Exo 36:1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.

Our God doesn't command things and then leave us to figure out what He means or how to do what He commands. He gave Israel the blueprints and also gave to them different skills and wisdom to do the service of the sanctuary.

Even after God gave the law showing us what sin was and what God's standards of holiness was, He provided a perfect way for the law to be fulfilled with a perfect sacrifice for sins. Not only was that perfect sacrifice completed in all points but He also gave all who believe this, the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth and put the law of God into the hearts of those who seek Him and love Him.

We now keep God's commandments because of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We do not keep the law to obtain salvation. Salvation from sin is freely given to those who believe in the one God sent to save us. This is Jesus who fulfilled the law in every point making the way of salvation available to those that are willing to believe in Him to the point of changing or turning away from sin and turning to the Son of God, Jesus Christ for salvation.

Exo 36:2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
Exo 36:3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

See how the people at this point worked together and freely gave so that the work of the sanctuary could flow without any lack. This was great at this time. Too bad it didn't continue all through the wilderness wanderings. They would not have had to wander around for 40 years.

Our houses of worship could also be places where people that love the Lord can gather to worship with freewill offerings to keep the upkeep and provide for the pastors. When we love one another and work together, God gives us people skilled to do the work needed.

The weaknesses of the children of Israel are not written down for us to gloat and think we are superior in some way and never make the same mistakes. They are written for us to learn and take heed that we don't follow the same ways and hinder God's work by our sin. We learn from these words. The Old Testament stories of the Jewish people were never given for us to have an excuse to shun them or cast them away from our cities.

The church in the past and even some in this present day try to take the blessings given to Israel and transfer them to the church but never do you see them claim the curses given to Israel and transfer the curses to the church. Yet if the church sins as Israel sinned and they have, they would incur the same wrath as Israel received from God for their disobedience.

Here is what is written in Hebrews for us today concerning these things:

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Heb 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Heb 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Heb 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Heb 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
 

We must not be high-minded but fear.

Exo 36:4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
Exo 36:5 And they spoke unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.

This is true giving and one that pleases God. Moses never used high pressure tactics to get people to give. He never promised them that they would get rich and increased with goods. Moses never promised them a curse if they did not give these freewill offerings. When people give willingly and from their hearts, it will delight the heart of God.

We should not give because we are afraid of being cursed if we do not give or in hope that we will gain wealth. We should give because we see a need and delight in supplying that need. Giving can actually be fun.

Exo 36:6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
Exo 36:7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
Exo 36:8 And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
Exo 36:9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
Exo 36:10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
Exo 36:11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvage in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Exo 36:12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
Exo 36:13 And he made fifty tacks of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the tacks: so it became one tabernacle.
Exo 36:14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
Exo 36:15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
Exo 36:16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
Exo 36:17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
Exo 36:18 And he made fifty tacks of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
Exo 36:19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.
Exo 36:20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
Exo 36:21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
Exo 36:22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
Exo 36:23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
Exo 36:24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
Exo 36:25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
Exo 36:26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
Exo 36:27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
Exo 36:28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
Exo 36:29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
Exo 36:30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
Exo 36:31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
Exo 36:32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
Exo 36:33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
Exo 36:34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
Exo 36:35 And he made a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
Exo 36:36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
Exo 36:37 And he made a hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
Exo 36:38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.


I do notice something from these chapters concerning the tabernacle.

1. Building the tabernacle gave the people something meaningful to do while they were living in the wilderness.
2. It shows also that even though they were not in their permanent home, they still needed to worship God while they were traveling.
3. It shows also the holiness of God and that we can only get to God His way, never our own way.

 Exodus 37