EXODUS 31


1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying,

2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

Bezaleel - called by name = shadow of Ail, son of Light (Uri), son of White (Hur), filled with the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge (lsa 11:1-5, 1sa.50:4,5, Pslm 40.6, Lk.2..40,52, Jhnl.I.l4,33, Jhn. 7.16, Jhn 8.28). *



3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Bezaleel is in type (the Christ, Yahweh's skilled artificer in the work to be done in building the tabernacle, mishkan dwelling place of the Father, the multitudinous Christ body of which he is the glorious prototype. Jesus or Yahoshua, was not the Deity but the shadow of Deity, the Deity manifest in flesh through the Word Logos. He was the great light and his spiritual garments white as snow (Heb 1:3), without sin, of the royal tribe of Judah (praise).*



Filled with the spirit of Elohim

His construction of the tabernacle "made with hands," prefigured the work of the apostles drawing many into the spiritual tabernacle (John 17:14,20-21). Likewise the apostles were endowed with the Holy Spirit for that purpose (Acts 2:4; 4:8), and thus were equipped for the work before them (Acts 4:12-13).

Bezaleel was endowed in a practical manner. Wisdom gave him the ability to grasp what was required; understanding enabled him to apply his wisdom; his knowledge stemmed from his experience and acquaintance with facts; whilst the quality of his workmanship demonstrated that he could put the theory of construction into practical application.

He typed those who 

"study to shew themselves approved unto God, workmen who have no need of shame, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Tim. 2:15).

The Christadelphian Expositor



4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

To devise cunning works in Gold, Silver and brass. These three elements speak of God manifestation (tried and perfected faith) through redemption (atonement), in sins flesh (brass), Out of these three elements is built a son of God. fiery trial, purifying, moulding, hammering, beating into the divine likeness:

"Through much tribulation shall we enter the Kingdom of God." (Acts 14.22,Rev.7.l4). *



5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Stones for beauty and light.


Similar principles are seen in the cutting-of stones (gems) (for the breastplate), and carving of timber. Nothing is acceptable as unchanged, un-metamorphosed raw material.

"Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." 

says Paul, and not conformed to this degenerate corrupt and godless world. These are Yahweh's jewels that spake often to one another (Ma1.3.16, 17), that reflect and refract the beauty of Yahweh's character in their thoughts, speech and way of life, not grovelling in the lusts and desires of the flesh, not cutting off their neighbour for upholding divine truth in its purity. This is corrupt. *



6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

Aholiab. = tent of covering of the Father, son of Ahisamach - brother, support. "I have given with him." This phrase conveys so much. Christ is not alone, he is only complete with his Bride, whom the Father hath given him. The. true Bride is "with him", that is in fellowship "with him," as a brother, as a tent of God manifestation or dwelling place of the Father. Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, 'and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev.3.20. Here is an intimate union between Bezaleel and AhoIiab in the work of building the holy people, the Israel of God, the tabernacle of Yahweh.

If we experience enmity and persecution for our stand, then rejoice (Mtt.5 10-13), "for so persecuted they the prophets. YE are the salt of the earth." Aholiab was of the tribe of Dan = judgment.

'and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom'. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" John sees a numberless multitude in Re .7.9, all clothed in white with the palms of victory. Such are the sealed sons of Israel who have gotten the victory over the beast and his Image, and now rejoice, a great cloud of witnesses of whom this world is not worthy, who lived not their Lives unto death.

Such, in their probation, faithfully laboured to build and preserve the tabernacle of the testimony, according to the pattern thereof, and had the spiritual perception or wisdom to do this. Their hearts were filled with the wisdom of Yahweh; the wisdom which is from above, first pure and then peaceĀ­able, not that from beneath earthy, sensual and devilish (Jms.3.15-17). *



11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

Christ is the true tabernacle made without hands so that all these elements. and holy courts are an enigmatical representation of love, faith, hope and fellowship in Christ unmarred by heresy and apostasy, the divine tabernacle dwelling amongst men (Jhn.17, Rev.11.19).

Insignificant in the wilderness now, but then in the future, their glory in Jerusalem, and filling the Whole earth amidst thunders and lightnings, storms, and voices, earthquakes and great hail, such as will cause this earth to tremble and which will humble down into the dust the lofty looks of man (Isa.2, Hbk.3).

The Sanballats and Tobiahs of this world may laugh and mock, but what they have over-looked is that God shall.have them in derision and shall laugh at them when he setteth his Son on his Holy Hill of Zion, and shall dash them to pieces as a potter's vessel and rule them with a rod of iron (Pslm.2).

The work of Bezaleel and Aholiab and all the willing hearted is described in Ex. 36-39, and the official appointment of the principals Ex.35.30-35. v.12-17. *



12 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying,

Keep the Sabbath


13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you.

Acceptable keeping of the Sabbath involved the exercise of mental discernment in relation to God. It required the mind to be fixed on Him in a special manner, as expressed in the message by Isaiah,

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth" (Isa. 58:13).

The reverse attitude is deprecated in those who said,

 "Behold, what a weariness is it! ....

When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this?" 

(Mal. 1:13; Amos 8:5).

Even the eunuchs were commended who 

"keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant" 

(Isa. 56:4). 

Nothing better could be conceived -- nothing more suited to man's spiritual requirements -- than this compulsory suspension of secular activity once in seven days, and this overt concentration of the mind, in a special manner, on the Creator who in all natural life is out of sight, and therefore liable to drop out of mind.

Law of Moses Ch 5.



