Exodus 36:8 – 39:31

[the construction of the tabernacle]

Exodus 39:32-43

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. ³³ Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; ³⁴ the covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen; ³⁵ the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; ³⁸ the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; ⁴⁰ the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ 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. ⁴² According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. ⁴³ And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

The word “obedience” has fallen onto hard times in the popular vocabulary of Evangelical Christianity. We prefer to talk instead of “spirituality” and “victory.” “Obedience” sounds so very puritanical to us, so oppressive. Yet, I suspect Dallas Willard was correct when, in his book The Great Commission, he wrote, “The missing note in evangelical life today is not in the first instance spiritualitybut rather obedience.”[1]And I suspectJerry Bridges was correct when, in his book The Pursuit of Holiness, he wrote, “God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory.”[2]

Obedience to the Lord is so very important, whether talk of such is popular or not. This is why Exodus 36-39 is so valuable. These chapters give us an amazing picture of what obedience looks like. These chapters are dominated by a long chronicle of the construction of the tabernacle in all of its various components. At the end of Exodus 39, in verses 32-43, the people have completed their work and the scriptures comment on the reaction of Moses and, indeed, of God Himself.

True obedience is obedience defined by the will of God.

We begin by observing the standard by which obedience is defined. Who determines the line over which “disobedience” happens and behind which “obedience” happens? The language of our text is telling.

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did.

⁴² According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. ⁴³ And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

This is a text filled with telling repetitions, as we will see. For our purposes here, note the following:

• “according to all that the Lord had commanded” (v.32)
• “according to all that the Lord had commanded” (v.42)
• “as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it” (v.43)

Who establishes the line? The Lord does. “Right” and “wrong” are not defined by our whims or proclivities and wants. They are defined by the character and nature of God. Obedience is therefore always to the praise of God for it is in agreement with the heart of God. Perhaps this is why this particular text has echoes of Genesis 1-2 in it. Victor Hamilton explains:

A number of phrases in these last two chapters of Exodus recall similar phrases in the first two chapters of Genesis. Such parallels suggest some connection between God’s building his world, and Moses and the Israelites’ building the tabernacle. Here are four of those:

(1) “And God saw everything he had made, and behold it was very good” (Gen. 1: 31) with “And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD commanded, so they had done it” (Exod. 39: 43);

(2) “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished” (Gen. 2: 1) with “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished” (Exod. 39: 32);

(3) “God finished his work which he had done” (Gen. 2: 2) with “So Moses finished the work” (Exod. 40: 33);

(4) “So God blessed the seventh day” (Gen. 2: 3) with “And Moses blessed them” (Exod. 39: 43).

We might also include the extensive use of the Hebrew word for “skilled labor” (mĕlākâ) throughout chaps. 25– 31 and 36– 39 with the use of the same word in Gen. 2: 2–3 to refer to the “work” from which God rests. Similarly, one may see a connection between the use of the verb “sanctify, consecrate” (qādaš, Piel) for what Moses is to do with the tabernacle’s sancta and the priests (40:9–13), and the use of this verb, again in the Piel, for what God does with the seventh day at creation (Gen. 2: 3). Many commentators have remarked on the Exod. 39–40 parallels with Gen. 1–2…[3]

We might say, then, that obedience is convergence with the creative heart of God insofar as obedience helps to shape our lives into that which we were originally created to be. Obedience is a Genesis 1-2 reality, a creative reality, an “It is good!” reality. Conversely, sin is destructive. Sin tears down. But obedience is constructive. Obedience builds and creates and transforms.

If true obedience is defined by the will of God, that means that we must know the will of God in order to be obedient. For this reason, immersion in the word of God and frequent communion with fellow believers in worship, ministry, and mission are extremely important. The community of God’s people helps us to obey as we gather in solidarity around divine truth.

True obedience is complete obedience.

There is another telling repetition in these verses.

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did.

