This article is the last part on a series covering the entire Book of Exodus.
We have several articles covering earlier chapters in the Book of Exodus.
Exodus and the Days of Unleavened Bread covers chapters 1-6, and parts of others.
Reasons, Proofs, and Ramifications of the Ten Plagues of Exodus covers chapters to 7-15 and parts of others.
Exodus 16-19 which covers all of those verses--here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 16-19: Manna, Governance, and End Time Protection.
Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments which covers all the verses in that chapter: A related sermon is available: Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments.
Exodus 21-24: These are the Judgments–here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 21-24: Judgments.
Exodus 25: Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat--here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 25: Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat.
Here is a link to the article Exodus 26-32 Tabernacle, Sacrifices, & the Book of Life--here is a link to a related sermon:Exodus 26-32: Tabernacle, Golden Calf, and Book of Life.
Here are links to two related video sermons for chapters 33-40: Exodus 33-36: Moses Shown and You Should Too. and Exodus 37-40: Finishing the Work.
This is part of a series of articles and sermons covering the entire Book of Exodus.
The old Radio Church of God taught:
Chapters {32-34} reveal the indignation of God at this rebellion, and the intercession of Moses on the people's behalf, and finally the repentance of the people for the evil they had done.
Then in Exodus 35 and 36 we find the workmen beginning to build the Tabernacle. (Martin E. The Sacrificial System in Israel. Good News, September 1965)
Exodus 32 ends with the following:
33 And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin."
35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made. (Exodus 32:33-35)
The children of Israel thought they could make a god in their image. They had even claimed the golden calf was the God that brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 32:4).
God did not approve. Yet, even today, many want to worship God their way, and not really His.
Now to Exodus 33:
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' 2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
To this day, even many spiritual Israelites are stiff-necked people. What the children of Israel did was to be an example for us:
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:6-13)
End time Christians do not think that the golden calf is relevant to them, yet Jesus reveals that most in the end will be Laodicean:
34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36)
14 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'" (Revelation 3:14-22)
If end time Christians were not stiff-necked, Jesus would not have needed to be so strong in His choice of words.
Back to Exodus 33:
4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, "Say to the children of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.'" 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
Yes, people mourned, but made little real change after they were told they were stiff-necked. Laodiceans are in a similar state.
Back to Exodus 33:
7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
God's presence related to Moses was obvious, but that did not impact them as much as it should have. Similarly, in this time, Laodiceans are not impacted as they should by what God is doing now (see Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).
Moses then pleaded for the people:
12 Then Moses said to the Lord, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people."
14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth."
17 So the Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
So, God agreeed to Moses pleading. Then Moses made a more personal request:
18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory."
19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." 21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
God also agreed to this.
Now, to Exodus 34:
1 And the Lord said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. 2 So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. 3 And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain."
We see that God blamed Moses for breaking the tablets, but was not particularly upset with him for doing so. But God had given him more work to do.
4 So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."
Moses had an unusual and unique relationship with God:
6 Then He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:6-8)
(More on dreams can be found in the article: Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).
When Moses got to see part of God, what was seen? Here is what the old Worldwide Church of God reported:
What Did Moses See?
The Exodus account leaves it at that. But elsewhere the Bible reveals that man was formed in the likeness of God (Gen. 1:26). So man must look like God — and vice versa.
Dozens of scriptures show that God has hands (Ex. 9:3; Job 1:11: etc.). He has fingers (Ex. 31:18). It is plainly stated in the Bible that God has arms, a torso, legs, feet, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, a voice, two ears: in a word, God is formed and shaped like a human being even though composed of spirit (John 4:24).
Probably the best description of what Moses saw and heard was seen by the apostle John in vision — not in the flesh, of course. Moses saw this same scene from the back — not the front. "And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [was] one like unto the Son of man. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire: and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace: and his voice as the sound of many waters.... and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength [which explains why no human being can see God's face and live)" (Rev. 1:13-16). (Armstrong GT. WHY DOES GOD HIDE HIMSELF? Plain Truth, November 1976)
This would have been the back side of Jesus, not the Father (cf. John 6:46).
