[00:00:00:19–00:00:29:40] Clint Loveall: Hey, everybody. Welcome back. Thanks for joining us this Wednesday as we continue through the book of Exodus. I don’t know how to describe this, Michael. It may seem as a surprise, but Exodus doesn’t really end with. Well, no, I don’t. You wouldn’t. It’d be hard to call this story the next couple of chapters. The next few chapters are going to.

[00:00:30:10–00:00:53:28] Clint Loveall: In some sense, be repetitive. All of the things we saw a while ago when they talked about make the tabernacle this way and make the vestments this way and make the arc this way and things like that. Now we get a restating of that, where they do those things, where in in the first instance they were talking about what they were going to make.

[00:00:53:29–00:01:38:59] Clint Loveall: And now we spend several chapters talking about them actually making these things. And if we’re going to be honest, I don’t know how interesting most people find these chapters. I suspect that when you start reading them, it’s one of those sections where you kind of start flipping pages fairly quickly. In fact, what I think we may suggest to you all, if you are okay with it, is that Michael and I, over the next few days highlight things that we might find interesting in this without going through it chunk by chunk.

[00:01:39:00–00:02:06:03] Clint Loveall: I just don’t know what you’re going to get out of a day of us talking about. They made the the offerings for the tabernacle. Then they constructed tabernacle. Then the guys we were told were going to make things, made things, how they made them, what would they use. So here’s a good example. Chapter 38 The altar was a burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide.

[00:02:06:03–00:02:25:49] Clint Loveall: It was square and three cubits high. He made horns for it on the four corners. The horns were one piece and overlaid with bronze, if you like, how things are built, if you’re a construction person, maybe this would be your favorite section in the scripture. I think for most people, Michael, that’s not going to be the case.

[00:02:26:04–00:02:54:55] Michael Gewecke: Yeah. So what we’ve got to recognize here is that this this serves many, many purposes for its original audience, and some of this is lost on us because of our own time and place. When we think of our form of literature, we like to think it’s one thing. So if you have a book that you like reading and you’re a fiction reader, you expect that fiction book to tell you a story.

[00:02:54:55–00:03:24:27] Michael Gewecke: And if you are a nonfiction reader, if you are interested in scientific research or story, you know you have an expectation for that. And it goes even deeper. We have subgenres of all of these things, and when one writer is doing one thing, you expect that writer to sort of comply with a basic rule. What we might struggle with in a section like this is that these rules don’t generally apply to the biblical text because there’s a whole different value structure being applied here.

[00:03:24:27–00:04:00:01] Michael Gewecke: This isn’t just straight up narrative. It’s not just straight up collection. It’s an intermixed family album that includes all of them. So here’s some Moses stories, here’s some direct encounter with God stories. Here’s some sin stories, here’s some deliverance stories. Here’s some names of influential and important people. Here’s some architectural details. And, you know, if you understood the larger picture, if you’re on the inside of the family, all of those different elements in the album make sense to you.

[00:04:00:01–00:04:26:25] Michael Gewecke: But if not, you’re going to find yourself coming across extensive sections like this, where you’re going to be asking yourself the question, why? I mean, why is this here? Why is this part of the story of God’s revelation to these people and how maybe even more pressingly, is this relevant for me? And if you put yourself at the center of the question, how is this relevant for me, it’s likely going to be difficult to find the upshot.

[00:04:26:34–00:04:53:42] Michael Gewecke: If, on the other hand, you ask, what did this mean and say to this community and then you can ask yourself, well then if that was important to them and I’ve been drafted into that family, then what it might mean for me or what it might mean about what God has done for these people. So I think you’re reading this text with the awareness that your takeaway is going to live often in indirect steps, but that that still matters.

[00:04:53:42–00:05:13:06] Michael Gewecke: I mean, whether or not we spend time here to talk about how many cubits high the table for the bread of the present says there’s this idea that care was taken, people were involved, real life was lived. And, you know, in the midst of it, we’re going to find a few nuggets of things that are worth that will certainly draw attention.

[00:05:13:15–00:05:31:51] Clint Loveall: Yeah, This is one of those moments where we’re probably a little disconnected from the story. We didn’t. The idea of the temple does not matter to us. The people who would have read this and kept this and passed it on, it mattered to them where things came for, how they got there, what they were used for, for us.

[00:05:31:51–00:05:55:31] Clint Loveall: Those are those are really exercises of imagination. And so when we get to a section like this, it sounds very repetitive. They did this thing and they did that thing. Nevertheless, I think scattered in here are some phrases. It’s some snapshots that are pretty engaging, maybe some jumping off points. And that’s what I think that we will try to highlight.

[00:05:55:31–00:06:22:53] Clint Loveall: So if if you all are okay with us not going verse by verse and chapter by chapter, section by section for this last little bit, I think we will be better served to kind of fish in and among this information and see what we can pull out. Having said that, I do think, Michael, we can get in to chapter 35 with an important notice of the first couple of verses here.

[00:06:23:20–00:06:45:00] Clint Loveall: Moses assembled the congregation of the Israelites, said to them, These are the things the Lord has commanded. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy Sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord. Whoever does work on that day shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath.

[00:06:45:00–00:07:18:25] Clint Loveall: We’ve seen this before. But it’s interesting that in a section that is going to specifically center on what kind of work the people of Israel did in regard to the tabernacle, we begin with a restatement of the expectation really that’s not a strong enough word. The demand of faithfulness in regard to the Sabbath. I think by my count, Michael, this is probably the fourth time we’ve seen Sabbath regulations highlighted, maybe the fifth, if you count the Ten Commandments.

[00:07:18:46–00:07:46:22] Clint Loveall: But clearly it remains a consistent guiding and not not really principle, a rule, a rule upon harsh punishment for the people. It is the expectation that they will follow that sacred rhythm of six days working and one day off. We saw that in the Manna. We saw that in the law. We’ve seen that restated over and over again.

[00:07:46:39–00:08:13:55] Clint Loveall: And I think it’s interesting as we transition into this section, which is largely about their efforts and their work and their craftsmanship, that we begin with a restatement of regardless how important these things are and regardless of how much needs done, there are no exceptions to these people’s expectation of keeping the Sabbath. And I, I think it’s not there on accident.

[00:08:13:55–00:08:15:14] Clint Loveall: I think it frames the story.

[00:08:15:28–00:08:39:10] Michael Gewecke: Yeah. So that’s an expectation of the people trusting God and setting aside time as part of their practice. If God rested on the seventh day, so should you. And as the text goes on, we look here in verse four and some of those after. I think it’s worth noting here that Moses calls the people to bring the Lord and offering gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, Corinthian yards.

[00:08:39:21–00:09:10:55] Michael Gewecke: It goes on and on, on precious stones. I think it’s worth noting here that the same way that the people were the source of the gold that went into the fire and out came an idol. Here, Moses gives the people an opportunity to give to those things that will be made into the holy items that the the instruments of worship, the symbols of the priesthood and the the literal construction of the the place where God has chosen to dwell.

[00:09:10:55–00:09:37:42] Michael Gewecke: I think there is a kind of redemptive aspect in that clean a invitation to the people, bring the things that you’ve been given. Obviously, there’s still enough wealth left in the camp for them to be able to do that even after Moses, you know, ground down that gold that had been used to make the idol. And it’s this giving then that becomes the backbone of the sacred objects, the reminders of the fact that God is with the people.

[00:09:37:58–00:09:51:05] Michael Gewecke: And, you know, I think it’s just worth noting that there’s a kind of return in this kind of opportunity for the people to give to God what God has given to them and to do that in a holy way as opposed to a self-seeking, sinful way.

[00:09:51:19–00:10:22:35] Clint Loveall: Yeah, and I love the phrasing here, at least in the the new revised standard translates verse five here, let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord’s offering. And one of the things, one of the themes we will see as we move our way through this section is this idea that all of the people are called. But this is a work of gratitude with a generous heart, a giving spirit.

[00:10:22:35–00:10:43:33] Clint Loveall: Let people come, let them make their contributions, let them help, let them give, let them do these things. This is a this is a communal work that the people are undertaking. It’s not simply the two men who are kind of in charge with some of the supervision. It’s not just Moses and his project. It is the work of the people.

[00:10:43:33–00:11:19:31] Clint Loveall: And the people all have a vested interest in it. And there will be many ways that this section highlights that. And I think this is in some ways the first let let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord’s offering. And that’s a wonderful phrase. And as we look at something like this devotional, certainly the goal of being people with generous hearts, of having a bent toward giving, of having a bent toward graciousness and generosity is a wonderful goal for people of faith.

[00:11:19:31–00:11:22:22] Clint Loveall: And so we highlight it here right as we get started.

[00:11:22:42–00:11:50:43] Michael Gewecke: Yeah, not only is there the element of generosity, the fact that God has given the people these things, there’s also the element of particular skill and the ability to give of what has been given to you. I think that that is so beautifully written in the text. I’m over here in this 35, looking here at verse 25, all the skillful women spun with their hands, brought what they had spun in blue and purple and crimson yarns and fine linen.

[00:11:50:43–00:12:16:57] Michael Gewecke: All the women whose hearts move them to use their skill spun the goat’s hair. It goes on and on and on. I just think it’s worth noting that it’s not just the stuff that matters, it’s the ability it’s giving of of the skill and talent that God has given. And we say this in churches all the time. In fact, I think maybe sometimes we’ve said it in a way that inoculates us to the truth of it.

[00:12:17:11–00:13:02:09] Michael Gewecke: But the truth is that God has given each person the unique skills that only they can contribute to the body. And if you take seriously what the Apostle Paul says, say about the church family, we need each other. It’s not just a symbolic, nice feeling. It’s not just platitudes. We actually do need the multi giftedness of the church body and at its best the church is a place where people are encouraged and equipped to use those gifts and those talents and here, you know, it might not strike us as being, you know, incredibly insightful, Clint, but the the gift is there are some women who could have been named whose gifts were unique in their

[00:13:02:09–00:13:14:43] Michael Gewecke: contribution of the people’s worship. And so the same for them. It is for us that whatever our gifts are, in particular, we’re called to share because that is the way that God has designed it from the start.

[00:13:15:00–00:13:54:30] Clint Loveall: Yeah, and I think maybe tomorrow Michael will start here in about verse ten and move our way through the early part of Chapter 36. And I really think in those passages that becomes a dominant theme, the work of the whole community, those who are skillful, there’s men and women listed here that just they’re, there is a lot to learn, I think, in the way that this text talks about this project, not from the perspective of simply the supervisors or the directors of it, but how it is for the people from the ground up.

[00:13:54:54–00:14:16:30] Clint Loveall: An endeavor to glorify God and the in the language it uses, not just the people, but those whose hearts were willing, those who had a generous spirit, those who were moved. And I think, you know that kind of language. I don’t want to get us ahead, but that kind of language is really powerful in the context of this text.

[00:14:16:48–00:14:48:36] Michael Gewecke: Yeah, it is. It’s an interesting conversation to talk about. What was the culmination and high point of so many people’s lives and yet to be separated from it, to look back on it for from so many years distant. It’s for us seemingly not important you know great. You are really good at weaving yarn that you’re really good at putting together the gold fixtures for the place of worship.

[00:14:48:36–00:15:18:39] Michael Gewecke: You’re great at making the clothes. There’s some level in which I think we may struggle to find the connection point there. On the other hand, the reminder that these folks who just went through a ridiculously difficult season are now suddenly in a moment of cooperation, they’re suddenly pointed again towards the covenant relationship they have with God. The fact that they are contributing and making something bigger than all of them combined individually, that there is something beautiful in that.

[00:15:18:39–00:15:23:51] Michael Gewecke: And I certainly think we’ll find more sort of nuggets as we go along.

[00:15:23:51–00:15:49:57] Clint Loveall: Yeah, I think maybe the stopping point for today is that the people in this moment, they undertake something not, you know, not out of grumbling, not out of threat, not out of compulsion, but with grateful hearts, with generous hearts, with skills and willingness to help the people move toward doing these things that God has asked them or called them to do.

[00:15:49:57–00:15:51:50] Clint Loveall: And I think that’s a great place to start.

[00:15:52:30–00:16:12:27] Michael Gewecke: Thanks so much for being with us. Your friends are hope that you will join us tomorrow as we continue on. We push now deep into the latter part of Exodus, and we look forward to continuing the journey with you. Until then, be blessed.