop because we have enough? Then it’s too late, and it doesn’t count, because just like the person who doesn’t want to help, you never really did anything at all; it was only in your head. That doesn’t help anybody.
And one final thing: the last thing mentioned in the list of the Tabernacle’s accessories is the tent pegs. YHWH even tells how to make them. There are so many of them, and they are so small; why does He spend any time talking about them? Because the tiniest details matter to YHWH. Yeshua said you can tell if you can trust somebody with a big job by the way he does a little job. So if people ever rub in the fact that you aren’t as big as they are yet, don’t worry; you matter to YHWH, no matter how small.
Photo from the Temple Institute
Photo from the Temple Institute
The Renewal of
VA-YAQ'HEL
This portion is about the carrying out of all YHWH had commanded in regard to the Mishkan (Tabernacle, the “dwelling place” for YHWH)—from the generous furnishing of the materials to the training of the workers after. And the bottom line is: they got it done!
YHWH “filled them with the Spirit of Elohim”. Here, that specifically meant having skill in metalworking, wood-carving, and spinning and dyeing wool! (Ex. 35:31-35) That’s not what one might expect, but one meaning of “Elohim” in Hebrew, especially in the genitive (e.g., “the mountains of Elohim”), is “of unusually large size; far beyond the norm” (i.e., “e-normous”). So here it would mean “outstandingly, extraordinarily gifted”. But they also taught it to others so they could share in the wisdom—and the privilege of helping to build the complex that illustrates YHWH’s plan for the redemption of His world.
What gifts do we see in the Renewed Covenant that are designed to build a dwelling place for YHWH? Well, there are (of course) the Gifts of the Spirit—you know, healing, prophecy, faith, miracles, and the less-showy but just-as-important ones, helps, and governments. (1 Corinthians 12) But how does the list begin (12:28)? “First apostles (sent ones/envoys), then prophets, then teachers, and AFTER THAT miracles, etc.” Wait. The way this is phrased, these don’t sound like gifts; they sound like people!
Exactly. The people are the gifts: “He took captivity captive, and gave gifts to men: …He gave some apostles, some prophets, some bearers of glad news, some shepherds and teachers…” (Ephesians 4: 8-11) And why? “To equip the holy ones for the work of the ministry [the same term used for the priests’ work in the Tabernacle] for the building up of the body of the Messiah until we all attain the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, until [we become] a fully-grown man, to the measure of the statue of the fullness of the Messiah.” This “man” is built of “living stones” to be a unified dwelling-place for YHWH. (1 Kefa/Peter 2:5; but compare Exodus 36:18 right in this Torah portion!)
“YHWH has called BY NAME B’tzal’El…and Awholiav” (Ex. 35:30-34) Not by job description. Not by talent. By NAME. That’s about an individual person. The talent and the job are subordinate to that, because once the person is yielded to YHWH, to let Him use him and to show him what to do, any of those gifts can flow through the same person “according to the need of the moment”. (cf. Ephesians 4:29) Of course, YHWH will use what training we have and He will probably use most people in one dominant role, so as to include other people as well, as B’tzal’El and Awholiav did.
“And B’tzal’El and Awholiav shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in whom YHWH has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work...'” (Ex. 36:1) It seemed like that wisdom came from being taught by these two experts. But look at what follows immediately:
“…Every wise-hearted man, in whose heart YHWH had put wisdom--everyone whose heart lifted him up to come unto the work to do it.” (36:2) There was a preliminary step to receiving that wisdom from YHWH: willingness to be involved, be taught, and do what one is taught. And their willingness to do the work spawned willingness in the rest of the people to provide the raw materials—to the point that they had to tell them to stop giving! Don’t we wish we had that problem more often?
But this was not the only time in history; Paul encountered such willing hearts in “the called-out [congregation]s of Makedonia: during much troublesome testing, the abundance of their joy, despite their deep poverty, overflowed into the richness of their sincere generosity… even beyond their ability, they volunteered with much encouragement, begging us for the favor of being allowed to share in even menial service as a part of the holy people. Moreover, …they gave their very selves, first to the Master, then to us…” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)
The upshot of why he brought them up? He tells his audience, “So now, you finish carrying it out as well.” What if we don’t have the kind of resources those who came out of Egypt had? “If the willingness is present, one is approved in proportion to what he does have, not to what he does not have.” (8:11-12)
What it Takes
to Make Him a Home
“YHWH has called B'tzal-El … by name, and filled him with the spirit of Elohim in skill, intelligence, and in all knowledge and craftsmanship, to devise inventive designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, and in cutting stones …, to work in every [type of] craft of [thoughtful] design. And He has put in his heart [the ability] to teach--he and Awholiav… He has filled with wisdom of heart to do every [type of] artisan’s work.” (Exodus 35:30-35)
With this in mind, YHWH had already told Moshe: "Take from among yourselves a contribution for YHWH. Everyone whose heart is willing can bring it--YHWH's portion: gold and silver and bronze, … onyx stones, and stones to be set [filling] in the efod and for the pouch…” (35:5-9)
So YHWH provides the skill and wisdom; it is we who bring the raw materials. The materials had been furnished by the Egyptians, from whom YHWH demanded back-payment for Israel’s labor. But still, this now belonged to these former slaves. Would they be willing to give up some of it for a higher purpose?