Now notice in Exodus 34 that when he saw God, Moses was still concerned for the children of Israel:
8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 Then he said, "If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance."
God agrees to continue with them, despite their being stiff necked:
10 And He said: "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.
God has done marvelous things in the Church age, but many discount much of what He has been doing.
He then goes through aspects of two of the Ten Commandments:
11 Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. 13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
17 "You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.
He then brings up the Spring Holy Days:
18 "The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.
For more on the Holy Days, check out the free online booklet: Should You Keep God's Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?
God then brings up the firstborn and certain offerings:
19 "All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. 20 But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem.
"And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.
God claimed the firstborn--essentially this shows that God is to come first.
God then reminds them about the Sabbath:
21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.
Notice that God did NOT make an exception to the Sabbath if work was busier. He expects people to keep the Sabbath every week (see also The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad).
God then mentions some other Holy Days:
22 "And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end.
23 "Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. 24 For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Those three seasons are related to the biblical Holy Days. More on them can be found in the free online book: Should You Keep God's Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?
Information about the Passover offering is then given in Exodus 34:
25 "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.
God then mentions firstfruits and goat's milk:
26 "The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."
The old WCG wrote the following:
In analyzing the context of this particular verse, we notice that it does not refer to just any kind of meat or milk — but specifically to the meat of a kid seethed in its own mother's milk. The association of these two products of the mother's body suggests that this scripture is referring to something connected with pagan fertility rites. Peake's Commentary shows that this is so: "The significance of this prohibition has now been made clear by the Ras Shamra texts. According to the Birth of the Gods, i, 14, a kid was cooked in its mother's milk to procure the fertility of the fields, which were sprinkled with the substance which resulted" (p. 232). ...
in Exodus 34:21 -26 ... it is definitively stated to be in reference to "the sacrifice of the feast of the passover." The firstfruits mentioned in both places refer to the "wavesheaf" offering which is described in more detail in Leviticus 23:10-14. But why does this verse refer to kids, when the Passover sacrifice was traditionally a lamb?
We know that originally kids (young goats) from the "flock" and even calves from the "herd" (Deut. 16:2; II Chron. 35:7) were permitted as well as lambs (Ex. 12; John 1 :29, 36; I Pet. 1 :19; Rev. 5:6, 12).
But, "Later Jewish ordinances, dating after the return from Babylon, limit it [the Passover animal] to a lamb" (Alfred Edersheim, The Temple, p. 213). But what does not seething a kid in its mother's milk have to do with the Passover? Just this: God did not want the Israelites to confuse the Passover with the pagan rites of the heathen (Ex. 23:32-33). He did not want the Passover to become a spring fertility festival! Israelite amalgamation of the Passover with this heathen practice (or rather the abandonment of the Passover in favor of the other practice) was a very likely possibility. From the preceding it is obvious that the command against "seething a kid in its mother's milk" had to do with safeguarding the observance of the Passover. (Questions and Answer. Good News, May 1976)
Let me state that now, in association with what is supposed to be Passover, which the Greco-Roman-Protestants tend to call Easter, while they do not boil a kid in its mother's milk, they have added many pagan practices (eggs, bunnies, etc. come to mind). On the other hand, let me also state that Jews tend to teach one cannot consume meat and dairy together and the passage in Exodus 34 does not say that.
Back to Exodus 34:
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Jesus did the same thing:
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (Matthew 4:1-2)
By the way, since God cannot be tempted (James 1:13), but Jesus was (see also Hebrews 4:15), this shows that Jesus was NOT fully God on the earth prior to His resurrection. But He was when Moses saw part of Him.
Seeing God affected Moses:
29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them.
32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.
35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
The old Radio Church of God reported the following
Moses was not unaffected, even physically, by this incredible experience. Notice, in the 34th chapter of Exodus, another previously unheard of phenomenon. "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables or testimony in Moses' hand [the Ten Commandments]... that Moses wist [knew] not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him [God]. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold the skin or his face shone: and they were afraid to come nigh him" (verses 29-30). Moses face was glowing with an incandescent kind of radiance. The people were so frightened that he was forced to put a veil over his face in order to conduct daily business.
