Exodus 35

1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the sons of Israel together and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD has commanded that ye should do them.

2 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day shall be holy unto you, a sabbath of rest to the LORD; whoever does work therein shall die.

3 Ye shall kindle no fire in any of your habitations upon the sabbath day.

4 And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, This is what the LORD commanded, saying,

5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD: gold, silver, brass;

6 blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair;

7 rams’ skins dyed red, badgers’ skins, cedar wood;

8 oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for the aromatic incense;

9 onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the pectoral.

10 And everyone that is wise hearted among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded:

11 The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its hooks, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;

12 the ark and its staves, the seat of reconciliation, and the veil of the tent,

13 the table and its staves and all its vessels, and the showbread;

14 the lampstand also for the light and its vessels and its lamps, and the oil for the light;

15 and the altar of incense and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the aromatic incense, and the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle,

16 the altar of burnt offering with its brasen grate, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base,

17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,

18 the stakes of the tabernacle and the stakes of the court, and their cords,

19 the clothing of service to minister in the sanctuary, that is, the holy garments of Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to serve in the priesthood.

20 And all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

21 And they came, every man whose heart stirred him up, and every one whose spirit made them willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of the testimony and for all his service and for the holy garments.

22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought chains and earrings, rings and bracelets, and all jewels of gold; and anyone that offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

23 Every man who had blue or purple or scarlet or fine linen or goats’ hair or red skins of rams or badgers’ skins brought them.

24 Anyone that offered an offering of silver or brass brought the offering unto the LORD; and every man, with whom was found cedar wood, brought it for all the work of the service.

25 And all the women that were wise hearted spun with their hands and brought that which they had spun: blue or purple or scarlet or fine linen.

26 And all the women whose heart lifted them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.

27 And the princes brought onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the pectoral;

28 and aromatic spice and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense.

29 Of the sons of Israel, men and women, all that had a willing heart to bring for all the work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses, brought a voluntary offering unto the LORD.

30 And Moses said unto the sons of Israel, See, the LORD has named Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in intelligence, in science, and in all manner of workmanship;

32 to invent and devise, to work in gold and in silver and in brass,

33 and in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

34 And he has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

35 And he has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the engraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer, in blue and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver: that they may do any work, and invent every design.

Exodus 35 Commentary

Chapter 35

The sabbath to be observed. (1-3) The free gifts for the tabernacle. (4-19) The readiness of the people in general. (20-29) Bezaleel and Aholiab called to the work. (30-35)

Verses 1-3 The mild and easy yoke of Christ has made our sabbath duties more delightful, and our sabbath restraints less irksome, than those of the Jews; but we are the more guilty by neglecting them. Surely God's wisdom in giving us the sabbath, with all the mercy of its purposes, are sinfully disregarded. Is it nothing to pour contempt upon the blessed day, which a bounteous God has given to us for our growth in grace with the church below, and to prepare us for happiness with the church above?

Verses 4-19 The tabernacle was to be dedicated to the honour of God, and used in his service; and therefore what was brought for it, was an offering to the Lord. The rule is, Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring. All that were skilful must work. God dispenses his gifts; and as every man hath received, so he ( 1 Peter. 4:10 ) materials to work on; those that were skilful, must serve the tabernacle with their skill: as they needed one another, so the ( 1 Corinthians. 12:7-21 )

Verses 20-29 Without a willing mind, costly offerings would be abhorred; with it, the smallest will be accepted. Our hearts are willing, when we cheerfully assist in promoting the cause of God. Those who are diligent and contented in employments considered mean, are as much accepted of God as those engaged in splendid services. The women who spun the goats' hair were wise-hearted, because they did it heartily to the Lord. Thus the labourer, mechanic, or servant who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, may be as wise, for his place, as the most useful minister, and he equally accepted of the Lord. Our wisdom and duty consist in giving God the glory and use of our talents, be they many or few.

Verses 30-35 Here is the Divine appointment of the master-workmen, that there might be no strife for the office, and that all who were employed in the work might take direction from, and give account to them. Those whom God called by name to his service, he filled with the Spirit of God. Skill, even in worldly employments, is God's gift, and comes from above. But many are ready enough in cutting out work for other people, and can tell what this man or that man should do; but the burdens they bind on others, they themselves will not touch with one of their fingers. Such will fall under the character of slothful servants. These men were not only to devise and to work themselves, but they were to teach others. Those that rule should teach; and those to whom God has given knowledge, should be willing to make it known for the benefit of others.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 35

This chapter begins with a renewal of the command of the sabbath, Ex 35:1-3 and contains an order for a freewill offering to be brought for the service of the sanctuary, and specifies the things to be brought, and for what uses, Ex 35:4-19 to which there was a ready compliance, and men and women, princes and the common people, everyone according to what they had in possession, brought and offered it freely, Ex 35:20-29 and for their encouragement, that their offering would not be in vain, they were informed there were two persons divinely inspired, to do, and teach to be done, all manner of work for the tabernacle, towards which they had made such a liberal and plentiful contribution, Ex 35:30-35.