I never get tired of the answer. I think these verses are some of the most beautiful in all Scripture:
"’The people are bringing more than enough for the service of the work YHWH commanded to be done!’" (Ex. 36:5) “Their materials sufficed to accomplish all the work; there was even excess left over.” (36:7)
Is that how we are bringing our building materials today? Because we are building a building, you know—a more permanent dwelling place for YHWH, this time made of “living stones” (1 Kefa/Peter 2:5), and we see that the materials in this Torah portion do correlate very closely with this:
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22) Thus “no one can lay any other foundation than the one that has been laid—Yeshua the Messiah, that is. But if anyone builds on top of [that] foundation, [using] gold, silver, costly stones, [or] wood, grasses, or leftover stalks, each one’s workmanship will become [clearly] apparent; indeed, the Day will reveal it [for what it is], because through fire it will be brought to light… Don’t you realize that you are a temple of Elohim, and the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of Elohim, Elohim will destroy him, for the temple of Elohim—which is what you are—is sacred.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-17)
How would we destroy a spiritual Temple that is impervious to wind, war, or wearing out? The answer comes in Exodus chapter 37: “The kh'ruvim spread out their wings on high, screening the ark-cover with their wings, with their faces one to another; the faces of the kh'ruvim were toward the ark-cover.” (Ex. 37:9)
They face each other, yet they face the ark-cover? The seeming contradiction actually points us (as usual) to a deeper truth. The ark-cover is where YHWH had said He would meet with us. (25:22) So His meeting place is at the point where two are facing each other. He is there in our midst when our very stance toward one another creates the most intimate kind of place for Him.
Paul tied these concepts together by telling us to use connectors that work well to join two types of building materials together: “Eagerly pursue the kinds of things that promote peace, and the things [that facilitate] the building [process in which we fit] into one another.” (Romans 14:19)
He is talking about the two houses of Israel coming back together, but the pattern holds at the individual level too. Our proclivity to argue with one another and turn our faces away from each other is one of the things that can destroy His dwelling-place. But when we turn back toward one another, He has a place to feel at home. How much more when both houses as a whole come back and form one House? (Ezek. 37:22)
It Can Be Done
—and Done Well
When Moshe assembled Israel to give them even more rules, including yet another death penalty, did he still expect them to want to hear what he had to say—after the golden calf incident, after not a few people were killed off for that breach of trust, after others might have thought he had taken things a bit too far and made laws that were unrealistically strict? And now he was asking for donations too?!
Yet respond they did. They gave willingly, even of the treasures the Egyptians had given them as back pay on their way out of Egypt—wealth they had more than earned in the hardest way possible. (35:22) He might not have expected them to want to give these things up. But they gave cheerfully! It may have surprised even Moshe. Was it his charisma? He did not think he had much of that, and that is probably one reason YHWH chose him. He knew it was not his own persuasiveness that moved them.
Truth is much more powerful than our sinful tendency to stray. It can capture the hearts of even the most jaded or indifferent, “because YHWH is the One working in you both to intend and to carry out what He benevolently desires.” (Philippians 2:13) He motivates and He gives the power to get it done.
Ever since Adam and Hawwah (Eve) were deceived by the serpent’s sleight of hand but soon discovered that the “good” part of the knowledge of “good and evil” (mixed) was fleeting, all who have experienced sin’s seduction have found that there is no lasting joy in it; its pleasures are only “for a season”—a flash in the pan. Once they recognized their error and were genuinely repentant for thinking a lifeless image could ever bring them out of Egypt, vibrant faith and zeal for the truth came back with a vengeance. And the Heaven-designed sanctuary was the way to bring His truth to bear on the world in a vivid way.
The rest of the Torah portion is about just that. It is basically a repetition of the list of things in the pattern YHWH showed Moshe on the mountain. But here it is different. It is past tense. It was done; it had now been carried out. Israel had succeeded at actually making the things that YHWH had designed to depict spiritual truths in a physical format—and not be idols! A fine tightrope indeed, especially right after so many people had been put to death so recently for trying to depict YHWH with a physical shape.