The Public Reaction
Moses was curious about God, but as clearly shown by the above account, not the people. They wanted to stay as far away from God as humanly possible. When God chose to "come out of hiding" and finally reveal himself to the Israelites, here is what happened: "And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it. they removed, and stood far off. And they said unto Moses. Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (Ex. 20:18-19). This is the typical manner in which mankind had been reacting to the presence of God all the way from the time of Adam. In essence. man has told God to keep his (unprintable) nose out of man's (unprintable) business. (Armstrong GT. WHY DOES GOD HIDE HIMSELF? Plain Truth, November 1976)
The Apostle Paul wrote about this event with Moses:
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (2 Corinthians 3:7-11)
The people were impatient. We need to be careful about being impatient and thinking that God or the church is taking too long. We have lost people who said it was taking too long, for example, for CCOG groups to form in their area.
The ministry of death was inscribed on large stones after crossing the Jordan (Deuteronomy 27:2-8). As far as engraving or inscribing the laws, commandments, statutes, and judgments goes (Deuteronomy 26:16-18), this was basically done on large stones that had a type of white plaster on them (cf. Deuteronomy 27:2, KJV).
Related to the administration of death, the old WCG published the following:
The Administration of Death — What Was It?
Almost no one really understands the meaning of "the ministration of death written and engraven in stones" (II Cor. 3). Let's study it.
What is this ministration — administering or executing — of the death penalty — which was engraved on stones!
Was Paul referring to the Ten Commandments! Were the Ten Commandments engraven in whole stones?
NO! The ten commandments were written on two tables of stone, but not on whole stones.
Then what was written in whole stones? Notice Deuteronomy 27:1-6. Moses commanded the children of Israel to set up great whole stones, and plaster them with plaster, and write upon them all the words of THE CIVIL LAW — the statutes and judgments — which he had just repeated to them. These statutes and judgments, based upon the ten commandments, are "righteous" (Psalm 119:7, 8). It is SIN to break them!
Included in the civil code was THE ADMINISTRATION of the death penalty for breaking THESE LAWS. THE ADMINISTRATION EMBODIED THE "EYE FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR TOOTH" PRINCIPLE (Deut. 19:21). Whenever any of these major laws were broken, the judges and Levites saw to it that the PENALTY of the law — death — was carried out. They were responsible for the ADMINISTRATION OF DEATH.
This was what Paul spoke of — not the ten commandments or the spiritual statutes and judgments which the people were to obey! Paul is writing about the ADMINISTRATION — or "ministration," to use the Old English word — of the DEATH PENALTY for breaking the law. The Scripture in II Corinthians 3 is not doing away with the laws which define sin, but with the ministration of the penalty of death by human judges.
The ten commandments are entirely separate and distinct from this administration. The ten commandments are spiritual laws which last forever (Ps. 111:7-8).
Because the principles of the ten commandments formed the basis of the civil statutes and judgments, a violation of these principles was punished by civil authority.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF DEATH WAS THE CIVIL EXECUTION OF PUNISHMENTS FOR VIOLATION OF THIS CIVIL LAW CODE WHICH MOSES SPOKE TO0 THE PEOPLE.
The administration of the civil government in ancient Israel reveals God's method of dealing directly with unconverted, fleshly, sinning people.
The government of Israel had church and state combined. It was a physical, flesh-born church or congregation. The administration of civil and religious statutes and ordinances was combined in ancient Israel. (Meredith RC. Is OBEDIENCE to God Required for Salvation? Ambassador College, 1956)
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins (1 John 1:9), so the ministry of death will not affect us.
Notice some of what the Bible actually says (two translations) which confirms that:
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14, NKJV)
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.. (Colossians 2:14, NASB)
The handwriting of requirements (often also called the hand-writing of ordinances) or certificate of debt was wiped away and nailed to the stake, which some call a cross (see also What is the Origin of the Cross as a 'Christian' Symbol?).
Which requirements were wiped out?
