Stop passing the plate!
Exodus 36:1-7
Exodus 36
2 ¶ Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.
3 And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.
4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing,
5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.”
6 ¶ So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing,
7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.
I guess the Hebrews were just really, really thankful that God forgave them for that calf incident back in Exodus 32 (see notes). When the workmen get started on the Tabernacle, the people willingly bring more offerings than can be used. Moses has to command the people to stop bringing their offerings. Construction has begun. Now we’re going to see the execution in the next three chapters of the specifications God had given Moses concerning the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle and the Tent
Exodus 36:8-38
Exodus 36
9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the curtains were all the same size.
10 And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.
11 He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set; likewise he did on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set.
12 Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain on the end of the second set; the loops held one curtain to another.
13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle.
14 ¶ He made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.
15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were the same size.
16 He coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain of the second set.
18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19 Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins above that.
20 ¶ For the tabernacle he made boards of acacia wood, standing upright.
21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board a cubit and a half.
22 Each board had two tenons for binding one to another. Thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23 And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side.
24 Forty sockets of silver he made to go under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons.
25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards
26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards.
27 For the west side of the tabernacle he made six boards.
28 He also made two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle.
29 And they were coupled at the bottom and coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus he made both of them for the two corners.
30 So there were eight boards and their sockets—sixteen sockets of silver—two sockets under each of the boards.
31 ¶ And he made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle,
32 five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle on the far side westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from one end to the other.
34 He overlaid the boards with gold, made their rings of gold to be holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 ¶ And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim.
36 He made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
37 ¶ He also made a screen for the tabernacle door, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver,
38 and its five pillars with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.
In these 31 verses we see the description of the Tabernacle itself before we take a look at the vessels within. Notice the bright colors used for the tent and the exact specifications from which they worked. This section repeats the instructions of Exodus 26:1-37. If you need a refresher, see the summaries on Exodus 25-27 (see notes).
Following are the verses dealing with the details describing workmanship of the tent itself:
- The Linen Curtains (Exodus 36:8-13)
- The Goats’ Hair Curtains (Exodus 36:14-18)
- The Ram Skin Coverings (Exodus 36:19)
- The Posts/Frames (Exodus 36:20-34)
- The Inner Curtain (Exodus 36:35-38)
How can so much go wrong so suddenly?
Job 1:13-22
Job 1:13-22
14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
The Sabeans, it is believed, were the descendants of Seba (Genesis 10:7). They attacked, followed by a fire (perhaps a lightning storm), followed by an attack by another nomadic tribe, the Chaldeans, followed by a tornado. When the smoke clears, Job’s wealth and family are wiped out. What a day! Oh! He did manage to keep his wife through all the tragedy; she’ll come in really handy in verse 2:9 (see below); you may want to read that verse RIGHT NOW!. Pay close attention to Job 1:22, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” What Job experienced is classic trial – extreme, but classic. He was not being punished for sin, but God was allowing him to be tempted/tried by Satan. This principle of trial is clearly seen in the New Testament. Trial differs from chastisement in that chastisement comes from God, while trial comes from Satan. Chastisement is for the purpose of correcting disobedience in Believers, while trial is for the purpose of making the faith of Believers stronger.
You might be saying, “That’s scary…Satan can do that?” Read the following two articles to gain perspective on trial and chastisement.
But Satan is not satisfied
Job 2:1-8
Job 2:1-8
“From where do you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.”
5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
Here’s the deal. Satan’s severe attack didn’t work. Look at God’s commendation of Job on Satan’s second visit in verse 3, “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.'” So, Satan wants another shot at Job, and God grants it – short of death. Result: head-to-toe boils.
Notice that in the first round, Satan was not permitted to harm Job’s body (Job 1:12, see above); Satan thinks that’s the only reason Job endured. He challenges that, for fear of life, Job “will curse thee to thy face” (Job 2:5). Therefore, in this second round, Satan is allowed to do anything short of killing Job. Oh…by the way…Job still doesn’t lose his wife; Satan has a special mission for her in verse 2:9.
Enter: the comfort gang!
Job 2:9-13
Job 2:9-13
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.
12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.
