(Exo 31:1 NASB) Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
(Exo 31:2 NASB) “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
(Exo 31:3 NASB) “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,
Exo 31:3: Elohim gifted Bezalel with not only the physical skill but wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all types of craftsmanship.
(Exo 31:4 NASB) to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze,
(Exo 31:5 NASB) and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
Exo 31:5: Bezalel was skilled in artistic designs in various types of craftsmanship.
(Exo 31:6 NASB) “And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
(Exo 31:7 NASB) the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent,
(Exo 31:8 NASB) the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense,
Exo 31:8: Moses was also to use Oholiab as well as Bezalel to apparently supervise the artistic construction and recruit others to assist in the tasks.
(Exo 31:9 NASB) the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand,
(Exo 31:10 NASB) the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood;
(Exo 31:11 NASB) the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
Exo 31:11: Elohim impressed upon the hearts of certain craftsmen the tasks that He wanted done. The Spirit of Elohim equipped these men to serve Him.
Elohim works that same way today. He gives us all different gifts in order to serve Him. The idea of “spiritual gifts” is not new to the Brit Hadashah. Some people have the gift of ministering, teaching, encouragement, craftsmanship, cooking, administration, or many other talents that Elohim will use for His benefit.
(Exo 31:12 NASB) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
(Exo 31:13 NASB) “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
Exo 31:13: This commandment seems to be one of the primary marks of one belonging to Israel. Elohim says that this is a sign between Him and His people throughout their generations.
(Exo 31:14 NASB) ‘Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, 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.
(Exo 31:15 NASB) ‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
Exo 31:15: There are so many Truths that are demonstrated when we honor the Sabbath. We acknowledge Elohim as the Creator of all things when we honor the Sabbath. We acknowledge Him above everything else when we honor the Sabbath. We show our love for Him when we honor the Sabbath. We acknowledge the Truth of His Word when we honor the Sabbath. We show the world who we belong to when we acknowledge the Sabbath.
It is also interesting that Elohim does not command for us to do miraculous things in order for these Truths to be revealed in our lives. All He commands is that we rest on the Day He has chosen.
(Exo 31:16 NASB) ‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’
(Exo 31:17 NASB) “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
Exo 31:17: I was looking at my old notes from this section and I said so many stupid things trying to evade honoring the Sabbath that I amazed myself. Elohim says it is a “perpetual covenant.” It is to be celebrated “throughout their generations.”
Elohim concludes this short command on the Sabbath by reminding us the reason for honoring the Sabbath. He is our Creator. We would not be here if it were not for Him creating us. He also redeemed us through His Son, Yeshua Messiah. The very least we can do is honor Him by obeying His command for His Sabbath.
(Exo 31:18 NASB) And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Exo 31:18: This verse is a postscript that happens at the end of Moses’ time on Mt. Sinai. The next chapter tells us what the people of Israel were doing while Moses was up there.
These tablets with the Ten Commandments are called the “two tablets of the testimony” (Ex. 32:15-16, 34:28-29) Why are they called that? What are they a testimony of?
They are a testimony of the covenant Elohim made with Israel. It is referred to as the “Old Covenant” in the book of Hebrews. The tablets are also referred to as the “tablets of the covenant” (Deut 9:9-11). Those two tablets are a testimony to the covenant that the people and Elohim made with each other (Ex. 19:5-8). Those two stone tablets are a testimony to the covenant Israel made with Elohim which is why the two tablets of stone were placed inside the ark of the covenant (Deut. 10:1-2). The two tablets of stone were written by the finger of Elohim. That gives the covenant with Israel His personal signature.
The entire writings of Moses, or the Torah were not placed inside the ark of the covenant, but were placed beside it (Deut. 31:24-26). The Torah was available to them so they could read it and follow it and it would be a testimony to the people.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas