Exodus 37, May 1st
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1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. 6 And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.
10 He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. 12 And he made a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim. 13 He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.
17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 19 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 21 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it. 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils out of a talent of pure gold.
25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, 27 and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.
Exodus Explanation
The strong similarities between the instructions and their fulfilment underline the strict compliance of the people. The repetition of the material emphasizes the importance of the portable sanctuary. For more on the significance of the different items, see earlier sections.
Exodus Comment
CONTEXT: There is no functioning tabernacle and no evidence for believing that the women were involved in doing anything inappropriate that required the confiscation of their bronze mirrors. Women, however, are involved in the work of manufacturing the portable sanctuary and its furnishings (35:25–26, 29) and there is no reason to reject the claim that their mirrors provided the bronze necessary for making the basin and its stand. Interestingly, the basin is not mentioned in 38:29–31, which records how much bronze was used to make all the other bronze items.
Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary Commentary
a move from “Planning a Place for Presence” to “Preparing a Place for Presence.”
Patterns of transmission from God to man in Exodus:
God delivers a message for Israel to Moses, there is then a description that Moses delivers the message without repeating the content.
God delivers a message for Israel to Moses but there is no mention of it being delivered. We make an assumption? We see this in the plagues, we see this is some of the covenant law.
When both the message and the delivery of the message are reported, but there are differences. However slight.
At times we see Moses speak for God to someone without us ever seeing the scene in which God spoke initially.
And then finally there is what we see here in chapters 25-31 and 35-39, essentially identical repetition. Here it was the giving of instructions and now the carrying out of those instructions. Nowhere does repetition operate on such a scale as it does in these twelve chapters in Exodus. It is almost verbatim, something very rare throughout scripture even in sections with repetition.
Part of us wants there to simply be a verse that says: And Israel carried out what God had told them. So again, a question I’ve asked repeatedly, what is accomplished by the repetition?
For one, it draws out our attention to Moses’ faithfulness as a leader and as the mouthpiece of YHWH, he is transmitting very accurately what was given to Him from God. Moses, the listener, becomes Moses the mediator. Remember at the beginning of Exodus. Exodus 4—Moses is concerned that the people will not believe him that he speaks the word of God. Exodus 4:1 “1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ””
Or that his stammering will prevent him from effectively communicating God’s will to the people? Exodus 4:10 “10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.””
That is no longer a problem. Moses’ confidence, his eloquence to effectively communicate the word of God to Israel is on full display in these chapters of repetition. Not only is Moses faithful to accurately say the word, but the people listen to him.
God called Moses and grew him into this leader over time for this people. We see God effectively calls leaders to speak His word.
Secondly, and we’ve touched on this a little over the past few weeks. But the repetition puts in strong contrast that which Israel made in chapter 32: a golden calf idol, and that which they make here for YHWH. The difference is dramatic even as the narrative beats are similar.
In both accounts the people bring forward their offerings. But in chapter 32 it’s described as coming out of the fire! Almost by accident, we know of course this is not true. It was made under the supervision of Aaron.
Here though, under the supervision of Holy Spirit empowered artisans and craftspeople, Israel makes an elaborate, ornate, exquisite, complicated dwelling place for YHWH. When left to their own will and devices, they make something evil, distorted, and twisted. When led by the Holy Spirit, they make something good and beautiful for the Lord.
One commentary also pointed out that this repetition serves to highlight the difference between what Israel makes here at the end of Exodus with what they made at the beginning. In Exodus 1:11 “11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.” They built store cities, places for the glory and security and wealth and riches of Pharaoh, the snake king.
Here they are not building a store city for God, but rather a dwelling place. In English this may be unremarkable, but in Hebrew these words are actually very similar: miskenot vs. miskan.
Another aspect of this repetition is that this is nothing new, there’s repetition all throughout Exodus! This is the most obvious, but we see throughout a common pattern of double events, especially related to the word of God. Moses is called twice to go to Egypt, once at the burning bush and once even after he’s spoken to Pharaoh the first time. God gives the covenant twice; the second time in light of the golden calf! Part of the pattern is promise/instruction and then fulfillment.
What God says and predicts and outlines comes to pass in spite of an arrogant Pharaoh and an idolatrous Israel.
Finally, there is a preparatory element of the repetition. If Exodus had simply ended at ch. 34 with the renewal of the covenant, the forgiveness of sins, that would be nice! That would be great. A focus on forgiveness and restoration, very good! Very important, by the way, Israel needs this! But that’s not the central theme of Exodus and it’s not where our narrative ends. Exodus central theme is what God gives His people after redemption and after restoration.
We are redeemed and restored, we’re forgiven, we’re made clean, all of this, for a purpose: The purpose if found in these repetitious chapters: the purpose is God’s presence. They are redeemed and restored so that they can live with YHWH! And while the people give their gifts and work, God gives His presence after redemption!
Look at this outline of the last 17 or so chapters of Exodus:
Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary Commentary
A Theophany/Moses goes up the mountain (24:15–18)
B Instructions for the tabernacle (25:1–31:11)
C Sabbath (31:12–18)
D Apostasy, forgiveness, covenant renewal (32–34)
Cʹ Sabbath (35:1–3)
Bʹ Implementation of the tabernacle instructions (35:4–40:33)
Aʹ Theophany/Moses cannot enter the tabernacle (40:34–38)
Ultimately: what purpose does the repetition serve the reader? Imagine yourself an Israelite in Exile, you’re losing your religion and your sense of connection with God. You get to return with the group that Ezra leads back to Jerusalem and you get out the Law of the Lord and it gets read for the first time in a generation. What’s the effect it has on you?
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
They worshipped. They delighted in the Lord for what they heard.
We should do the same, not because we’re bound by this system, but because of how it points us to its fulfillment in Christ Jesus.
1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height. 2 He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down. 5 He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards. 8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 9 And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; 10 their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 11 And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 13 And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 And so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases. 16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. 17 And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18 And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. 20 And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze. 21 These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses; 23 and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base. 28 And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them. 29 The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; 30 with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, 31 the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.
