Exodus 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 & 40 Bible Study (Making of the Tabernacle) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Our last study was in the chapter of the book of Exodus 34, and we stopped there. And if you're familiar with 35 to 40, even right now if you look through the pages of scripture, specifically between thirty six and thirty nine, just do it right now even as you glance over it. You'll you'll realize something about these books or rather about these chapters. Just look, and what do you see even if you glance through these different verses? They're carrying out what God just told them.

So they're carrying out what specifically? The building of the tabernacle. But is it all done in one verse where the Lord said, and the people of Israel fulfilled the commands concerning the tabernacle and built it? He could have done that. We could have trimmed around five chapters in the book of Exodus.

Because when we look at these scriptures, they seem repetitive to what we read between 25, 26 to 31 concerning the instructions for the tabernacle. So did anybody realize the fact that God, by the Holy Spirit, repeated the very almost similar details that we saw early on? Anybody notice that? And here's what we do, and you can admit it. Here's what we do sometimes when we find a text, not just in Exodus, but in different parts of the Bible, where we see repetition, or we see genealogies, or we see an echoing of a certain truth.

I'm just gonna skip over that. I've read this before, but have you ever asked why is God repeating something that I've read in such great detail again? If you notice in your Bible, God tends to repeat himself a lot. Does he not? There's a lot of truths that are repeated in the scriptures.

And because there's a principle about repetition that is so necessary, and that is when we repeat certain truths, they have a greater impact on being able to be retained in our hearts. Even God does that. We're gonna see that in Deuteronomy. And so that's one idea, but there's another understanding concerning repetition. One, even though a text is repeating itself to some degree or a certain truth is being repeated, you have to believe that there are tucked in hidden gems concerning the same account being recorded that cannot be known, lest you make the effort to give it your attention.

So here's an example. And hold on to your Bibles very tight because we're gonna be scanning through different parts of the Bible. But look at Exodus thirty eight eight. Look Look at Exodus thirty eight eight. What does it say there?

This is about when they're fulfilling the building of the tabernacle, and it says in verse eight, he made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze from the mirrors of the ministering woman who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. Now why is that? That's all it says about the building of the basin. But when you go early on in Exodus chapter 30, no detail is given of such. And so we can skip over certain things and miss out on revelation.

And so remember this little phrase, whenever you go through the scriptures on yourself, revelation awaits in repetition. Revelation awaits in repetition. If you've read first Samuel, second Samuel, first Kings, second Kings, first Chronicles, second Chronicles, if you've ever been through that terrain of scripture, you probably noticed why is the scripture repeating the same accounts in Chronicles as in Kings or in Samuel. It's because there's a different vantage point that the Holy Spirit is trying to give us on the same scene that can give you a fuller picture of what's going on. And so give it a chance.

Trust that God in his wisdom knows why he's bringing this up again, and see those tucked in gems that are waiting for you. So so even if you read through them, you know sometimes how you can read and you can kind of zone out, and you're not really reading. And so infiltrating thoughts are coming in, that's when you can miss it too. So give it extra attention with excitement saying, okay, I'm entering in now into a portion of scripture where I've seen this before, but surely God has something to speak to me that he didn't say early on. But there is something, not just in the tucked in truths of these verses.

When you zoom out and you look at the overall structure of this or the overall message of 35 to 40 or any other text, especially in this one in Exodus, there's a message in the overall as well. There's something being said here. In Exodus, early on, we see what? That those details of the tabernacle were God speaking to Moses about what to say to the people, so they were instructions. But now from 35 to 40, we're not seeing instruction.

What are we seeing as brother Barrett mentioned? We're seeing the fulfillment and the obedience to the instructions. And so it seems important to God that he wants to show us for all time, his people, that the people obeyed the instructions to the very t. And he doesn't wanna just say it, he wants to show us how they did it step by step. And then you come to Exodus 39 verse 42, and look what it says.

At the end of all this building process concerning the people of Israel, According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and behold they had done it. As the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them. That's the concluding mark on this.

But then you go over to 40, and you look at verse 16. Look at the emphasis here in Exodus chapter 40. This Moses did according to all that the Lord had commanded him. Now scroll down to verse 19. And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over as the Lord commanded Moses.

Now go to verse 21. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Verse 23. And arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. You think the Lord is trying to say something?

Verse 25, and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Verse 27, and burned for anger and as the Lord commanded Moses. It doesn't end here. The latter part of verse 29, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering as the Lord had commanded Moses. And finally, verse 32, when they went into the tent of meeting and when they approached the altar, they washed as the Lord commanded Moses.

What is the Lord trying to shout to us through these chapters concerning the people of Israel and concerning what he expects of us as the people of God? To follow instructions? To follow his instructions. And you know what? I believe that as we look at the specific time period in which they are, in the time period of this book, in the time lapse of where the people of Israel are finding themselves in this act of obedience, I believe there are three truths that we can take from Exodus 35 to 40 regarding what we just read.

Number one, as a response to the grace of God, full obedience should be our standard. What happened prior to 35 to 40? What would we talk about between 32 and 34? A huge mess done by the people of Israel and an overwhelming grace that cleaned it all up. God had come.

God had revealed his grace in answering the plea of Moses and Christ the greater Moses who intercedes for us and stepped in the gap for us, only through him do we have grace. This is what we are left with before we enter to '35 to 40. So you know what I see? Not a half hearted response to the grace of God, but a zeal that has consumed them and brought them to a place to say, whatever you command, I'm gonna walk in it. As a response to the grace of God, because that's what we're left with before these chapters.

So they just experienced amazing grace, how sweet the sound. And as a response to it, they didn't say, alright Lord, I'll just come back to you so you can clean up my mess again. No. They said, here's my obedience to the very details. Here is my contribution to your glory.

Titus two eleven and fourteen. Turn your Bibles to Titus two eleven and fourteen and see this is gospel truth. This is not just Old Testament. This is gospel truth in Titus two eleven and fourteen concerning what the grace of God does. And Titus talks about the grace of God, but also talks about the effects of it.

And it's mainly found in verse 14. Here's a good hint concerning the book of Titus or any book found in the New Testament with the letter t. They're all kind of together. First Timothy, second Timothy, first Thessalonians, second Thessalonians, and Titus, they're all kind of all the t's are together. Titus, verse 11.

For the grace of God, oh, thank you for his grace, has appeared bringing salvation for all people. So this grace is a salvific grace. This grace is what Jesus has done on the cross for you and me, has appeared for all people, training us. Oh wait, so this this grace trains me. That salvific grace does something to me.

It trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled upright and godly lives in the present age. Also not in heaven. So this grace trains me to live holy in heaven. No. No.

No. No. Titus is Paul is saying to Titus, now, in the present age, does it train you to live in a certain way? Now what do we do? We're we're trained to this godliness, verse 13, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 14. Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness. That's the cross. That's his mercy. That's his blood being shed.

And to purify himself, unto himself, a peculiar people. Now what does it look like for these peculiar people? Zealous for good works. So I redeemed, God says. A peculiar people unto myself from lawlessness, not so that I can put them back on earth and they just wait for the blessed hope.

This escapism mentality. Let's just hide and tuck ourselves in until Jesus comes back. No. But that this grace not only trains you to live in a certain way, it propels you to live with zeal for His house. And so we see the people of Israel modeling that.

They experience the grace of God, and the reflex to that is lay it out. What's the blueprint for my life? I wanna live, and I wanna give myself to God. As a response to the grace of God, full obedience is our standard. Not half hearted obedience.

Can you imagine if they said, okay God, thank you for your grace, but we'll take care of the ark, and we'll take care of the the Holy of Holies, but nah, forget the other stuff. No, no, no. Whatever you have in mind, I wanna live for Thee. Secondly, as a desire for the presence and power of God, full obedience should be our pursuit. As a desire for the presence and power of God, full obedience should be our pursuit.

Now how do we know that? Look at 40 of Exodus verse nine. So he tells him between verse one and verse eight, that on the first day of the first month, you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And he tells him what order to put the furnitures in. But look what happens in verse nine.

After he sets everything up, he says, then you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it, and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. So it was not just setting up the pieces in the right places, which is important. He says, now take oil, and I want you to anoint everything I command you to anoint as a symbol of consecration. That's what one main purpose of anointing oil is in the Old Testament, and that picture is of the Holy Spirit. But the picture is that as this oil is being smeared on this furniture, or the priest, or whoever is called to a certain service, that smearing of the oil is a picture of set apart unto God for God only for him.

That's what it means. And so this consecrating oil was necessary as a part of the process for what? For verse 34 to be a reality. Then, that's a word to say, as a result of everything that happened in Exodus chapter 40 up to this point, then what happened? The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

The glory of God filled the tabernacle in such an overwhelming way that Moses couldn't even walk into the place. And God had led them from this moment we read by cloud and by a pillar of fire throughout their journey, as a result of obedience, yes. But also deeper than obedience, deeper than just responding to commands. But this message and this commitment made by smearing that oil, everything of this tabernacle belongs to God. Everything that belongs to Him in name is gonna be to Him in practice.