Please understand that the expression "the handwriting of requirements" (cheirógrafon toís dógmasin) is a Greek legal expression that signifies the penalty which a lawbreaker had to pay--it does not signify the laws that are to be obeyed--only the penalty. It is only through the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that the penalty was wiped out ("the handwriting of requirements"). But only the penalty, not the law!
Now getting back to Moses' face shining--the Apostle Paul continued in Corinthians with the following:
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech -- 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)
Notice that the veil is taken away for those who truly turn to Jesus.
Consider also that Jesus said:
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
So, not only are we to have the veil taken away, we, in a sense like Moses, are to shine. Not mainly by what we say, but by how we live.
And while the world has a veil over it now, in the age to some, many that have seen how true Christians live will be more easily converted to accept God and His ways (see also Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation).
As far as how to live as a Christian now, the following free booklet is available online: Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian.
Now to the 35th chapter of Exodus:
1 Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, "These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day."
So, we read that Moses reminded that people about the Sabbath.
Then Moses told the people about a special offering:
4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: 5 'Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair; 7 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
Then notice that Moses put the call out for artistic craftspeople:
10 'All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering; 13 the table and its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread; 14 also the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, and the laver and its base; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place — the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.'"
Notice that being artistic is a gift. There are, of course, non-artistic gifts--and we all have our own.
(Can show pictures of Tabernacle, tent, and the mercy seat.)
Archaeological Evidence of the Tabernacle
In 2013, it was reported that possible evidence had been found of the tabernacle in the ancient city of Shiloh, in the West Bank. Archaeologists discovered holes hewn into rock that may have been used for propping up the wooden beams of the tabernacle. Previous research at the site had also found remains of possibly sacrificed animals and evidence of bathing pools where the High Priest may have cleansed himself in preparation to enter the tabernacle. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-tabernacle/ accessed 03/05/20
Anyway, Exodus 35 shows that God values various types of artists.
God moved many to give an offering.
20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, goats' hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord's offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
Notice that the artisans included women:
25 All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 26 And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats' hair.
(Information on the roles of Christian women can be found in the article: Women and the New Testament Church.)
And more offerings were given:
27 The rulers brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate, 28 and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
Do you provide free offerings?
Anyway, God also had a couple of special artisans called by name.
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel 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 and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, 32 to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.
34 "And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver — those who do every work and those who design artistic works.
Notice that there was also given the ability to teach.
Though some people wish to ignore God's teaches and remain independent of the CCOG, notice the following:
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-14)
Yes, church governance is to continue until Jesus returns (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government). Those who teach otherwise are deceiving.
Now to Exodus chapter 36:
1 "And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded."
As God's people we are to pray for wisdom and get understanding:
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:5-7)5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. (Psalm 119:99)
Back to Exodus 36:
2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. 4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, 5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do."
We in the CCOG are not to that point. This is not a call for more money, but just an acknowledgement that more work could be done if we had more.
6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary." And the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done — indeed too much.
It is great that they ended up with more than they needed. The people were generous.
So continuing, we see that the artisans went to work:
8 Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the curtains were all the same size. 10 And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set; likewise he did on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. 12 Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain on the end of the second set; the loops held one curtain to another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle.
14 He made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain of the second set. 18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to couple the tent together, that it might be one. 19 Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins above that.
20 For the tabernacle he made boards of acacia wood, standing upright. 21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board a cubit and a half. 22 Each board had two tenons for binding one to another. Thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. 24 Forty sockets of silver he made to go under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. 25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards 26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards. 27 For the west side of the tabernacle he made six boards. 28 He also made two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle. 29 And they were coupled at the bottom and coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus he made both of them for the two corners. 30 So there were eight boards and their sockets — sixteen sockets of silver — two sockets under each of the boards.
31 And he made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle on the far side westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, made their rings of gold to be holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim. 36 He made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
37 He also made a screen for the tabernacle door, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.
We see that despite rebellion, God continued to work with the children of Israel and allowed them to support His work. God still allows that to this day.
MyJewishLearning.com has the following explanation about the Tabernacle:
The 19th-century Russian-Jewish commentator known as the Malbim provided a symbolic explanation for the relevance of the tabernacle. It was not that God needed a physical sanctuary on earth, but that each one of us is called to build a tabernacle for God in our hearts, preparing ourselves to become a sanctuary for God.
