The Boss Inspects the Tabernacle
Exodus 39:32-43:
32 Thus all the work of the Tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did,
33 And they brought the Tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings; . . .
34 – 41 give a description of all the things they brought to Moses right down to the garments of the priests.
42 So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
43 And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.
Thoughts on the Passage
David Guzik reminds us that Moses was the leader with the command from God and with the best knowledge of the pattern to which God wanted the Tabernacle built. So, it was right and proper for him to supervise every detail of the construction. And it was perfect. As Guzik said, “No wonder Moses blessed them.”
This raises two issues for me. First, is it true that our church leaders have “best knowledge of what God wants” for our specific local church? Regrettably, some leaders believe that to be true. Regrettably, some congregations believe their leaders have no special knowledge of what God wants. And perhaps most regrettably, some congregations have a blind trust in their leaders.
I believe our pastors and priests are human beings like the rest of us. It is God Who may call them to a much greater service and/or share His plans or desires for the local church with them. And if that is the case, the congregants that are also close to God in their own lives will be made aware of this. And such a conclusion that a particular church leader has been blessed in that way, can and should be arrived at and verified first of all by the leader’s life – his/her words and actions and deeds; second by his/her time spent with God and in His Word; third, by the fact that whatever he asks for is supported by the doctrine taught in Holy Scriptures; and finally, that it in every way, brings glory to God, and God alone. Then, and only, then does a local church leader have the right to the kind of obedience Moses God from the people – which in reality was asked for, as obedience to God; and thus, the text is quick to remind us again and again, that all was done “as God commanded.”
Matthew Henry believes it was not much more than five months from the beginning to the finishing of the Tabernacle. Not sure how he knows that at this point, but I am sure he has found other references in Scripture that talk about what month it began and when they celebrated its conclusion. Nevertheless, considering they were in the desert and the tools they had were still not very advanced, this is a remarkable feat for such an elaborate structure involving embroidery, engraving, working with gold, precious stones, etc.
There is also no mention of any striving between the works – they worked as a team, in unanimity. That certainly helped with the timeline. One wonders how much more work would be done for the Kingdom today if we worked as one body. Of course, to achieve that, we would all have to be as committed to the work; we would have to be cheerful and happy in it; we would all have to have positive personal relationships with God; we would have to be in prayer regularly individually and as a group; and, as these workers were, we would have to have our training provided by God (in our case through His Word). Then, perhaps, we would make fewer, perhaps no, mistakes.
I have watched my granddaughter compete in Dragon Boat Racing for her high school team. Last summer my three grandsons, along with my eldest daughter and her husband, participated in white-water rafting. In both these events, what was most important was that each member of the team – each rower on the dragon boat and each individual sitting at various strategic spots in the raft – followed the precise instructions of the captain. There can only one captain per boat or raft and everyone, without exception, had to follow their instructions – even my granddaughter’s team was to win the race or if I and my grandsons and family didn’t want to go under.
In like manner, these workers observed their orders because what was at stake here was more than a ribbon or trophy or even getting soaked and going for a swim in cool waters. This was about obedience to God. Punctuality was involved too just like in dragon boat racing – each rower has to be rowing on the same beat as the drummer or the steersman. Be on your own timing and you slow down the boat.
Henry reminds us that God’s work must be done, in every respect, and on every dimension, His way. And only then is God pleased with those that willingly worship Him and serve Him as He instructs.
Also of interest is that the workers did not object to the fact that Moses himself was not a craftsman and that he shouldn’t be the one approving the work or judging it. Henry says, on the contrary, God not only gave them the skills and knowledge to accomplish the work but also the humility to have it examined by Moses to see if it matched the plan. They knew the work, he knew the model. As workmen, they could only be pleased with their work, if they knew that it satisfied the model. So, too, our goal in any service to God is not to be praised by men but to somehow have it be accepted by God.
Moses for his part blessed the workers. He did not seek to find fault where there was none. It amazes me how hard it is for earthly competition judges to assign a “10” to the performance of athletes or others. I am confident that Moses would have identified any shortcomings had they existed. God wants us to be fair and honest in both or praising and in our feedback when improvement is needed. But that aside, Christian judges of the work of others should be willing to give credit where credit is due. Perhaps, tongue in cheek, we should be able to utter the words, “You know, I must admit, I couldn’t have done it better myself. LOL.”
Moses not only praised them, but he prayed for or blessed them. And remember, there were no wages paid out here. This work was voluntary. Payment was the knowledge that they would have among them God’s Tabernacle constructed as He wanted it. And God took care of their physical needs – manna was provided daily from heaven and elsewhere we read “their raiment waxed not old upon them” (Deuteronomy 8:4).
If God does the hiring, He will bless the hiree. And as Henry says, “those whom he blesses are blessed indeed” including “life for evermore”.
It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.