And God responded by revealing His glory and power, guidance, all those wonderful things that come in obedience. And I see the people of Israel not just responding to the grace of God. So not just looking back and saying, I'm gonna obey because of Jesus and His sacrifice for my life. That alone, He is worthy of our lives. He's worthy of 10 lives if we could live them.

Just because of what he's done. If God never answers another prayer of yours or mine, he's still worthy of a life lived for him. Though he slay me, yet I will praise him. Do you expect only good from God and not evil? He tells his wife, Job.

Job's wife was one of those believers that thought that if only good things happen, we should serve him, but if not, curse him and die. Job was like, no, no, no, no, no. I take it all because he's worthy. So not only looking back at the grace of God and saying, because of what he's done, I'm gonna live for him, but also looking forward. This is what they're doing.

They realized that God had promised his presence, and as a response to that, they can say, okay, let's get together and let's actually do this because there's moral waiting for us. There's moral waiting for us in obedience, so let's get get our act together, and let's consecrate whatever needs to be consecrated so that we can know his glory. Know his guidance. Know his protection. Know his leading.

Know his power. And so they move forward in this. And it's amazing because the tabernacle is a picture of many things. Well, three things at least. And one of them is what?

You and me as individuals. So you go to a text and you don't have to turn there. It'll be up on the screen in first Thessalonians five twenty three, where it says, may the God of peace himself sanctify you, and your whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I just find it funny that the tabernacle is three parts and man is three parts as well. There's an outer court and there's a holy place and the most holy place, and guess what you are?

You are body, soul, and spirit. So I look at me, I look at you, the temples of the Holy Spirit, and I look at verse nine of Exodus 40, and I say the same way they consecrated by oil everything from the inside out, oh God, would you consecrate my spirit? And would you consecrate my soul, my will, my mind, my emotions, my decision making, my meditations? And would you consecrate my body? Everything external, everything I do in the flesh, may it all be set apart unto you.

So we look at ourselves and say, am I consecrated unto God? Whatever God will to do with my body, will I let him do it? Whatever he says yes to, will I say yes to with my body or no to? If I am tempted, will I say no to it as an act of worship? My my emotions, the theme of my thinking, my hearts, my motives, is it for God sanctified unto him?

But the tabernacle is not just a picture of the individual believer, but the church itself being built up together as a temple of the Lord. And we have to ask ourselves as a church, is every ministry dedicated unto God? Is every ministry served by ministers who are set apart unto God? Is everything that we're doing between Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, is every plan that we have, every conference we organize, every event that we are trying to hold, what do we have in mind? Is it is it set apart for his glory?

You'd be surprised how many things are not motivated by the glory of God. But for money, and for fame, self glory. But no, these people, they they consecrated the tabernacle and said this whole thing is for one purpose, for God. So I'm reading Exodus thirty five and forty and I see two things. I see as a response to the grace of God, there is full obedience as a standard.

But not only that, they look forward and they say as a as a desire for the presence and power of God, full obedience is their pursuit. But I see something else in especially 40 as it says Moses had answered to every command given by God with obedience. What do you get out of that? This is our last thing that we can get out of this and I'm sure there's things that come to your mind as well. But the fact that every detail was responded to says something about the obedience of Moses and the people of Israel.

Well, I believe it's this. That God has given us instructions to live by and we should not be selective in our obedience. They took it all. Whatever was there, they said yes to. And you know, it's possible to be selective in our obedience to God.

Have you ever read the sermon by Jesus Christ himself in Matthew 23 when he gave those woes to the Pharisees? Woe unto you, woe unto you, woe unto you, you Pharisees, you hypocrites. You know what one of the woes were? Their selective obedience. In Matthew twenty three twenty three, look what Jesus Christ says.

Matthew twenty three twenty three. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. So you know what the Pharisees did?

What a lot of religious people do. They like to take the lesser, and that's a dangerous word because everything in the Word of God is important, but the lighter things concerning the Word of God, and they love to make the major things. And this is what they were doing. And Jesus said, listen, in your pursuit of righteousness and holiness, you have neglected the weightier matters. How many people are doing that today?

How many people are emphasizing certain doctrines that are important, but in their zeal and desire to defend or to perform a certain thing in the Scriptures concerning Christian behavior or Christian practice, they neglect the weightier things. But Jesus didn't say, focus on the weightier things and neglect the the lesser things. He goes, no, no, no. Focus on the major things without neglecting the but don't neglect the major things with the little things. And there are certain truths and there are certain ministries that are emphasizing on the things that are lighter in the scriptures, while neglecting so many other things.

