Exodus 35
Israel to reconcile with God every week
Then Moses gathered all the Israelites and told them what the Existing One had ordered them to do:
“You may work for 6 days, but the 7th day needs to be set apart as a sabbatical where you reconcile with the Existing One. Whoever does any work on that day should be executed. You shouldn’t even light a fire in any of your homes on those sabbatical days.”
Israel supplies the materials for building God’s house
Moses continued,
“Collect contributions for the Existing One. Whoever has a willing heart should make a contribution. You can bring gold, silver, and bronze, or blue, purple, and scarlet material, or fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, leather skins, acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for anointing oil / fragrant incense, onyx stones, or jewels for the priest’s cape and chestpiece.
“Our most creative people should make everything the Existing One has ordered, including:
• God’s dwelling place along with its tent, covering, hooks, boards, bars, pillars, and sockets
• The chest along with its poles, accessories, and the bread that will be in God’s presence
• The lampstand along with its accessories, its lights, and its lighting oil
• The incense altar along with its poles, consecrating oil, and fragrant incense
• The screen for the doorway at the structure’s entrance
• The altar for roasted offerings along with its bronze grating, its poles, its accessories, and the basin with the basin stand
• The courtyard’s curtains along with their pillars, sockets, and screen for the courtyard’s gate
• The structure’s pegs and the courtyard’s pegs
• The woven clothes for Aaron (the priest) and his sons to serve as priests.”
Then the Israelites were dismissed. Everyone who felt stirred in their heart and propelled by their spirit contributed to the construction of the Existing One’s home and all the sacred garments. Everyone who was inclined by their heart (both men and women) donated their golden rings, bracelets, and necklaces and presented them to the Existing One. Everyone who had the specified materials donated them. Everyone who could contribute silver or bronze did so. Everyone who had acacia wood donated it. All the creative women spun with their hands and donated the materials made of fine linen, goats’ hair, and blue, purple, and scarlet materials. The leaders donated their onyx stones and jewels for the priest’s cape and chestpiece. They also donated the spices for the lighting oil, consecrating oil, and fragrant incense. All the Israelite men and women produced the materials the Existing One had requested and voluntarily donated them to the Existing One.
God filled Israel with his spirit of creativity to build God’s home
Then Moses said,
“The Existing One called Bezalel by name (Uri’s son / Hur’s grandson from the tribe of Judah). God has filled Bazalel with his Spirit to give him the skill, intelligence, and knowledge needed to craft these things. He can work with gold, silver, and bronze. He can cut and set stones. And he can carve wood. He can perform every creative task. God has also filled his heart with the desire to teach others. God also mentioned Oholiab (Ahisamach’s son from the tribe of Dan). God has filled their hearts with the ability to engrave, design, embroider, and weave so they can carry out all this creative work.”
Related Article: We Supply the Material; God Supplies the Ability