Exodus 31:12-18

The Lord said to Moses: You yourself are to speak to the Israelites: ‘You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, given in order that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.¹ You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death;² whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people.³ For six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest,⁴ holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.⁵ Therefore the Israelites shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign for ever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.’⁶

When God finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.⁷

1 God completes his instructions with Moses by reminding him to have everyone keep the Sabbath. This time, the Sabbath is to be kept a a sign of the Israelites' sanctification before God, to be remembered for all generations.

2 Once again, an incredible penalty is due those who profane the Holy day..

3 Apparently, doing work on the Sabbath is not equal to “profaning” it, but is still quite bad.

4 A second reason is given – the Sabbath is to be a day of rest.

5 Now it says that doing work on the Sabbath DOES receive penalty of death.

6 The rest of the Sabbath is tied to the creation of the Earth by God.

7 Much instruction was given Moses, but the instruction etched into tablets by the finger of God clearly has the highest honor.

Take-home: All of the instructions on the building of God's sanctuary are finalized with a reminder to keep the covenant. While before, rest for slaves and animals and a day “for the Lord” were given as the reasons for the Sabbath, here the sign of sanctification from God and the analogy of rest (with God's rest after creation) are given as the reasons. Failure to practice the sabbath results in very severe punishment.

Exodus 31:1-11

The Lord spoke to Moses: See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with divine spirit,with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft.¹ Moreover, I have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given skill to all the skilful,² so that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the covenant, and the mercy-seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, and the finely worked vestments, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing-oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place.³ They shall do just as I have commanded you.⁴

1 Fascinating – the ability to do artwork and crafts is in this case a “calling” from God that comes from being filled with the divine spirit.

2 In this circumstance, at least, all of the skills of the skillful are attributed to God.

3 God ensures the Israelites that He has not only given them the instructions by which to do these things, but also the means with which to do them.

4 Yet again, the need for obedience is stressed.

Take-home: God has given the Israelites direct instruction for what to build, but has also filled those who are to complete the task with his spirit, so that they do not fear that they are unable to complete the tasks which he has commanded.

Exodus 30:17-38

The Lord spoke to Moses: You shall make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it; with the water Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.¹ When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to make an offering by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.² They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die: it shall be a perpetual ordinance for them, for him and for his descendants throughout their generations.³

The Lord spoke to Moses: Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty, and two hundred and fifty of aromatic cane, and five hundred of cassia—measured by the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil; and you shall make of these a sacred anointing-oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing-oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand; you shall consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy.⁴ You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, in order that they may serve me as priests. You shall say to the Israelites, ‘This shall be my holy anointing-oil throughout your generations. It shall not be used in any ordinary anointing of the body, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an unqualified person shall be cut off from the people.’⁵

The Lord said to Moses: Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (an equal part of each),and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy; and you shall beat some of it into powder, and put part of it before the covenant in the tent of meeting where I shall meet you; it shall be for you most holy. When you make incense according to this composition, you shall not make it for yourselves; it shall be regarded by you as holy to the Lord. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from the people.

1 Cleanliness of the ministers is now an explicit part of temple service.

2 As with many of the other stipulations, the penalties for violating this ordinance are quite severe. However, like the most other temple regulations (and as opposed to the general laws), those penalties are enforced by God, not man.

3 Yet another statement emphasized the long-lasting nature of the ordinance.

4 My mind would think that such a place would already be declared holy, that oil anointings are for tainted things. But in this passage, it is clear that the act of anointing itself is an additional “designator” of holiness.

5 One of the few instructions in the temple rules meant to be enforced by the people.

Take home: Rituals of washing and anointing are described that will designate the holiness of both the place and the people serving within it. The perpetual nature of the actions and potential penalties for violating them are both described.