And so what happens? Well, in in response to all these things, Lord, I want it all. I want everything that you have for me. As a response to your grace and as a desire for more of you, God's glory is revealed. But here's the thing that's so dangerous.

This is a wonderful start. Right? I mean, they're in the wilderness. The the nation is still in their infancy as the people of God. And they're experiencing the fullness of his glory with so much excitement and precise obedience, but does it last very long?

Does it last very long for these people? There is a scary scripture in the book of Ezekiel that talks about the very same glory we're seeing here. And in Ezekiel eight six, nine, ten and eleven, God gives Ezekiel a vision about not the tabernacle, but the permanent version of it, the temple, and how the glory of God was slowly lifting amongst the people. Look what God says to Ezekiel. And he said to me, verse six of Ezekiel eight, son of man, do you see what they are doing?

The great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here. What is he talking about here? In the temple, in the very house of God, to drive me from my sanctuary. What language is that? See, if you wanna let idols in, you automatically push God out.

And he's saying, look what they're doing here. And you go to verse 16 of Ezekiel eight. And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, that's the outer court in the tabernacle version, were about 25 men, now look at this, with their backs towards the temple. And what are they doing? And their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.

There was sun worship in this, culturally speaking. They worship the sun. Ancient Near East culture shows that. What are they doing here? They are worshiping the sun with their back to the idols, and that tells me something about the tabernacle and the temple that when you walk into when you walk into the tabernacle, the the gate is where?

The east side. So as a statement to the culture in their day, their backs would have been towards the idol worship, going into the tabernacle to worship the true and living God. So even the physical posture of them just simply entering into the place where God is worshiped, they're making a statement. All the idols are behind me, and I'm walking into the house of God to worship the true and living God. You know what they're doing here?

They turn their backs on the temple, and they begin to face themselves towards the idols outside of the camp. And what happens there? The glory of God begins to lift and Ezekiel had seen it. Everything about God's nearness, his power, his his ministry amongst the people of God was forfeited. But I see Exodus 40, and I see such excitement, and I see such passion and commitment.

Oh, how true it is for those who begin in the faith. Just give it a little bit of time. Give it a little bit of persecution. Give it a little bit of trials. You're saying, oh yeah, that's the Old Testament.

Go to Revelations chapter three. Revelations chapter three. And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. This is a church, a new covenant.

Our people. Our covenant. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

He says, I know your works. And he says, probably one of the most scary words in all these seven letters of the book, in the book of Revelation, you have the reputation of being alive. So they, at one point, perhaps were very much zealous and passionate and consumed with this desire to serve God, but throughout time you you fell asleep. And you notice in this chapter, you notice in this letter to the church of Sardis, that there is no encouragement to persevere through persecution? There is no warning for the people of God that Satan has a plan against them like the church of Smyrna?

There's no such language of activity against them or encouragement to withhold or to withstand other things that they're Why? Because they're asleep. A church that's asleep is no threat to Satan, so it doesn't need to do anything. They're already asleep. Their guard is down.

And so it's possible to have a reputation as a church. I think this is important for us to hear as a church. Those who are here and you consider this your home church, it's possible to have a reputation as a ministry and to ride on that reputation alone. And as you just look back to what God has done, you fail to realize there is more, and because of that you do not even realize that you are downshifting, and you found yourself in a place where you're just reminiscing and not pursuing. I know your works, you have the reputation of being alive, but you're dead.

Everybody knows you for a certain type of ministry. Everybody knows you for a certain thing that's happened in your midst, but now that's not true. And that doesn't Jesus is not into monuments as much as he is into movements. So yeah, you did have something that happened, but I'm looking for something now. And he says something interesting in the introduction to this letter.

He goes, to the one who has the seven spirits, and the seven stars in his hands. Is that poetic language? Or Or does Jesus have a message to say to this church concerning those two realities? The seven spirits and the seven stars. Now what do those mean?

Because that's very symbolic. We'll go to chapter one of Revelation verse 20. Ask for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Now that Greek word angels there is the same word for messenger. And so it's very likely that as Jesus is addressing these different churches, he's not addressing like an angel that has been assigned to every local church, he's talking to the pastor of the church.

He's speaking to the leader of the church, and he's saying, I have the leaders in my hand, and I have the seven spirits of God in my hand. The seven spirits speak of the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit. And I believe that there's no accident between what Jesus is saying in that verse, and to the scenario that he is addressing. What is he saying? That perhaps the reason why this church had a reputation of being alive and is now dead is because number one, their leaders are dead.

I have the ministers in my hand, and perhaps there was some kind of an influence, an unfortunate one, from the leadership down to the people. Because leaders set the standard. Leaders set the example. Leaders are the one that push. And as though Jesus is trying to say something about what's going on with the leadership.

