God Has Planned for You to Go Forward

Much of Chapter 35 seems like a retelling of past events. We see and hear things we have expressed before as we journeyed with Israel. The repetitions are not to bore us but remind us…to reenforce us. Just as Isreal was quick to forget, we have memory lapses too. Some have asked how many repetitions are required to memorize something. Long ago I was told that seven repetitions make us remember almost anything Its called the Rule of 7. And if we do forgot something it is easier the next time we have to re-learn it. So hearing it again will not hurt us. In fact it will help us to realize the importance.

Much of Chapter 35 seems like a retelling of past events. We see and hear things we have expereeved before as we journed with Israel. The repititions are not to bore us but remind us…to renforce us. Just as Isreal was quick to forget, we have memory laspes too. Some have asked how many repetitions are required to memorize something. Long ago I was told that seven repetitions make us remember almost anything Its called the Rule of 7. And if we do forgot something it is easier the next time we have to re-learn it. So hearing it again will not hurt us. In fact it will help us to realize the importance.

We will see three things that are shared are really for our sake. It's not just because God was trying to think of rules for us. Matter fact all of these are about preparing us to go forward. And I believe that all of us want to go forward in life. I believe all of us want to find success in life and enjoy the life that we're living.

We Must Rest to Go Forward

Exodus 35:1–3 ESV

Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

The importance of the a Sabbath is emphasized in 35:1–3 as God’s people are readying to begin working on the tabernacle. Moses informs the people of what God desires and demands. the first thing is that they rest before the go forward.

Exodus 35:1–3 ESV

Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Exodus 35:1-3

The importance of the a Sabbath is emphasized in 35:1–3 as God’s people are readying to begin working on the tabernacle. Moses informs the people of what God desires and demands. the first thing is that they rest before the go forward.

The first thing we find in verses 1 through 3 is we are instructed for rest. We are told that God has said you can work 6 days, but on that 7th. you need to take time off. You need to rest. Which means that all profit that we are to produce should happen in 6 days. And there's really plenty of time for that. If we continue though to not observe the sabbath, we don't profit from it but we really destroy ourselves. Ultimately God says people will be destroyed for this. And right now some of you are weary from this last week. Your bones are tired. Even your tired is tired. And you're right now thinking you just need some rest. Some of you have already planned your post Church afternoon nap. And that's okay. That's a good thing. Praise God for afternoon naps.

Honestly, we need rest because we are not physically immortal. Nor are we machines. We need rest because our bodies break down. We need rest so that way we're emotionally strong. We need rest for our Mental Health. When we are not getting proper rest we become sick physically, we struggle emotionally, and we suffer mentally.

We don't give enough credibility to the ideal that we need rest and that we aren't invincible. And sometimes we foolishly press on thinking it'll be okay because I'm getting ahead now. But when you're destroying one of the facets of your health be emotional spiritual physical mental, what have you dash it's not really profiting. You're not getting ahead if you have to be hospitalized. you're not going the right direction if you're becoming unhealthy emotionally. you're not getting ahead if you're sucking the all goodness out of one part of your life just add a little bit of goodness to another part. and often we think more about what we can physically gain in this realm. We look about if we can buy that, or obtain this, or earn this. So often we think in regards to what money can buy. and yet most everybody is aware that the Love of Money is the root of all evil. But we don't consider it love of money. That constant desire to have and to need something or some amount of money. We don't see that as the Love of Money.

Nevertheless we need the Sabbath. That's solemn rest. And we need that time with God.

As israel sets to work to construct the tabernacle, the people of God are fulfilling one of the main reasons for their redemption: to worship God in the wilderness. They are resting but for they make a great investment.

By resting we can go further. By resting we can make the next mile. By resting we can reach that next goal. Think of it this way. For a long time people would plant crops year after year and leave all the nutrients out of the soil. It wasn't until people started to let the land rest and then plant in other things like peanuts that we begin to restore and renew that Earth's that way it would be usable and fertile again. If you and I don't rest were not usable and we can't reproduce the goodness of God and make Disciples.

The importance of the a Sabbath is emphasized in 35:1–3 as God’s people are readying to begin working on the tabernacle. Moses informs the people of what God desires and demands. the first thing is that they rest before the go forward.

The importance of the a Sabbath is emphasized in 35:1–3 as God’s people are readying to begin working on the tabernacle. Moses informs the people of what God desires and demands. the first thing is that they rest before the go forward.