14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

THE SABBATH


The lessons of the Daily Offerings were fundamental, and each day's routine ritual bore unfailing witness to them; but they needed repeated reiteration in arresting form. The Law made this possible by its special days and festal periods. The first of these - in fact the

prototype of all the others - was the Sabbath.

"...We note the nature of the sign: it brought home to Israel that it was God who had made them what they were -

"I am the Lord that doth sanctify you".

Neglect to observe the Sabbath amounted therefore to contempt of His saving work on their behalf, and a wilful disregard of the reason for it, namely, that they should be holy to Him.

"Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you".

To act as though the day was not holy to them would be to do despite to their calling-would be equivalent to a repudiation both of the privilege of membership of the Covenant People and of the unparalleled responsibility which went with it. So the Law was uncompromising: as men treated God so He would treat them.

"Everyone that defileth it shall be put to death."

That is, those who by their attitude and actions treated their Covenant status as of little worth would forfeit it by death.

...The day was of such outstanding importance because it so concisely symbolized both the character and the ultimate end of God's purpose with Israel. It bore expressive witness as

"the sabbath of rest"

that He had redeemed them with the aim of giving them rest from sin's bondage, repose after the toil of mortality. He who had done this for them, who thus showed them special favour, and associated His Name with theirs, was none other than the eternal Creator, the sovereign Lord of the entire universe, who Himself 

"in six days made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day rested, and was refreshed" 

(Exod. 31 : 14-17).

But by one man sin had entered into the world, serving both to disturb God's Rest, and to bring man into subjection to its evil power. Forthwith God had set in operation His redeeming purpose, working anew in order to deliver man from his helpless bondage to sin, and thereby restore that Rest which sin had so rudely and tragically broken.

So God's work with Israel was an expressive guarantee of the eventual triumphant consummation of that purpose, and as such "a sign" of the most momentous import. Contempt for the sign was thus equivalent to contempt for the purpose of universal redemption to which it bore witness, and for the privileges which Israel enjoyed as the firstborn nation.

For that reason the attitude of the man who died for wilful refusal to honour the Sabbath was basicallv the same as that of all those who failed to enter the Rest of Canaan when they were bidden to go in, and who in consequence of disobedience were debarred from entering, God swearing to them in His wrath that they should not enter into His Rest (Psa. 95 : I I; cf. Heb. 3: I I, 18).

The Sabbath, therefore, was pre-eminently Israel's day.

"Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day" (Deut. 5 : 15).

Law and Grace Ch 10



15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to Yahweh: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.



16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

The Sabbath.


It was a holy day dedicated to Yahweh and not the works of the flesh (servile labour). Violation or breach of the sabbath was a serious offence to be punished with death in the case of defilement, or cutting off (excommunication) in the case of servile work (Nu. 15. 31-36), because it was an act of rebellion against Yahweh. In the case of Numbers 15 the penalty for violation of the sabbath was death.

It was to be a perpetual sign to all generations, a covenant, and a delight - or should have been (Is.58.l3,14). It was a day of rest from sin's service, and pointed forward to the true sabbath 1000 years of rest from the works of sin in the Kingdom Age (Heb.4. 11). Apostate rebellious Israel did not enter "the rest" under Joshua, the word not being mixed with faith (Hb.3.18,19, Hab 4.2, 8).

In the meanwhile as Paul brings out to the true Israelite every day should be a sabbath of rest from the works of sin (Hb. 4.7-11).

"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, 

lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

It was the hallmark of Israel as a holy and separate (sanctified) nation to Yahweh, which he had formed. bringing them out of the darkness of Egypt, to be a Kingdom of Priests (Melek Kohanim) (Ex..19:6).

"And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests, and an holy nation." 

When the Sabbath law broke down or was not observed this was an indication of the apostate state of the nation.

Both Jeremiah and Nehemiah had warned Israel to cease from profaning the sabbath which was being used as a trading day for commerce like any other day by the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jer.17.20-27, Neh. 13.15-22). Christ taught the true meaning of the sabbath which was anathema to the Pharisees. The gates of Zion shall be closed to all but the righteous (Pslm.24). *

* Bro Richard Lister

The Apocalyptic Messenger, Aug 2016

thomas.lister1@btinternet.com



17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in 6 days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the 7th day he rested, and was refreshed.

Either the Lord in some sense made heaven and earth in six days, or the Bible is a human and fabulous writing. It is impossible that the intellect can receive the second of these alternatives when all the facts in the case are fully marshalled. With Christ at our right hand, we are bound to come to Genesis with the conviction that it is true, and that its statements must therefore be capable of harmonization with all other truth.

...We have therefore, to accept, without reserve, the statement of the Fourth Commandment that the Sabbath primarily originated in the extraordinary fact that

"in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed"

... The angels, as the instruments and users of the energy employed in the work, are not to be thought of as inexhaustible Deity.

Their power, though inconceivably higher than human, must be subject to a limitation unknown to

"the Creator of the ends of the earth, who fainteth not, neither is weary".

It is not, therefore, an inconceivable or anomalous idea that after the stupendous power put forth in the re-organization of this sublunary creation in six days, the Elohim should have welcomed the suspension of creative work on the seventh day, as affording an opportunity of replenishing spent energy by re-absorption from the Eternal Fountain.

...Man's work during the six days of the week is nothing to the work performed during the six days of creative work; but in relation to the strength of man, it is as great as the six days' creative work in relation to the strength of the angels. There is, therefore, a fitness in ordaining the Sabbath law on such a ground.

Law of Moses Ch 5