But not just that, he has the seven spirits of God in his other hand, to say what? I have exactly what you need to turn your situation around, the Holy Spirit. So they're not alive, they're dead. Why? Because they don't have what Jesus wants to give them, and that is the person of the Holy Spirit moving actively in their midst.

And it's as it's as though he's introducing himself this way, so that the people can say, well, okay. Let's humble ourselves, acknowledge that this is not this is not where God wants us to be. But he has just told us that he has the seven spirits of God in his hands, so, Lord, pour out your spirit. Lord, we don't wanna ride on reputation, but give us a present reality of what's available to us. And that's what happens when God moves in a place that's asleep.

Does anybody like being woken up from nice nap or nice night of sleep? From an alarm or one other person in your household that shoves your shoulder and says, You need to wake up? No. So many people are asking God for an awakening. Give us an awakening, give us a revival, give us a move the Spirit.

Are you sure you really want that? Are you sure you really want what God what God wants to give you? Because just like you waking up from sleep and not it being pleasant, so it is when God wants to sometimes shake us up to make us realize that we've been asleep all along. But guess what? Just like the need to wake up so you can get to work on time, and the need to wake up so that you can do your duties, the need to wake up so that you don't spend your time in bed on necessary time, is is the same way that we need God to wake us up.

So it might not feel comfortable when the preacher gets up and says, wake up, people of God, and realize that there's so much more for you. You're saying, ah, okay, whatever, that's fine, yeah, yeah. But then when you wake up and you realize that as uncomfortable as conviction might be, it'll bring you to a greater reality of life. You'll ask for it. And so we see here that the people over time came to a place in which they did forfeit something that they so treasured in the beginning.

But let's not just speak about obedience, and this is where we're ending. When you come to Exodus chapter 35, it's not about obedience only. I've heard somebody once say the difference between obedience in the Old Testament and the New Testament is that they didn't do it out of the heart and we do it out of the heart. That's not necessarily true, especially in light of this chapter. Chapter 35 is the intro into the contribution and the construction of the tabernacle, and what we're gonna find out in chapter 35, from the Israelites, is that God is not just looking for a pattern of obedience as a robotic mechanical reflex to what he's commanded us to do.

No. He's looking for the right spirit to drive us into that place. And so from verse one to three, look what he says in verse one to three of chapter 35. Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, these are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day, you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest.

Holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day. Question. He's about to give them the instructions of the to make a contribution and to start building, but why is he randomly starting with the Sabbath instruction there?

So you can rest before you start working. And that there's an element to that absolutely. It's as though he's giving them a heads up. He's saying, listen. He sees the zeal in his people.

He see he sees the desire to serve him, and he goes, just a heads up. As you now hit the floor running to serve me, please don't forget to rest. Don't neglect other commands as you pursue God in zeal to serve him. And one of the commands in the Old Testament, though we are not bound to observe the Sabbath law, the principle is nevertheless true. He's saying, listen, in your pursuit of obedience, don't forget to stop, breathe, be still, and know that I am God.

And there are some people in here even in the faith that are go getters. They do, they do, they do, they do, they do, and they fail to realize that even Jesus Himself, when the disciples came back from their crusade and told them all that they had done in Mark six thirty and thirty one, Jesus tells them this. He says, come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while, for many were coming, going, and there was no leisure even to eat. If there was anybody that needed to be a go getter in life, it was Jesus. Three years of ministry.

How many people can hear the gospel in the known world right now? How many people need to be healed of their diseases? Let's go, go, go. Make the phone calls. Get the stages ready.

Get the Jesus knew, even in his limited time on Earth, that sometimes even in your zeal for his house, it's good to stop and just enjoy him. And so he says, hey, as you're about to build this tabernacle, would you not forget that you have to still pause and reflect, pause and worship, pause on me? That's something for you and I as we pursue it as well. So what happens? From the rest of the scriptures, we see that they begin their work.

But now again, we wanna look at the spirit in which they're operating. So look at verse five of Exodus chapter 35. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord, whoever is of a what? Generous heart. Okay.

So God's looking for a generous heart. Look at verse 21. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used at the tent of meeting, and for all its service. Okay. So for hearts that are stirred, we see that too.

Now look at verse 22. So they came both men and women, all who are a willing heart. See how we can miss this as we just scan through Scripture? Willing heart. Now you come to verse 26, rather verse 29.