What was the difference? Though one of the items was later mistaken by the Philistines for Israel’s Elohim. (1 Shmu’el 4-5), and as elaborate as their design was, these were really just utilitarian objects—a washbasin, a lamp, a table, a barbecue grill. They were to illustrate particular aspects of a message to be conveyed, not the One who cannot be put in a box. (1 Kings 8:27)
But how did they accomplish this?
Women who were “wise-hearted” spun intricate fabrics. (35:25-26) Men “filled with the spirit of Elohim in all kinds of wisdom” (35:30-35; 36:2) carried out the nuts and bolts of making the implements used in the sanctuary. But I thought wisdom had to do with philosophy, and the spirit of Elohim had to do with religious fervor, not the ability to make things out of cloth or metal! Think again. There are many kinds of wisdom and many aspects of spirituality. True worship is in spirit and truth and not limited to a particular place (Yochanan 4:21-24), but abstract concepts have to be explained in a way that we, who are used to a tangible world, can begin to grasp them somehow. That is no simple task.
But that they did it--and with a timeless perfection--is evidenced by the fact that again today, even after two millennia of Moshe getting a bad rap, he is again being listened to. People are again responding to what we thought was dry, obsolete legalese--and responding with enthusiasm! The “new heart” that wants to keep His commandments (Ezek. 36:26-27) is actually operative, and it is working! So there is hope that one day soon we will be able to look back on our part of the task (Acts 1:6ff) and say, “The job is done!”
An Unrealistic Dichotomy?
Did YHWH have to give the 7th day a religious meaning before some people would ever stop working and get the rest they need? (Ex. 35:2-3) He did that with the dietary commands too—including the yearly yeast cleanse--so we’d have no excuse not to do what’s good for our bodies. But this begs the question: Is there really meant to be a distinction between “religious” and other essential aspects of life?
Secular society would say it is a category to be kept to oneself and not brought into the public arena.
But Scripture’s view seems to start with the opposite assumption: words we consider “religious”, like “holy”, “righteous”, “faith”, “sin”, “transgression”, “salvation”, “spirit”, or “grace”, all have everyday meanings in Hebrew (“dedicated”, “right”, “confidence”, “error”, “crossing a line”, “rescue”, “wind/breath”, or “favor”, respectively) as well as meanings specifically linked to the sanctuary, every part of which was made of mundane components. All can be given a sacred use but do not require a completely separate vocabulary, for YHWH wants to be involved in every part of our lives, and wants every part of our lives to be honorable. The physical world is often declared to be the “shadow” of corresponding heavenly realities.*
YHWH’s actual Dwelling-place was triply set apart, hidden from view and protected by several more coverings. (36:14-19) Some times, spaces, or resources are specially dedicated to Him alone; that is what we mean by “holy”. But that doesn’t mean the rest of what we do should be in antithesis to those or disconnected from Him; it is meant to be intense training so we can carry over the same elements we sanctify on some occasions into the realm of our constant interaction with one another—or, as in the case of diet and rest, how we treat ourselves.** (One side of Torah’s “coin” is “Love YHWH with Your all”; the other side is “Love your neighbor as yourself”.)
YHWH clearly intended this interplay: “Each one whose heart stirred him up and…whose spirit made him willing, … brought YHWH’s offering, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.” (35:21) Their hearts took precedence over their heads this time. Thank YHWH, the frequent deceitfulness and wickedness of our hearts (Jer. 17:9) is not always the case. “The children of Israel brought a freewill offering unto YHWH--every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which YHWH ordered… to be made.” (35:29)
Most gave from the abundance provided by the Egyptians, but some genuinely sacrificed: “He made the laver out of … the mirrors of the serving women who did service at the door of the tent of meeting.” (38:8) They gave up their “vanity” for a higher purpose which served the whole nation-community. That is how ordinary things (though of the highest quality) are made holy. And they had to be restrained from bringing any more! (36:5-6)
But after the initial flash of inspiration, the focus of their hearts had to shift from generosity to hard work. Perseverance in the tedious remainder of the task is what faithfulness is all about, just as in a marriage. “All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun.” (35:25) It’s hard to separate “heart” from “mind” here—and that is just the point. They are meant to be one and the same, and in Hebrew, they are, just as “wise” also means “skillful”. Both have a divine origin: “He [YHWH] has put in his [B’tzal’El’s] heart that he may teach--both he and Awholiav.” (35:34) And both are practical; if you are truly “heavenly-minded” the only way you will be “of no earthly use” is to those who want to build a world that writes YHWH out of the story—as if there was any story to write without Him!
