1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
8 And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work made he them.
9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
18 And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.
20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim made he it of cunning work.
36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37 And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
The book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament in the Bible and it tells the story of the Israelites' journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Chapter 36 of Exodus is a continuation of the previous chapter, where Moses receives instructions from God on how to build the tabernacle, a portable sanctuary for worship. In this chapter, we see the Israelites coming together to contribute their skills and resources to the construction of the tabernacle. The main themes of this chapter include obedience to God's instructions, unity and generosity among God's people, and the importance of using our talents for His glory.
The tabernacle was a central part of the Israelites' worship and it served as a physical representation of God's presence among His people. It was a portable structure made of gold, silver, bronze, and fine fabrics, and it was divided into three sections: the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place. The tabernacle was where the Israelites would offer sacrifices and worship God, and it was also where the priests would perform their duties. The construction of the tabernacle was a significant event in the history of the Israelites as it symbolized their commitment to God and His covenant with them.
In chapter 36, we see the Israelites diligently following God's instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. God had given Moses specific details on how the tabernacle should be built, and the people were careful to follow these instructions. This shows their obedience and reverence for God, as they understood the importance of carrying out His will. This is a valuable lesson for Christians today, as we are called to obey God's commandments and follow His will for our lives.
Furthermore, the Israelites did not question or doubt God's instructions, even though some of them may have seemed strange or difficult to understand. They trusted in God's wisdom and sovereignty, knowing that He had a greater plan for them. This is a reminder for Christians to have faith in God's plans for our lives, even when they may not make sense to us.
One of the most remarkable aspects of chapter 36 is the unity and generosity displayed by the Israelites. In verse 2, we see that "everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him" came to contribute to the construction of the tabernacle. This shows that the people were united in their desire to serve God and build His sanctuary. They did not let their differences or personal interests get in the way of their common goal.
Moreover, the people were not only willing to contribute their skills and labor, but they also gave generously of their resources. In verses 5-7, we see that the people brought so much material for the construction that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. This is a beautiful example of selflessness and generosity, as the people were more concerned with fulfilling God's will than holding onto their possessions.
This unity and generosity among God's people is a powerful lesson for Christians today. We are called to be united in our faith and work together for the glory of God. We should also be willing to give generously of our time, talents, and resources to further God's kingdom and serve His people.
Another important theme in chapter 36 is the use of talents and skills for God's glory. We see that God specifically chose certain individuals and gifted them with skills to contribute to the construction of the tabernacle. In verse 1, we read that Bezalel and Oholiab were filled with the Spirit of God and given wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. This shows that God values and uses our talents for His purposes.
Furthermore, we see that the people were not only willing to use their talents, but they also used them to the best of their abilities. In verse 4, it is mentioned that the skilled workers "did all the work of the sanctuary according to all that the Lord had commanded." They did not cut corners or take shortcuts, but they put their best efforts into their work for God. This is a reminder for Christians to use our talents and abilities to serve God and bring glory to His name.
As Christians, we can draw several important lessons from chapter 36 of Exodus. Firstly, we are reminded of the importance of obedience to God's instructions. Just as the Israelites followed God's commands for the construction of the tabernacle, we are called to obey God's commandments and follow His will for our lives.
Secondly, we are reminded of the power of unity and generosity among God's people. We are called to be united in our faith and work together for the glory of God. We should also be willing to give generously of our time, talents, and resources to further God's kingdom and serve His people.
Lastly, we are reminded of the value of using our talents and skills for God's glory. God has given each of us unique abilities and it is our responsibility to use them for His purposes. We should strive to use our talents to the best of our abilities and bring glory to God through our work.
In conclusion, chapter 36 of Exodus is a powerful reminder of the importance of obedience, unity, generosity, and using our talents for God's glory. It teaches us valuable lessons that are still relevant for Christians today and encourages us to live a life that is pleasing to God.
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