All the men and women, the people of Israel whose heart moved them, hearts that are stirred, hearts that are generous, hearts that are willing, hearts that are moved. God's looking for that kind of a heart. And perhaps the reason why it's so hard sometimes to get people to do something, even within the local church is because they don't have the heart for it. That's why it feels like you gotta pull teeth sometimes to get people to just do something for God when there's a need. But the people of Israel, their hearts were stirred, and they were stirred to do certain things.

Now look again in verse five. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution. Gold, silver, bronze. Look at verse 10. Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded.

Okay. So there's some material giving there. There's there's time and energy that's given there. You look at verse 26. All the woman whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun goats here.

So we have an investment of people's skills. Look at verse 29. The people of Israel whose hearts move them to bring anything for the work that the Lord commanded by Moses. And I read this even earlier today. I'm reading 35 and I'm looking at the fact that yes, they have the right heart, and yes, everybody has a part to play in.

I mean it came to the nitty gritty details where if there was a thread on the priest garment that needed to be fixed, I'm in. And my question is this, if the Israelites of the Old Covenant, these people who are under the Old Covenant had such a zeal and a commitment to the work of God, how much we, the people of the New Covenant, should contrast that zeal with a greater zeal. I'm looking at a people who are under the ministry of death according to second Corinthians three, that are serving with such passion. How much more those who are under the ministry of life? Here are people that are excited under the ministry of condemnation.

How much more us, according to second Corinthians three, under the ministry of righteousness? Here we are seeing a people sweating and serving under what? A covenant in which the glory is fading, and here we are, the people of God in the West in America serving a God under a covenant of a glory that is permanent, not just permanent, but excelling from glory to glory. How much more we? So I'm faced with this.

I'm saying, Lord, this is this is unbelievable because it's not just Moses or the leadership. You have the men and the women and the leaders. You have everybody's involved in there. Whoever's hearts were stirred with jumped in. And so we see contributors in the old covenant.

And guess what? There are two categories as well in the new covenant concerning the work of God. You either have two types of believers. You have contributors or consumers. Contributors or consumers.

What's the consumer mindset when it comes to the church, the local church, or God's ministries? This is what it is. What can the church do for me? Now the church has something to offer us, it's not a church. The church must preach the Word of God, must help the poor.

Yes. Must give the instructions concerning what it means to be a true believer. All those wonderful things, but this it goes deeper than that. Well, I'm not gonna serve there because they're not giving me the ministry that I want. Well, there's plenty of ministries.

No, but I want that ministry. But we don't need anybody Well, I want it. I'm not gonna come to that church. Why? Because that person keeps sitting in my chair.

Oh, really? I didn't see your name on it. It's this idea of me, me, me, when you step in, what are these people gonna do for me? What's pastor gonna do for me? I didn't like the worship.

Why? Because I didn't like the songs. I didn't know we were worshiping you. I thought we were worshiping God. So it's this idea of all about me.

And what's the contributor? What can I give? How can I serve as a response to whatever is being given to me? How can I invest for what purpose? The same purpose as the Israelites, to contribute for God's glory to be manifest amongst the people of God.

And it says that whatever the need was, the people examined their need, and they said, okay. Let's give it. Whatever it is, we wanna give it. And I love that, because the glory of God in Exodus chapter 40 would not have been possible if the people of God did not have the right hearts or the right spirits, and the willingness to sacrifice self for something greater. Or would you be a contributor and not a consumer?

Yes, yes, you can come to church. Yes, you can have your preference to worship. It's not bad to have a certain delight in certain things. But I'm talking about those that make a fuss, those that do not submit to one another in love and patience because the church is about me. Dangerous way of thinking.

And it came to a point Now it doesn't end there. We're almost done. We come to Exodus 36, and look what happens here in verse six. The giving of the free will offerings was so intense. The tidal wave of service was so great that it came to a place in which those that were actually building were asking Moses to tell him, to tell others to stop.

Tell the people to stop giving. Can you imagine that? We have more than enough. We don't need any more volunteers. We don't need any more anymore service.

We don't need anything anymore because we we have plenty. And look what happens in verse six. So Moses gave command and word was proclaimed throughout the camp. Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution of the sanctuary. That is a powerful statement.

So the people were restrained from bringing. The people were restrained. It's like, I I I wanna give and and Moses says, no. You can't. I wanna I wanna serve.

No. No. No. That's fine. This is old covenant people.

How much more will be a new covenant? They were restrained from giving for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work and more. I see that and I go, that's powerful. But just like the pursuit of the presence and power of God, this could even dwindle too, can it not? Even the sacrificial giving of self, or resources, or time, or energy can dwindle over time, can it not?

You're saying where does it happen? Final text of the night. So powerful, so piercing. It's found in Haggai chapter one. The book of Haggai chapter one.

