Exodus Chapter 35, Verses 1-35

:1 “And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them. 2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.” 

This chapter begins with Moses gathering together the congregation and telling them the words which the LORD had commanded.  This pertained to the Sabbath day.  The children of Israel were to work six days and then rest on the Sabbath as that was a holy day.  They were warned that if anyone worked on the Sabbath day that they were to be put to death.  Moreover, that including kindling fire upon the Sabbath day.   

:4 “And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.”

In this passage, the children of Israel are commanded to bring the materials for the building of the tabernacle and for the materials and offerings for the priesthood.  However, this was to be done out of a willing heart.  This was not to be done out of necessity or of shame, but by those in whom God had made their hearts willing to give.  This offering was an offering to the LORD.  The LORD was the one who blessed them with the materials and now as he had tendered their heart they were to willing give an offering to the LORD for the purpose of bringing the materials needed for the tabernacle and the priesthood. 

:10 “And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering, 13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the showbread, 14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, 16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brazen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.” 

The task of making all that the LORD had instructed Moses, on his first trip up Mount Sinai, to be made was now given to the wise hearted among the children of Israel.  It is God who made them “wise hearted” and now they are to labor and make that which the LORD had instructed.   

:20 “And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. 23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. 24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.” 

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.”  The congregation departed to do what they had been told that they should do.  Now with the work before them, the children of Israel were going about with a willing heart to accomplish the considerable task that the LORD had enjoined upon them.   

“And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.” We note that it was those whose heart had stirred them up and whose spirit was made willing that brought the offering to the LORD.  Worship and service today in the New Testament church is done out of a heart and spirit that are made willing.  In the New Testament church most of the work is done by the few whose heart is willing. 

“And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.”  The people had a vision and were going about to accomplish the task according to the vision set before them.  We read in Prov. 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”  This was a happy time for the children of Israel as they had a vision and were going about laboring to accomplish the vision.  This is a great lesson for us in the New Testament Church as we should have the vision of the Lord and his church always before us and be of a willing heart and go about accomplishing the task of carrying forth the gospel of the grace of God to the Lord’s children who are laboring and heavy laden with a burden of sin guiltiness and trying to establish their own righteousness.  We have a task to let them know that Christ has already accomplished what they are not able to accomplish and that their sin is forgiven and their iniquity is pardoned.  We need this vision ever before us.   

:25 “And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. 27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.”   

Thus, through the efforts of the children of Israel whose hearts had stirred them up and whose hearts were willing made and brought all the materials which were needed for the work of building the tabernacle and its furniture and of those things needed for the priesthood and the service of the priesthood. 

:30 “And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.” 

In this passage, we see where the LORD chose and called whom he would to lead in the work of building the tabernacle, its furniture and the things needed for the priesthood.  The LORD is sovereign in whom he chooses.  Also, we see where it was the LORD who gave them the wisdom and knowledge and understanding to be able to do the work that was set before them and to teach those who were to be engaged in the work.  Moreover, the LORD put it in their hearts to teach, lead, and do the works.  Bezaleel and Aholiab of the tribe of Dan were chosen to lead in this task.  In comparison, the LORD has chosen and called men to preach, teach, and lead in the New Testament Church in worship and serving the Lord.  The Lord has both made them willing and given them the gifts of the ministry to accomplish the task set forth for them and the New Testament Church.  To God belongs all the praise.