Atop the ark (“ordinary” meaning: “chest”) sat “khruvim… their faces toward one another; toward the ark-cover were the khruvim’s faces.” (37:9) The ark-cover is where YHWH chose to meet us. (25:22) It is what their faces are turned to when (at the same time) they face one another. There is not meant to be a difference. In serving one another, we serve Him, and vice versa, as depicted in the “5 curtains held together one to one” (36:10) a pattern repeated in other parts of the construction; thus “the Dwelling-place became one.” (36:13) As we unite, He can live with us all together, not separately.
So make the distinctions He makes, not false dichotomies, so your life and the world are no longer fragmented, but every part has the same goal: “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the honor of Elohim.” (1 Cor. 10:31)
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*25:9, 40; 1 Chron. 28:11-19; Mat.6:10; 16:19; Heb. 8:5; 9:23; Rev. 11:19; 14:17, etc.
**Our bodies are the Temples of His spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), which is one reason we need to “love ourselves as our neighbors”, to invert the principle; we just tend to automatically love ourselves, so YHWH assumes that and says to treat our neighbors the same way we naturally want to treat ourselves.
The Greatest Fruitfulness Out of
the Worst Ferment
Too much of Israel’s history is about how short we fall in obeying YHWH. Yet there are some bright spots such as the generosity shown here by YHWH’s people, ashamed of their golden calf, rallying to donate to the construction of the Mishkan. I find it one of the most encouraging passages in Scripture that the people brought far more than was needed, having to be restrained from bringing any more. (Ex. 36:3-7)
The haftarah tells how King Y’hoash, after being hidden 7 years to escape his aunt’s massacre of the potential heirs to the throne she’d usurped, “did what was right in the sight of YHWH…except that the cultic platforms were not removed; the people still slaughtered and burned incense on [them].” (2 Kings 12:2-3)
Nehemia Gordon notes that this was said of all but two kings of Yehudah, and that “the problem with the sacrifices at the high places was that the Torah only allows them to be offered at ‘the place… YHVH chooses’… Far from the control of the Tabernacle and later the… Temple, and supervised by a counterfeit priesthood, the high places flourished as centers of spiritual seed-mixing where the worship of YHVH freely intermingled with the worship of Baal.” (Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence, p. 57-58)
The two kings who did break these pagan altars down had their work reversed by their successors, so Y’hoash may have felt it was futile to try. But he did prove virtuous in that he was concerned to repair the damage his aunt had done to the Temple (details in 2 Chron. 24). Though the priests were not eager to do it, the people were glad to donate to make sure it did get done.
Another of the most beautiful verses in all of Scripture follows: regarding the stewards put in charge of ensuring that the repairmen were justly paid, “They did not require an accounting of the men into whose hands they were entrusting the funds for those who were doing the work, because they were dealing faithfully.” (2 Kings 12:15) They could be trusted!
May we all build such a reputation for integrity and reliability that we don’t even need to be scrutinized, so we will not sully YHWH’s honor by representing Him in a shoddy or, worse, a corrupt manner!
Though death was never meant to be part of our world, YHWH built into His creation the “back-up” plan that even the decomposition of the highly-structured complexities of His marvelous works could, if destroyed, become soil from which new plants could grow and thrive. It is the same in the world of events. As evil seems to prevail around us, recall how at both of the times described above, the very best attitudes and actions arose out of the imbroglio of the worst conditions. The ferment of corruption brought about the most fertile conditions for good to thrive soon afterward. He can bring good out of evil.
Not that we should ever make excuses for corruption, and may we never be its initiators, but sometimes YHWH allows the wicked to succeed in their schemes just far enough to expose them for what they really are (Jer. 12:1; 17:11; Psalm 92:7; 94), so that people are repulsed, repudiate their ideas, and turn hard in the opposite direction, toward very fruitful good works that again highlight the beauty He put in His world.
The Kingdom itself will indeed only come when the world gets as bad as it was in the days of Noakh. (Mat. 24:37) Genesis 6 tells us it was totally corrupt, but if the extra-canonical Jubilees, Yasher, and Enoch are reliable, they tell us things we’d never have imagined about how awful it became and how justified YHWH was in starting afresh. Moshe may have been wise to leave out most of the lurid details which he judged unnecessary for an audience whose sights he was trying to raise rather than lower.
May YHWH grant that we learn enough from these amazing examples of faithfulness that we do not need to experience their polar opposite for our own highest potential for holy actions to be brought out and flourish in the same way.