These are the exiles that came from Babylon back to Jerusalem, and the house of God was in ruins. And there was a little bit of resistance, and so the people kind of used that excuse to just put the construction project on hold. And God had to send a prophet to get him stirred up again. So look what happens here in Haggai chapter one verse two. Thus says the Lord of hosts, these people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.

That's what the people were saying. They've come to a place in their walk with God where they said, you know what? It's just not a convenient time. It it doesn't need it that much. And and so what did they do?

Well, clearly, they had time for something else. Then the word of the Lord came by hand, by the hand of Haggai the prophet. Is it a time for yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? God, you just said it's not time to rebuild the house a little. Why?

Why? I'm just just, you know, gotta build my future, and and it wasn't it wasn't talking about necessities here. They were decorating their homes. They were adding on to their dwelling places while the house of God lies in ruins. And God sends a prophet to say, how can that be?

You've lost your zeal for my house. And what happened to the people of God? Life. Other pursuits, other projects, other things consume them. Can that be so true of us as believers?

You have gifts. Some of you have incredible gifts. Some of you have incredible skills, insights, wisdom, all these things. And and instead of giving that investment to the glory of God and whatever ministry that's available before you, we spent it we spent it all on things that don't matter in this life or things that are so trivial. And Haggai had to come and say, listen.

God's house is awaiting your investment, because he wants to fill it with his glory again, which tells me something about God. If God's gonna invest in our ministries, if God's gonna invest in our meetings, if God's gonna invest in our lives, we have to make an investment first. We have to give him something to work with. Look at verse 12. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God.

And the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. You know what's so refreshing about the Book of Haggai? Is that unlike so many other prophets, Haggai was one of the prophets that they actually listened to. They heard Haggai, and guess what? The leaders do you see this point again?

The leaders answered first. So the leaders, Reuben, they they come and they Joshua, they say, okay. And the people fear the Lord. Then Haggai, verse 13, the messenger of the Lord spoke to the people with the Lord's message. I am with you, declares the Lord.

And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. Do you see the order there? The leaders down to the people. See, if the leaders are not stirred for the things of God, the people won't be stirred. If there's no vision on this side, there's gonna be no ambition on this side.

And so God in his wisdom says, I'm gonna take my leaders just like the Church of Sardis. I wanna take my leaders, and I want my spirit to so stir them, so that the people could be stirred as a response. And this stirring done by God, brought them to a place in which they rebuilt the temple. Are you stirred to serve God? No.

God can stir you. You have no desire to invest for the glory of God, God can stir you. You just have to humble yourself and say, Lord, I need to be stirred. And Lord, I don't wanna be a consumer believer and make me a contributor. Whatever needs to be contributed, show me.

I love it. When they needed help to wait on tables, they found spirit filled men that could do it. There was a need, and they met that need. And I wanna ask you, whether you represent this church or not, what contribution do you make? What contribution do you make?

Because every single person has been invested in by God, the Spirit, to contribute. And may we be a church for those who represent this place, where whenever there's a need, we would be able to say like Moses, it's okay guys, we have enough. And we all have that kind of a heart posture concerning anything that becomes a need in this place that are reflex. Remember, God wanted their hearts to be in it. But that as a response of the grace of God, and as a desire for his presence and glory and power, then whenever there is something, just like these Israelites.

I love it. I love it. Gold, here you go. Silver, here you go. We need somebody to make the priest garments.

We'll knit it. Don't worry about it. Anything. It wasn't like they were saying, only call me if you need somebody to make the sacrifices. Like, no.

We don't need anybody to do the sacrifices. We need somebody to make the priest garments. Is it for the glory of God? Absolutely. I'm in.

These are new these are old covenant. We are new covenant. Let's show the world that he is worthy of our energy, our time, our contribution. They did it for a fading glory, and guess what brothers and sisters, as we're closing this chapter in the book of Exodus and moving on forward, not just in our Bible study, but even as a church. If you weren't here last week, we made the announcement that this tabernacle, physically speaking, is extending.

It's it's moving on. And I just I just praise God for his providence in this Bible study, that as we're closing this chapter here in Exodus after several months, we are beginning a new chapter, not just in Leviticus, but even as a church. What a timely message for us. What a timely message that the Bible ends with a picture of the people of Israel diving into whatever needs to happen for them to move on as a people. I I just I saw that.

I was, what timing? I didn't plan it. And so this is how we're gonna end tonight. Praising God for leading us through Exodus, but also saying, Lord, as this chapter ends with a people shown that are zealous for your house, and as this new chapter begins for our church, let that same picture be translated into the rest of our story. Would you stand with me, please?

