Exodus 31: Artisans for Building the Tabernacle
1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— 8 the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base— 10 the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”
"Even as God specifically chose Moses and Aaron, He also specifically chose these craftsmen for His service.” (Guzik) "This is exceedingly important in showing that human skills, dexterity, artistry, etc. are gifts of God, no less than that of prophecy. Also, Moses did not appoint this chief superintendent of the works of the tabernacle; God appointed him." (Coffman) "This solemn call of Bezaleel and Aholiab is full of instruction. Their work was to be only that of handicraftsmen. Still it was Yahweh Himself who called them by name to their tasks, and the powers which they were now called upon to exercise in their respective crafts, were declared to have been given them by the Holy Spirit." (Barnes)
"Though they were skilled, the narrative emphasizes clearly that they were to do the work of building the tabernacle by means of the skills that the Spirit of God would give them. There is an important parallel here with God's work of Creation in Genesis 1. Just as God did his work of Creation by means of his Spirit (Genesis 1:2 to Genesis 2:3), so also Israel was to do their work of building the tabernacle by God's Spirit.
The parallels between God's work in Creation and Israel's work on the tabernacle are part of the Pentateuch's larger emphasis on the importance of the work of God's Spirit among his people.... It is of interest here to note that the two key characters in the Pentateuch who provide a clear picture of genuine obedience to God's will, Joseph and Joshua, are specifically portrayed in the narrative as those who are filled with the Spirit of God (Genesis 41:38; Deuteronomy 34:9)." (Sailhamer, The Pentateuch)
One "reason for this inclusion of Bezalel's ancestry is seen in the identification of him with the tribe of Judah, the tribe through whom came Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. In these two particulars: that he came of the tribe of Judah, and that he built the tabernacle, Bezalel stands as a type of the Christ who also came of Judah, and built the Church of which that ancient tabernacle itself was a type. The name Bezalel means in the shadow of God." (Coffman Commentary)
The other man, Aholia, God took from Dan. "He belonged to the tribe of Dan, one of the least influential and honorable in Israel; and here, too, we can trace the evidence of wise and paternal design, in choosing the colleague or assistant of Bezaleel from an inferior tribe (compare 1 Corinthians 12:14-25; also Mark 6:7)." (Jameison-Faussett-Brown) Likewise, Yahweh God made the least of Israel into judges by His Spirit.
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:1-6)
Exodus 31: The Sabbath Law
12 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”
I remain convinced that Saturday is the Judeo-Christian weekly Sabbath forever. It is written! Where was it changed? And by whose authority? Give me the verse, my friends. The command has gone forth. The first occurrence (Exodus 16:23) predates the Commandments, even as Yahweh rested after the Creation (Genesis 22:2). The second (Exodus 20:8) was the very moral code itself, written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). And the third occurrence (Exodus 23:12) was in the teachings of God given Moses to govern His people, Israel.
Here is the fourth: Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep…. "This had been mentioned thrice before, Exodus 16:23; Exodus 20:8; Exodus 23:12; but seems here to be repeated lest they should think the sacred work enjoined in this chapter would warrant their breaking in upon the holy rest of that day. Wherefore the clause had better be translated, Nevertheless my sabbaths shall ye keep; for אךְach is often an exceptive particle, and is so rendered here by Arias, Montanus, Le Clerc, Junius, and Tremellius.” (Benson)
For it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations… “The sabbath is a five-fold sign;
1st, Commemorative of God’s creation and dominion over them and all things, to whom they hereby profess their subjection.
2d, Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification could be had from none but God, as it here follows and from the observation of God’s days and appointments.
3d, Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lord’s peculiar people, by a religious keeping of those sabbaths, which the rest of the world grossly neglected, and profanely scoffed at.
4th, Prefigurative of that rest which Christ should purchase for them, namely, a rest from the burden of the ceremonial, and the curses and rigours of the moral law, as also from sin and the wrath of God forever, Hebrews 4.
5th, Confirmative, both assuring them of God’s good will to them, and that, as he blessed the sabbath for their sakes, so he would bless them in the holy use of it, with temporal, spiritual, and everlasting blessings; and assuring God of their standing, and that they would stand to the covenant made between God and them. So that this was a mutual stipulation or ratification of the covenant of grace on both sides." (Poole Commentary)
That you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you. "God, by sanctifying this day among them, let them know that he sanctified them, and set them apart for his service, otherwise he would not have revealed to them his holy sabbaths to be the support of religion among them. The Jews by observing [this] one day in seven, after six days labour, testified that they worshipped the God that made the world in six days, and rested the seventh; and so distinguished themselves from other nations, who having first lost the sabbath, the memorial of the creation, by degrees lost the knowledge of the creator, and gave the creature the honour due to him alone.” (Wesley's Explanatory Notes)
"THE PENALTY FOR NOT OBSERVING THE SABBATH… It is to be observed, however, that the present passage is not a mere repetition. It adds to former notices.. two new points: -
1. That the sabbath was to be a sign between God and Israel, a 'distinguishing badge,' a 'sacramental bond' (Cook); and
2. That its desecration was to be punished with death (ver. 15). These were supplementary points of so much importance as to furnish ample reason against their announcement being delayed.” (Pulpit Commentary)
I am Yahweh who sanctifies you... "by my word and ordinances, which are in more eminent and solemn manner dispensed upon the sabbath day, by the observation whereof you declare that you own me as your only Sanctifier; and so we may observe, the sabbath owns the Lord as our Creator, and as our Redeemer, and as our Sanctifier; and therefore it is no wonder God so severely enjoins the sanctification of the sabbath, and punisheth the neglect of it, it being a tacit renouncing or disowning of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." (Poole)
It is noted: "Circumcision had been given as a covenant sign to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:9-13); but its adoption by many of the heathen nations had rendered it no longer a distinguishing mark by which God’s people could be certainly known from others. Thus a new ‘sign' was needed. The observance of… [the seventh day- Saturday] as a day of holy rest became henceforth the distinguishing sign, and proved effectual. It was not likely to be adopted, and in point of fact was not adopted, by any... [other religions]. We find it in the latest time of the Jewish nation still regarded as the special mark and badge of a Jew (Juv. Sat. vi. 159, 14:96; Mart. Epig. 4:4, 50:7, &c.).” (Ellicott's Commentary)
"This is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'"(Revelation 14:12-13)
Exodus 31:The Commandments of God,
Written by the Finger of God
18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
The Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God. My literal interpretation of the past is a real possibility-- and that by the finger of Jesus, but I concede that this is also viable: If any conceives that the commandments "were literally written with a literal finger,... he entirely misses the Hebrew mode of thought, which habitually connects the Lord with an arm... Did not the magicians, failing to imitate the third plague, say 'This is the finger of a God'? Did not Jesus Himself 'cast out devils by the finger of God?' (Exodus 8:19; Luke11:20)." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
"Of the Decalogue, above all other Holy Writ, God seems to say, as Paul, [Philemon 1:19] ' Behold, I have written it with mine own hand' ; i.e., By mine own power and operation.”-Trapp