The portability of the tabernacle foreshadows the future movements of the Jewish people in exile, where they built synagogues and houses of study wherever they migrated. The tabernacle also stands as a symbol of the paradox of divine presence in the world: On the one hand, God is believed to be everywhere — or perhaps, as the Malbim argues, in human hearts — but on the other hand, the tabernacle (and later the Temple in Jerusalem and synagogues throughout the world) represents a physical location where humans can experience a connection to God. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-tabernacle/ accessed 03/05/20
The portability for the tabernacle was needed as the children of Israel were strangers passing through the land.
Jesus ‘tabernacled’ with humans when He was here (As the Greek word ἐσκἠνωσεν in John 1:14 can be translated per Green JP. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Baker Books, 1996, 5th printing 2002, p. 282).
We Christians are to realize that we have no permanent city in this age and look to the one to come (Hebrews 13:14).
The Apostle Peter wrote:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, (1 Peter 2:11)
Christians are "sojourners and pilgrims."
One of the biblical holy days, the Feast of Tabernacles, helps picture this.
The Bible shows that the children of Israel dwelt mainly in tents per Exodus 33:8 (and sometimes other apparently temporary, per Deuteronomy 4:45-49, homes) while they were in the wilderness for forty years and that God considered those as “tabernacles” per Leviticus 23:43. Living in tents or motel rooms is a similar type of temporary dwelling/tabernacle today.
The Feast of Tabernacles has been observed by many modern Christians in either tents or motel/hotel rooms functioning as “tabernacles” -- temporary dwellings -- and not just in palm-branch huts that the Israelites normally used. The New Testament shows that Christians have a different tabernacle (cf. Hebrews 8:2; 9:11-15), which is consistent with not having to personally to build a palm-booth like the children of Israel did (Leviticus 23:40).
The staying in temporary dwellings during the Feast of Tabernacles helps remind us of the temporary nature of this age.
Seeing how much attention God gives in His word regarding the tabernacle should be a clue to its importance. The Feast of Tabernacles should be important to us now as it pictures the transient nature of this life -- a life that can be made immortal at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) -- so that we may all permanently tabernacle with God:
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21:3-5)
What a glorious time that will be!
Here is a link to a related video sermon: Exodus 33-36: Moses Shown and You Should Too.
Now to the 37th chapter of Exodus:
1 Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
(Show mercy seat)
Christians now have direct access to the mercy seat in heaven:
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25)
Perhaps it should be pointed out that in the Hebrew language, the word translated as mercy is a plural word. God's mercy is so beyond what we think. It is unlimited!
Back to Exodus 37:
10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.
So, utensils were made out of gold. There was a lot of gold.
We are to be like gold. Notice the following prophetic warning:
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,"
Says the Lord,
"That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, 'This is My people';
And each one will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9)
Jesus also told the Laodiceans:
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:18-20)
Notice something from the old Worldwide Church of God:
We ARE in an intensive training program. Our endurance, patience and attitudes are tried and stretched to the limit sometimes. We have been challenged and tested, and our minds have run the gamut of thought and apprehension and concern.
But you know what?
That's good!
It may not feel good, it may not seem good, it may be upsetting and disturbing — but it's good. God is doing all this to see how we will react. To see what we are made of — to determine our mettle. He is uniquely preparing us to deal with any and all real, human problems in the World Tomorrow.
What a mistake we will make if we relate the unique circumstances of our lives to this life ONLY. What a mistake we make if we say to ourselves, "I'm not happy. I want to conform to the life-style of my neighbors or business associates. I'm not getting the peace and satisfaction and tranquility I would like to have." I tell you, you will rarely get these things anyway, whether inside or outside of God's Church.