13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
Remember from verse 2:5 what is Satan’s goal? It is to prove to God that he can get Job to curse God to his face. Well…first up is Job’s wife. Her solution right out of the starting gate to Job’s tough circumstances is simple – “curse God, and die” – exactly what Satan is looking for Job to do according to Job 2:5 (see above). What a woman! Some have suggested that I’m just too hard on Job’s nameless wife. To that I reply…naaaaaa. Then three of Job’s friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite show up together and sit with Job seven days on the ground without saying a word to him. This act alone seems to show compassion on their part, but their counseling, as we will see, is severely flawed…but not as flawed as that of Job’s wife (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
Job’s pity-me speech #1
Job 3
Job 3
2 And Job spoke, and said:
3 “May the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
‘A male child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it,
Nor the light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not rejoice among the days of the year,
May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for light, but have none,
And not see the dawning of the day;
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth?
Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
12 Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been asleep;
Then I would have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver;
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
Like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together;
They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job’s a little short on answers, so he does his Jimmy Stewart impression (you remember that black and white Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”). He starts out with, “It would have been better if I had never been born.” Actually, Job’s exact words in verse 3 are, “May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.'” You know, this story is only amusing because we’ve read the end of the book. Imagine this righteous man’s grief when his whole life is upended, and he has no answers. There’s a serious, valuable lesson to be learned from the Book of Job, and it’s a lesson for any of us who find ourselves in a position like Job’s friends. Don’t counsel friends with your hunches, guesses or rationales. Counsel should be oozing with wisdom – God’s wisdom – scripturally-validated wisdom. When it isn’t, it becomes part of the problem rather than the solution. You’ll see what I mean when we hear the reply of Job’s misguided friends beginning in chapter 4 (see below).
HERE’S THE LESSON OF CHAPTER 3: Job is clueless about the source of his problems, yet he did not curse God. When undergoing trial, it is natural to question, “Why me?” Contrary to the counsel of Job’s wife, we’ll see at the end of the Book of Job that he retains his integrity by NOT cursing God. Here it is in a nutshell: Always assume that God is in control of your circumstances.
Job was wrong, but so was Eliphaz
Job 4
Job 3
2 “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Surely you have instructed many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you have strengthened the feeble knees;
5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Is not your reverence your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
8 Even as I have seen,
Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.
16 It stood still,
But I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice saying:
17 “Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If He puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
20 They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’
Job expressed his grief in the preceding chapter like we probably would have under the same circumstances – with great emotion and not much fact. His doomsday monologue of chapter 3 is typical for those who find themselves in the midst of dire circumstances. Wouldn’t it be nice to get some rational, factual counsel at a time like this? Well, he’s not going to get it from Eliphaz. Please understand, Eliphaz waxes eloquent with a monologue speckled with truth, but it’s not all truth. That’s really the case today, isn’t it. Many people express themselves with just enough truth to cause you to trust them, but their overall message is riddled with error. Eliphaz characterizes God, but incorrectly so. For instance, look at verse 7 when he says, “…who ever perished, being innocent?” He wants to suggest that Job MUST be guilty of something to have all of this evil befall him. He goes on in verse 10 to suggest that all mortals are guilty of something before God; thus, the reason for punishment. Eliphaz is just determined to prove that Job’s situation is a punishment for sin. And how did Eliphaz come by this knowledge? Look at verses 12-16 – a vision! That’s right, a vision from God! At least that’s what he claimed. But wait! We already know that this is not why these things are happening to Job; so what’s the deal with the vision in the night? May I suggest to you that you should beware of doctrine derived from visions – especially someone else’s vision. Just stick to doctrine that can be derived from the principles of God’s Word.
Ol’ Eliphaz just can’t stop talking
Job 5
Job 5
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
4 His sons are far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
Taking it even from the thorns,
And a snare snatches their substance.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is born to trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
10 He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
11 He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
15 But He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
20 In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25 You shall also know that your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring like the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
27 Behold, this we have searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Several years ago I memorized 5:7. I just like the way it sounds, “Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.” Taken out of context, it’s true – taking it to mean that everybody will experience trouble in this life. In context, however, we have a different story. Verse 17 demonstrates that Eliphaz is convinced Job is being chastised. He seems to be suggesting that because no mortal is perfect before God, it is only natural that he will experience the chastening hand of God for his sin. While God does chastise Believers according to Hebrews 12:6-8 (see notes), all adversity is not chastisement as he suggests here, and we know this is not the source of Job’s adversity in this situation. Note that even Paul quotes a true statement of Eliphaz in I Corinthians 3:19 (see notes) found here in verse 13. As I said, some of what Eliphaz said was true, but not all of it. Then he goes into the it’s-going-to-get-better part of his monologue. Now, in fact, it does get better, but there is no way Eliphaz can know that – especially since his whole supposition is incorrect in the first place. It’s just the cheer-up-Job part, not really based on any facts of which he was aware. People do that, you know.