.Moses informs the people that this is what God desires and demands.

We Must Contribute To Go Forward.

Exodus 35:4–29 ESV

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.” Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

The 2nd thing we may need to understand is that We Must Contribute to Go Forward. Nothing is free. Especially anything worthwhile. And part of Gods plan is that we contribute. Israel is being instructed That if they have a glad heart to give. Then if they choose to give they are to get. And that's the truth about giving a church. Although we are instructed to, if you just flat don't want to do it - then we don't want you to. You're not supposed to give because you have to. You're supposed to give because you want to. Because you want to contribute to what God is doing to change lies. You want it give because you want to say thanks for what God has done for you. You want to give so that way there is the ability to minister to others and love them like Jesus loves us. That's why we give. But you know what's really funny about this portion about giving. We're not giving our money. We're not giving our wares. We're giving God His finances back.

The 2nd thing we may need to understand is that We Must Contribute to Go Forward. Nothing is free. Especially anything worthwhile. And part of Gods plan is that we contribute. Israel is being instructed That if they have a glad heart to give. Then if they choose to give they are to get. And that's the truth about giving a church. Although we are instructed to, if you just flat don't want to do it - then we don't want you to. You're not supposed to give because you have to. You're supposed to give because you want to. Because you want to contribute to what God is doing to change lies. You want it give because you want to say thanks for what God has done for you. You want to give so that way there is the ability to minister to others and love them like Jesus loves us. That's why we give. But you know what's really funny about this portion about giving. We're not giving our money. We're not giving our Wares. We're giving God his finacnes back..

Exodus 35:5 ESV

Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

So whoever is generous and heart. Whoever chooses to give. They are to bring the Lord's contribution. We often work and think when that paycheck is done. That is all our money. But really a hundred percent of that was granted to us by God. He gave us the job in the hill and the ability to earn it. And then when we are to return 10% to him. Well, we can get a little bent out of shape. He is worthy of a hundred percent of it. But he only has commanded a 10th be returned. And so we read here that this is his. It's a really good deal for us that we get 90% of something that's a hundred percent of somebody else's. And there's no other investment in life that I know of where you get such a good return. But the contributions that we are making our for not only our sake, but even the sake of future Generations. And they're an investment in worship. Their investment with a relationship with God.

the stipulation though is that you must be generous and heart. Not that you just cut a check. But it be your desire. That you want to be part of what God is doing. Let me ask you this question and it may kind of hurt you deep down inside. Do you really want to be part of what God is doing? If your answer is no, then please don't give a participated. because honestly you won't be happy and you will make other people miserable too. But if your answer is yes, you want to be part of what God is doing. Then invest in what he's doing. Invest yourself and also that but he has blessed you with.

The funny thing about giving is it often the kind of gift or offering that people give it's not so good. Think about it. What kind of gift are offering is it when we contribute junk, bunk, at things that smell like skunk?

Often people give cast off and maybe if you're lucky excess. What does that say about our understanding about our relationship with God? What does that say about our value of our relationship with God? How does that show others how we feel about the Lord and the Salvation that he bought for us to the blood of his son Jesus Christ?

Exodus

We Must Build As We Go Forward

Exodus 35:30–35 ESV

Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

In our final portion of our passage this morning, we see how God supernaturally gifted and equipped those who have believe in him and are carrying out his plan. He inspires not only their craftsmanship, but their ability to teach others. And they have the ability to do a multitude of works as they prepare to go forward. As they prepare to be ready to build the Tabernacle and disciple others. And that's when things we have to do. As Christ lives in us, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit and His power, we must then go forward in faith. We must share what we know with other people and bring another generation in to do the work of the Lord. We are now living Tabernacles with the spirit resides in. So what were the bill is not a building. It's not some kind of edifice. We are to build the church and to build in the life of other believers. We are to build faith in those who have not yet learned to trust Christ. And there is a lot of people we get to reach and Love Like Jesus loves us.

God is Not Just equipping these people so that we pretty things could be made. He was equipping them so worship to be carried out. God would be honored not just through the corporate worship that would happen in the future, but by people Faithfully following him in using their gifts.. And that sometimes a problem for us in this modern day. We don't mind gathering for church. But in the days and the hours were not inside of a worship center, inside of a building, we're not always using our gifts in ways that honor and glorify God. We don't always use our gifts as ways to witness to the world and disciple others.