⁴² According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. ⁴³ And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

Observe:

• “all the work” (v.32a)
• “all that the Lord had commanded” (v.32b)
• “all that the Lord had commanded” (v.42a)
• “all the work” (v.42b)
• “all the work” (v.43a)

All…all…all…all…all!Which instructions did Israel obey? All of them. Which part of the way did Israel travel in their obedience? All of the way. What portion of their efforts did they give? They gave their all!

Too often we pacify our own consciences with the thought that, while we may have disobeyed the Lord on thispoint we at least did not disappoint Him on thatpoint. We grade ourselves on a curve and we create the curve.

However, obedience to God is less like doing an average paint job as opposed to a great paint job than it is like an average life-saving surgery as opposed to a great life-changing surgery. Much is at stake!

One wonders if our inability to be perfect becomes a bulwark behind which we attempt to shield our intentional mediocrity and apathy. But we must remember that Jesus say we “therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

The fact that we are saved by grace and not by works does not negate the need for or importance of obedience. As a child I learned to sing:

Trust and obey,

for there’s no other way,

to be happy in Jesus,

but to trust and obey.

May the “all’s” of our text be emblazoned on our hearts and minds. When we think, “How many commandments of God should I obey?” may we hear the cry of our text: “all…all…all…all…all!” And may this drive us not to despair and then to godlessness but rather to Jesus who is our all!

True obedience receives the blessing of God.

What is the result of obedience? Self-congratulatory plaudits? A trophy? Self-righteousness? No, on the contrary, it is the blessing of God Himself! God honors the obedient heart.

⁴² According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. ⁴³ And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

This blessing from Moses is truly the blessing of God for Moses was simply the instrument through which God gave His commandment. The people were therefore obeying Moses only in a penultimate sense. Ultimately, they were obeying God.

Victor Hamilton says of this blessing:

Exodus 39:43 is the only occasion in Exodus in which Moses blesses anybody. It is doubtful if Moses honors Pharaoh’s request to Moses to bless him (12: 32). What a contrast between how Moses responds to Israel in chap. 32 and at the end of chap. 39! In chap. 32 he blasts them; here he blesses them. What he sees the people have done in chap. 32 incenses him; what he sees the people have done in chap. 39 inspires him.[4]

This is a crucial and important point. See the difference in the reaction to Israel’s sin before the golden calf and the reaction to their obedience in constructing the temple. The former brings judgment and grief. The latter brings blessings and joy. We see this likewise in the New Testament’s image of God saying to His children, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant!”

Dallas Willard is correct: we do not need “spirituality,” we need obedience. Jerry Bridges is correct: we do not need “victory,” we need obedience.

We need, in other words, an Exodus 39 moment, a moment of clarity and gratitude that gives way to joyful and exhaustive obedience. When this happens, the people of God enjoy the favor of God.

Even so, the cross of Jesus Christ is there to add a most important element. There is hope even for those who have been disobedient—and does this not describe us all?—for those who have failed time and time again. The cross of Christ reminds us that God Himself has made provision, through the death of His only begotten Son, to pay the price for our disobedience so that the repentant can be forgiven, can be restored, can be brought into the life of joyful obedience for which we were originally designed. The cross reminds us that while obedience is important, our salvation hinges ultimately on the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves us and who gave Himself for us. The cross reminds us that blood has been shed to save us from the terrible consequences of our disobedience and to draw us in to the glory of God’s mercy and love.

Read Exodus 36-39.

See and learn what true obedience looks like…and obey!

Strive to obey in all things!

Do not hedge your bets!

Do not play games!

This matters!

But know, if you fall, that the Lord Jesus is here…and that He loves you…and that He came so that your fall would not destroy you…and that, through Him, you can press on again, leaving behind death-bringing sin and pressing on in the life-giving grace and mercy of the God who made you for this!

 

[1]Dallas Willard, The Great Omission (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2006), 44.

[2]Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness(Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003), 22.

[3]Hamilton, Victor P. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Kindle Locations 18993-19005). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[4]Hamilton, Victor P. Kindle Locations 19005-19008.