Would you just in your own heart as the praise team comes up, we're gonna sing in a moment. And even now as Haggai shows us that it's the spirit of the Lord that stirs our spirits for the things of God, that's a principle throughout the Bible. Would you ask the Lord stir my heart? Lord, as we just concluded this chapter and enter into a new chapter, yes, in Leviticus, but also as a real time story here in this church, stir my spirit. Stir my spirit to serve you as a response to your grace, as a pursuit for more of you.

It's gonna end here, but I just wanna say one more thing. There's some new faces here. Welcome. We're so glad that you're here. I don't know you personally.

I've never seen you. So from this place, I just wanna ask you something. You came to a bible study. Maybe you were invited. Maybe you heard about it and came on your own.

But my question to you tonight is, do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? I'm not asking you if you went to church. I'm not asking you if you grew up in church. I'm not asking you if you were from a traditional background, were baptized as a baby. I'm asking you if you know Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior in such a way that it has radically changed your heart to a point in which you have this assurance that when you leave this world, you have eternal life.

Not on your own good works or your own righteousness, but because of what Christ has done on your behalf. I'm asking you tonight from this place, before you leave, because you might be anxious to leave even now, you're probably waiting for this very moment so that you can stroll on out of here because you did not see any relevance to this Bible study. But here's your relevance tonight. Make sure that you walk out of this door knowing that you have salvation in Christ. If there's anything that you need to know, it's not about your contribution to the local church.

It's not about you giving your gifts or your zeal. You're putting the cart before the horse. I'm asking you if you've taken that first step, and you have decided that you cannot save yourself, and that Christ is the only way to the Father, and you put your trust in Him. So this is what it looks like. You're a sinner.

God is holy. Every man has fallen short of the glory of God. And you have sinned a thousand times between you waking up this morning to this point tonight. You have thought thoughts that if we put them up on the screen right now, you would crawl out of here in shame and disgust. And God sees it all.

And God holds you guilty. God holds you damned because of his holiness and because of your law breaking. But God is not just holy, He is love. And He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, with the full understanding of your wickedness and your depravity, and He came down to take on flesh. Listen very carefully, and don't let your mind drift, sir.

He lived the life that you could not live and died the death that you deserved. And he put himself on that cross with full control and knowledge that he came to die. To do what? To provide a transaction for you. That if you realize tonight, at this Bible study in 2018 that you're a sinner and that you cannot attain your own salvation, that as you put your faith in what Christ has done two thousand years ago on the cross, there would be a transaction.

What? Your sin, your guilt that deserves the wrath of God, given over to Christ when he died for you, and as an exchange, he gives you his perfect righteousness, and he gives unto you in your account the debt paid before God. And when you give yourself to him with that truth, God saves you in the moment that you declare with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. And in your heart believing that God raised him from the dead. So I wanna encourage you very strongly tonight, very strongly, that you would not leave here with a question mark on your eternal destination.

But that tonight you would recognize the love of Christ, and that you are in a room filled with people that have made that decision to follow him wholeheartedly in light of that grace. And that you would be able to say, I might not get the full picture, but I understand that truth, that I'm a sinner and I need salvation. And guess what? I can't do anything for you. The person that brought you can't do anything for you, but we know this, that that same Jesus who died and paid the price is the same Jesus who rose from the dead, and he is sitting at the right hand of God.

And guess what? He is all ears tonight. He's all ears tonight. Oh, this might spook you out, but it's true. And don't don't believe your senses.

Take it by faith that Jesus Christ by the Spirit is in this room right now. And he's waiting. Do you hear the knock on your heart? It's that little voice in your conscience saying, he's right. The Word of God is true.

This gospel is for me. But you're probably hearing another voice. Even right now, you're hearing this other voice. Yeah, but I can't do that. I grew up with a certain background.

If I make a decision to follow Christ, what kind of shame will I bring upon myself? Or another voice is saying, you don't need that. Just do enough good and you'll get there. Just do enough good. Listen to the former voice.

And if you have any plans tonight, make sure that it is eclipsed by this plan, that you're gonna go to bed tonight if you have the chance, knowing that you've given your heart to Jesus. Excuse all other plans tonight, even your plan to eat a nice meal and go to bed because you don't know leaving this room if you'll have the opportunity to even get to your front door. And let this consume you in these next few moments. I gotta make sure that I plan out my eternal destination before I plan out where I'm going tonight. If that's you tonight, you call upon Jesus.

He hears you. You look to him. You say, Lord, I repent of my sins. I realize my need for a savior, and I know that you're the only savior for me and for the rest of this world. I give myself to you.

Forgive me. Make me your son. Make me your daughter. I surrender all.