31:1 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,
31:2 SEE, I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BEZALEEL THE SON OF URI, THE SON OF HUR, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH:
31:3 AND I HAVE FILLED HIM WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, IN WISDOM, AND IN UNDERSTANDING, AND IN KNOWLEDGE, AND IN ALL MANNER OF WORKMANSHIP,
31:4 TO DEVISE CUNNING (NKJ, ARTISTIC) WORKS, TO WORK IN GOLD, AND IN SILVER, AND IN BRASS (NKJ, BRONZE),
31:5 AND IN CUTTING OF STONES (NKJ, JEWELS), TO SET [THEM], AND
IN CARVING OF TIMBER (NKJ, WOOD), TO WORK IN ALL MANNER OF WORKMANSHIP.
A.So this man BEZALEEL was chosen to oversee the work of constructing the Tabernacle.
B.Apparently he was already a skilled craftsman, but now he is to be guided by the Spirit in his work.
C.WISDOM/UNDERSTANDING/KNOWLEDGE: There would be no detail of the work which he would not understand.
D.CUNNING WORKS: To design artistically and excellently.
E.IN ALL MANNER OF WORKMANSHIP: He was to be able to make all the objects of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood in the construction and to carry out his designs with success.
31:6 AND I, BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN WITH HIM AHOLIAB, THE SON OF AHISAMACH, OF THE TRIBE OF DAN: AND IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THAT ARE WISE HEARTED (NKJ, GIFTED ARTISANS) I HAVE PUT WISDOM, THAT THEY MAY MAKE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED THEE;
**Apparently all the men chosen were already gifted with artistic power, but they were given extraordinary gifts.
31:7 THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, AND THE MERCY SEAT THAT [IS] THEREUPON, AND ALL THE FURNITURE (NKJ, UTENSILS) OF THE TABERNACLE,
31:8 AND THE TABLE AND HIS FURNITURE (NKJ, UTENSILS), AND THE
PURE CANDLESTICK WITH ALL HIS FURNITURE (NKJ, UTENSILS), AND THE ALTAR OF INCENSE,
31:9 AND THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING WITH ALL HIS FURNITURE (NKJ, UTENSILS), AND THE LAVER AND HIS FOOT,
31:11 AND THE ANOINTING OIL, AND SWEET INCENSE FOR THE HOLY [PLACE]: ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED THEE SHALL THEY DO.
31:10 AND THE CLOTHS OF SERVICE (NKJ, GARMENTS OF MINISTRY), AND THE HOLY GARMENTS FOR AARON THE PRIEST, AND THE GARMENTS OF HIS SONS, TO MINISTER IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE,
**CLOTHS OF SERVICE: The clothing of the office, that is, the vestments of the high priest which only he was allowed to wear. These were the blue robe, the ephod, the sash of the ephod, and the breastplate (Exo 28:6-35).
31:12-18, Laws for and the importance of the Sabbath to Israel.
31:12 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,
31:13 SPEAK THOU ALSO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING, VERILY MY SABBATHS YE SHALL KEEP: FOR IT [IS] A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS; THAT [YE] MAY KNOW THAT I [AM] THE LORD THAT DOTH SANCTIFY YOU.
A.MY SABBATHS: The sabbath belonged to Jehovah; It was His right to say exactly how it was to be observed.
B.YE SHALL KEEP: God was to direct; Israel was to obey.
C.IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU: Abstaining from secular work on the seventh day was a practice peculiar to the Jews.
D.THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS: As long as Israel was God's chosen Nation.
E.THAT YE MAY KNOW: All the Israelites would know that God was their Master and Sanctifier, and they were set aside to Him.
31:15 SIX DAYS MAY WORK BE DONE; BUT IN THE SEVENTH [IS] THE SABBATH OF REST, HOLY TO THE LORD: WHOSOEVER DOETH [ANY] WORK IN THE SABBATH DAY, HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.
31:14 YE SHALL KEEP THE SABBATH THEREFORE; FOR IT [IS] HOLY UNTO YOU: EVERY ONE THAT DEFILETH (NKJ, PROFANES) IT SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH: FOR WHOSOEVER DOETH [ANY] WORK THEREIN, THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE.
A.They could do works of mercy, works of necessity, and works connected with religious observance (Mt. 12), but they could not do any unnecessary secular work.
B.THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF: The sabbath was a special sign that Israel was in covenant with God; One who did not observe it committed a crime against Israel by breaking the covenant and thus endangering all of them. Of course this was a sin against God.
C.SIX DAYS MAY WORK BE DONE: They were given six days to do their work; The seventh was HOLY TO THE LORD (set aside ex-clusively for Him).
D.The context would indicate that Israel was to understand that the sabbath was not to be broken even to work on the Tent.
31:16 WHEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL KEEP THE SABBATH, TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS, [FOR] A PERPETUAL COVENANT.
31:17 IT [IS] A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FOR EVER: FOR [IN] SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY HE RESTED, AND WAS REFRESHED.
A.IT IS A SIGN: The sabbath itself was part of the covenant between God and Israel which was ratified in Chapter 24, but it also was A SIGN of the covenant, that is, it indicated that the nation had entered into a special agreement with God to keep all His laws.
B.The sabbath would remind Israel of God's creative work.
31:18 AND HE GAVE UNTO MOSES, WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END OF COM-MUNING WITH HIM UPON MOUNT SINAI, TWO TABLES (NKJ, TABLETS) OF TESTIMONY, TABLES (NKJ, TABLETS) OF STONE, WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD.
**WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD: Speculation as to how is idle.
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