We have pointed out that many Christians do not have anything of Christ to offer. But even if we do have Christ in many aspects as the materials, that is not yet the building. In order to have the building, we need not only the materials but also the skillful workers. Therefore, the next matter to be covered in these chapters is the preparing of the workers, the preparing of the gifted ones to function (35:10, 30-35; 36:1-2; 38:22-23).
According to Exodus 35, the two leading workmen were Bezalel and Oholiab (vv. 30, 34). Bezalel was of the tribe of Judah, a kingly tribe, and Oholiab was of the tribe of Dan, a lowly tribe. This indicates that God does not care about our human estate, whether we are high or low. For the work of building His dwelling place, He can raise up one from a kingly tribe and also one from a lowly tribe.
Exodus 35:21 says, “And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whose spirit made him willing.” Literally, the Hebrew word rendered “stirred” here means lifted. I prefer to use the word “lifted” in this verse. We need to have a heart that always lifts us up. We need an upward heart, not a downward heart. Many times I have been told that a certain brother or sister is discouraged, disappointed, or disheartened. Whenever we are disheartened, we are through with the work of God’s building. We constantly need an uplifted heart, even an uplifting heart, a heart that lifts us up. Every one of us needs such an uplifted heart. If we do not have this kind of heart, who then would be able to help us?
Concerning Bezalel, verse 31 says, “And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all workmanship.” This indicates that even if we are a Bezalel or an Oholiab, we still need the Spirit of God. For the building up of the tabernacle, a material dwelling place for God, there was the need for the Spirit of God. How much more is this true concerning the church today!
God filled with the Spirit those whose hearts lifted them up. By filling them with the Spirit, God gave them wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill. This is a picture of what we need today. For the building up of the church we need brothers and sisters whose hearts lift them up and who are filled with the Spirit of God to have wisdom and knowledge. In order to be an elder, a co-worker, or one who shares in the building up of the church, we need wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill.
After we have some experience of Christ as the materials to be offered to God for His building, there is still the need for us to carry out the work of building. For this, there is the need of many workers. All these workers should have an uplifted heart so that God may come in to fill them with the Spirit. According to the record here, we must first have a heart that lifts us up. Then God will come in to fill us with the Spirit as our wisdom, understanding, knowledge, skill, and craftsmanship.
Now we come to the actual making of the tabernacle and its furniture (36:8—38:20). The sequence of the making of the tabernacle and its furniture is different from the sequence of the revelation. According to the sequence of the revelation, we first have the ark and then the tabernacle, the showbread table, the lampstand, the bronze altar, and the holy garments of the priests. This revelation is according to God’s desire, according to what He wants. What God wants first is the ark of testimony. Everything revealed concerning the tabernacle and its furniture is according to the desire of God’s heart. But the sequence of making the tabernacle and its furniture is according to the practical need. For this reason, the first item to be made was the tabernacle, and then the furniture was made as the content of the tabernacle.
Let us consider briefly the sequence in the making of the tabernacle and its furniture. First the curtains and the coverings of the tabernacle were made (36:8-19) and then the boards (36:20-34). Thus, the first two items made were the roof and the walls. Next we have the inner veil and the door curtain of the tabernacle (36:35-38). With these items the tabernacle itself was completed. Then we have the contents of the tabernacle: the ark of the testimony (37:1-9), the table of the bread of the Presence (37:10-16), the golden lampstand (37:17-24), and the altar of incense (37:25-28). When we have the ark, the table, and the lampstand, we are qualified to be at the altar of incense to carry out the interceding work with Christ. After the altar of incense, we have the holy anointing oil and the pure incense (37:29), the altar of burnt offering (38:1-7), and the laver of bronze (38:8). Last we have the court of the tabernacle (38:9-20).
In 38:21-31 we have the counting of the offered materials. The fact that the materials were counted indicates that everything was carried out in an orderly way. By this Moses and the leading ones knew definitely how much gold, silver, and bronze had been offered. Moses charged the priests to count what had been offered. First, according to 38:21, the material was counted by the priests for the service of the Levites. This signifies that all the offerings should first be considered by the leading ones for the church service. For this service, we need a proper counting and record. Next the gold was counted, twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels. The gold was for the interior decoration of the tabernacle and the furniture within the tabernacle (38:24). For example, the ark and the table were overlaid with gold, and the lampstand was made entirely of gold. In 38:25-28 we have the counting of the silver, one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, paid for the propitiation by those numbered from twenty years old and upward, for the sockets and pillars of the tabernacle. Finally, in 38:29-31, we have the counting of the bronze, seventy talents and twenty-four hundred shekels for the sockets of the door of the tabernacle, the bronze altar, the sockets of the court of the tabernacle and its door, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and its court. Here there is no mention of the bronze used in making the laver because that bronze came from the looking glasses of women who loved the Lord.
In 39:1-31 we have the making of the garments for the priests. In 39:2-7 we have the making of the ephod, the central item of the holy garments. Following that we have the breastplate (39:8-21) and the robe of the ephod (vv. 22-26). The ephod was like a vest, rather than like a robe. The long robe of the ephod was worn underneath the ephod. After the making of the outer robe, we have the making of the inner tunics, which were worn inside the robe. Then we have the turban for the high priest, the turbans for the priests, and the breeches and girdles for both the high priest and the priests. Finally, we have the making of the plate of the holy crown to be worn by the high priest (vv. 30-31), a plate that was inscribed with the words “Holy unto Jehovah.”
At the end of chapter thirty-nine, the work was completed, and everything was presented to Moses for his examination. Moses was happy and blessed everything that had been made. This indicates that after everything was finished, the blessing came down. I hope this will be the situation concerning the building up of the church among us. I hope that one day we shall present everything to the Lord, today’s Moses, and that He will be happy and grant us His blessing.