You may get them a little less often in God's Church. But what fantastic awareness, knowledge and understanding we develop if we say to ourselves, "Thank God that my mind, my patience, and my thought processes and my whole being have been tried to the limit. Thank God for my trials, my tests, my experiences — even the bad ones. Thank God my character is being purged, purified, refined as gold and silver. Thank God I can see the PURPOSE for my sometimes mind-reeling, brain-numbing, harrowing trials and tests. Because these things are preparing me for a glorious, transcendent reward in the Kingdom of God for ever and ever and ever!" (Portune A. Were You Called to the "GOOD LIFE"? Good News, July-September 1973)
Getting back to Exodus 37, we see more being made of gold:
17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower -- and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.
(Show 7 candle lampstand)
Here is more from the Book of Hebrews about all of this:
1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience-- 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:1-14)
Continuing in Exodus 37:
25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit -- it was square -- and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.
While plain olive oil is now used for anointing, we see that anointing oil was something God wanted.
Continuing with Exodus 38:
1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width — it was square — and its height was three cubits. 2 He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4 And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim, midway from the bottom. 5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles. 6 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. 7 Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards.
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we no longer have burnt offerings:
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come — In the volume of the book it is written of Me — To do Your will, O God.'"
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them"(which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," 17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:1-18)
While Christians are to participate in an annual memorial of Jesus sacrifice, the Christian Passover, this is NOT a re-sacrifice of Jesus. Roman Catholic mass allegedly sacrifices Jesus every day and many times. But Jesus died ONCE for all.
Back to Exodus 38:
8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
This laver was to be used by the priests to wash their hands and feet when they entered the sanctuary. This is confirmed in a later part of Exodus 40. The size and shape of this laver are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible
Continuing in Exodus 38:
9 Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long. 10 There were twenty pillars for them, with twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 11 On the north side the hangings were one hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and their twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 12 And on the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and their ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 13 For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits. 14 The hangings of one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15 and the same for the other side of the court gate; on this side and that were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine woven linen. 17 The sockets for the pillars were bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, and the overlay of their capitals was silver; and all the pillars of the court had bands of silver. 18 The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. The length was twenty cubits, and the height along its width was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And there were four pillars with their four sockets of bronze; their hooks were silver, and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver. 20 All the pegs of the tabernacle, and of the court all around, were bronze.
There are differences of opinion about the length of a cubit. Basically 18 inches, 1 1/2 feet (slightly less than 1/2 a meter). Some say 19 or up to 21 inches.
Continuing:
21 This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.
Then additional work was done:
22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer, a weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine linen.
And it involved gold:
24 All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place, that is, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
A talent weighed about 75 lbs./33 kg. There is 14.5833 troy ounces per pound. So, 75 * 29 talents * 14.5833 = 31,718.68 total troy ounces. With gold at around US$1650 per troy ounce, this was worth about $52, 335,000.
It had silver which seemed to come from a type of tabernacle tax:
25 And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a bekah for each man (that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 27 And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents, one talent for each socket. 28 Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them.
It was an expensive holy place.
Getting back to Exodus 38, also there were offerings of bronze, which would have been costly as well:
29 The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils for the altar, 31 the sockets for the court all around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the court all around.
Now, many are not interested in these chapters of Exodus. But they are in the Bible.
God had reasons for recording them here. And not just so we could get an idea of what the earthly tabernacle looked like.
Consider the following:
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
The Holy Scriptures the Apostle Paul was referring to here would have been what we call the Old Testament as most of the New Testament was not written when Timothy was a child.
In order to be complete, we have striven to cover each and every verse in the Book of Exodus, as well as our intent to cover all the verses in the New Testament (much of which we have already done) and, if there is enough time until Jesus returns, every verse in the Old Testament.
Now to chapter 39:
1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Perhaps it should be pointed out that colors were expensive back then and even into New Testament times. Notice the following:
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us. (Acts 16:13-15)
Purple was very expensive and must have been profitable for a woman to support herself and a household of numerous servants back then. It likely was even more expensive 1500 years earlier, which is about when Exodus 39 was probably written.
Back to Exodus 39:
2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3 And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4 They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5 And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
8 And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 9 They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; 11 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. 14 There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.
So, there were gemstones and gold. The stones, also, would have been very expensive.
