Originally posted: 03/25/2019
Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do,” (35:1).
Moses, God’s spokesman, gathers the people to deliver this message; and there are explicit Things the LORD Has Commanded them to do.
Consider the Things He Has Commanded
1). The Thing He Has Commanded: there shall be a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD:
Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them,”These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord,” (35:1-2).
2). The Thing He Has Commanded: take a contribution to the LORD:
Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord;” (35:4-5).
Consider the glaring distinction between these two Things He Has Commanded:
- This first Thing He Has Commanded is not an option; in fact, the consequences are deadly for all who refuse to obey.
- Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death ,“ (35:1-2 emphasis added).
- The second Thing He Has Commanded is to be fulfilled by only those of a willing heart.
- Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution… 20 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence. 21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. 22 Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought… (35:4-5, 20-22 emphasis added).
3). The Thing He Has Commanded: make all that the Lord Has Commanded:
“‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle,… 12 the ark… the mercy seat… 13 the table,… 14 the lampstand… 15 the altar of incense…16 the altar of burnt offering…17 the hangings of the court,… 19 the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests,’” (35:10-19).
- The Things He Has Commanded would be fulfilled only through His Provision.
- Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel… 31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; 32 to make designs… 33 and in the cutting of stones… the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34 He also has put in his heart to teach… 35 He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer… and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs,” (35:30-35 emphasis added).
How do we respond to the Things He Has Commanded?
- First things first. He Has Commanded that we rest in Him, by faith, as our only hope for eternity. Refusing to rest in Holy God for our salvation and relying on our own works and efforts to earn salvation will end in a mandatory death sentence; this is the just payment of our sin. Oh, let us trust Christ Jesus and rest in His gift of salvation.
- But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, (Romans 4:5).
- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).
- He Has Commanded His children to be about their Father’s business, but He will not force us to contribute to His work. This is our choice, to join Him or not. How can we hold anything back from Him Who gave Himself for us?
- We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, (1 John 3:16).
By faith, we rest in Him alone for His gift of our salvation and sanctification; this is the work that only He can do.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast, (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- He Has Commanded the gospel to go forth and His church be built; and He alone gives us all we need to complete His work.
- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).
- For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (Ephesians 2:10).
- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
When we are saved through faith, we receive His authority from the Holy Spirit, and are created in Christ Jesus for the good works He has prepared for us to do. And this time, we definitely want to emulate the Israelites in the wilderness.
Oh, let us walk in His good works that we would willingly offer our freewill offerings with gratitude, for He has given us the amazing honor of joining Him in the Things He Has Commanded.
The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord, (35:29).