Continuing:
15 And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. 16 They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18 The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 19 And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod. 20 They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_breastplate
Back to Exodus 39:
22 He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen. 25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates: 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to minister in, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
27 They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, 29 and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31 And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_breastplate
Back to Exodus 39:
32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. 33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39 the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister as priests.
Show the tent picture again.
Back to Exodus 39:
42 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.
So God had PEOPLE do the work and Moses blessed them for it.
The old Radio Church of God taught:
The materials for the Sanctuary were collected and it was finally built (Ex. 37). Then the altar on which to sacrifice was constructed (Ex. 38). And lastly, the clothing for the priesthood was made and finished (Ex. 39).
The Raising of the Tabernacle
Now we come to a most important chapter for the proper understanding of this subject — Chapter 40. When you read the contents of this chapter, you will understand why it has been necessary to carry you through the book of Exodus chapter by chapter.
Why is this particular chapter important? Because it is in Chapter 40 that we have the record of WHEN the sacrificial and ritualistic system began in Israel. Let us notice the beginning of this chapter carefully!
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation"(Ex. 40:1-2).
Note the second verse in particular. Moses was commanded by God not to raise up the Tabernacle until a particular day of the year. True, they were to have everything ready for the erection of the Tabernacle. They were to have all the furnishings completed beforehand. But, the Tabernacle could not be officially raised and set up as the central Sanctuary for Israel until the first day of the first month in THE SECOND YEAR after the children of Israel came out of Egypt.
Now notice that on that exact day — and not before — Moses was told to set up the altar of incense (Ex. 40:5) and also the altar of burnt offering (Ex. 40:6). In Verse 10 Moses was commanded to anoint, or officially consecrate, the altar of sacrifice. Then in Exodus 40:12-15 Moses was instructed to ordain the priesthood.
If there is any further doubt when all of these things took place, notice Exodus 40:17: "And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up."
The following verses in Exodus 40 show that Moses put everything into the Tabernacle and officially consecrated everything pertaining to sacrifice and ritual. And Moses officially ORDAINED the priests to their offices on that day — NOT BEFORE!
Why Is This Important?
Brethren, the above information clearly shows that up to this time the Israelites had no Tabernacle in which to offer sacrifices, no altar on which to place them, and no priesthood to officiate at the sacrifices and rituals. This was all done on the first day of the first month in the SECOND YEAR AFTER they came out of Egypt. This is the very day that God commanded the Israelites to begin their official sacrificing to Him — not before!
Jeremiah certainly knew what he was talking about when he said that God did not command the Israelites about sacrifices when they left Egypt. It was almost a complete full year before the sacrificial and ritualistic system began! (Martin E. The Sacrificial System in Israel. Good News, September 1965)
With that overview in mind, now to the last and 40th chapter:
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.
9 "And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.
12 "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."
16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.
17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 25 and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
Brethren, we need to finish the work that God has given us to do.
Consider something from the New Testament:
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
That work does NOT just include your salvation, but YOU, if you are a Philadelphian Christian, doing the Philadelphian work:
7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": 8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. (Revelation 3:7-8)
What is the "open door"?
Let us look at this concept within the New Testament and let the Bible interpret itself.
Paul wrote:
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord (2 Corinthians 2:12).
8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me (1 Corinthians 16:8-9).
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak (Colossians 4:2-4).
Luke wrote:
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27).
Thus, the Bible is quite clear that the open door is the door to proclaim the Gospel.
Herbert W. Armstrong understood that the door was opened to proclaim the gospel:
Also a door was to be opened for this leader and/or the Philadelphia era of the Church to fulfill Matthew 24:14: 'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come' (Mystery of the Ages, pp. 290-291).
As far as Matthew 24:14 goes, we have a booklet in about 100 languages: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God (the other languages can be found at www.ccog.org).
Then there is Matthew 28:19-20:
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Related to that, not only do we have multiple websites, in sermons we have covered everything attributed to Jesus in the New Testament (for proof, check out the following:
MATTHEW Here are links to twelve sermons covering the 28 chapters of Matthew: Matthew 1-2: Greek or Aramaic, Jesus, and the Star?, Matthew 3-5: John the Baptist, Temptations, and the Beatitudes, Matthew 6-7: Charitable Deeds, the Rosary, Prayer, the Golden Rule, and Faith, Matthew 8-10: Married Clergy, Faith, Coming Persecution, and the Ecumenical Agenda, Matthew 11-12: John the Elijah, Sodom, Unpardonable Sin, & 3 Days and 3 Nights, -14: Parables, Mustard Seeds, Birthdays, and Faith, Matthew 15-16: Tradition, Signs of the Times, and The Rock & Peter, Matthew 17-18: Transfiguration, Elijah to Come, Taxes, and Forgiveness, Matthew 19-20: Transgender? Divorce? Purgatory? The first shall be last?, Matthew 21-23: 'Palm Sunday,' Come as You Are?, and the Greatest Commandments, Matthew 24: Temple Destruction, Sorrows, Tribulation, and the Return of Jesus, and Matthew 25-28: Midnight Cry, False Christians, Resurrection, & Teaching what Jesus Taught. MARK Here is a link to a sermon covering all of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Mark: What did Jesus teach in the Book of Mark? Here is a link to six sermons covering all the verses in the Gospel of Mark: Mark 1-2: Author, Prophecy, & Miracles, Mark 3-5: Healing, Demons, and Parables, Mark 6-9: Tradition, John’s beheading, Elijah, and Restoration, Mark 10-12: Marriage, Divorce, Needle Eye, Greatest Command, & Taxes, Mark 13: Temple, Four Horsemen, Troubles, Great Tribulation, and Gospel Proclamation, and .
LUKE Here are links to eight sermons covering the entire 'Gospel of Luke': Luke 1-2: John the Baptist, Mary, and the Census, Luke 3-6: John the Baptist, Jesus’ genealogy, Satan’s Influence, and the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 7-9: Miracles, Purpose of Parables, Kingdom of God, and Women Supporting the Ministry, Luke 10-11: The 70, Doing the Work, the Good Samaritan, Prayer, and Signs, Luke 12-13: Priorities, Delayed Fruit Bearing, Little Flock, Prophecy, and the Narrow Way, Luke 14-16: The Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 17-20: Faith, the Kingdom, Gathering, Prayer, & Rewards, and Luke 21-22: Giving, Sorrows, Persecution, Tribulation, Fig Tree, and Violence. The last sermon also covers Jesus' words in the Book of Acts. JOHN Here are links to a seven-part sermon series covering the entire 'Gospel of John': John 1-3: Anti-unitarian, Wine, Being Born Again, & Heaven, John 4-6: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, Miracles and the Bread of Life, John 10-12: Sheep, Hirelings, Lazarus/Soul Sleep and ‘Palm Day’, John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus, John 16-18: Truth, Trinity, and Pontius Pilate, and John 19-21: Do not only try, do what God wants. REVELATION This is a link to a sermon covering words Jesus spoke as recorded in the Book of Revelation and in first and second Corinthians: Revelation: Jesus’ Final Words.)
Now the last word of Matthew 28 is Amen. Meaning, so be it. Suggesting, at least, that we need to support that effort.
Something else we do in CCOG is product literature. And books and booklets like the following help teach what Jesus taught:
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast
Should You Keep God's Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from most Protestants
Another part of the work to support has to do with preparing for the 'short work' of Romans 9:28 (see Preparing for the 'Short Work' and The Famine of the Word) as well as to help reach enough people for the 'full number' of Gentiles to come in (see What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?).
Continuing to the final verses in Exodus 40 and the entire Book of Exodus:
34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
We need to follow God in all of our journeys.
As well to follow the direction of His faithful leaders (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).
The children of Israel needed a miraculous physical reminder to see to follow.
As Christians we are not to be like that, as the Apostle Paul put it, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Here is a link to a related sermon video Exodus 37-40: Finishing the Work.
Hopefully you have been able to watch all the sermons on Exodus, and of course, can watch others you may have missed or perhaps repeat.
The is a lot in the Book of Exodus that most people miss.
Thiel, Bob. Exodus 33-40: The Final Chapters. COGwriter (c)
http://www.cogwriter.com/exodus27-sacrifices-priesthood.htm 2020 0314