The Law · Chapter 35 of 40

Exodus 35

Moses gathers Israel and repeats the command to keep the Sabbath. Then he calls for a freewill offering for the tabernacle, and everyone whose heart is stirred and spirit is willing brings gold, silver, brass, yarns, linen, skins, wood, oil, spices, and gems. Men and women, rulers and craftsmen, all contribute generously. Moses announces that God has called Bezaleel and Aholiab, filling them with skill and the ability to teach others.

What happens in Exodus 35

With the covenant renewed, Moses assembles the whole congregation to begin building. First he restates the Sabbath: six days for work, but the seventh a holy day of rest, no fire kindled in their dwellings. Then he invites a freewill offering from everyone with a willing heart, listing the materials needed: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goats' hair, dyed skins, wood, oil, spices, and precious stones. He also calls the wise-hearted to make everything commanded, from the tent and its furniture to the priestly garments.

The people respond overwhelmingly. Men and women whose hearts are stirred bring jewelry and materials; the women spin yarn and goats' hair; rulers bring gems and spices. All Israel brings a willing offering to the LORD. Moses then announces that God has called Bezaleel of Judah and Aholiab of Dan by name, filling them with the Spirit and skill in every craft, and with the gift to teach others.

Exodus 35 in context

Here the tabernacle turns from instruction to construction. Chapters 25 to 31 recorded what God commanded on the mountain; chapters 35 to 40 record Israel obediently building it. The willing, joyful giving of this chapter stands in deliberate contrast to the golden calf, where the people also gave their gold, but for an idol.

Now, forgiven and renewed, they pour out the same wealth for God's true dwelling. The section shows a restored people gladly devoting their resources and skill to the presence of God among them.

Main themes of Exodus 35

Exodus 35 (KJV)

1And 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. 2Six 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. 3Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day. 4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5Take 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, 6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 7And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. 10And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 11The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 12The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, 13The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, 14The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 15And 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, 16The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 17The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 19The 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. 20And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21And 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. 22And 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. 23And 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. 24Every 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. 25And 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. 26And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair. 27And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29The 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. 30And 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; 31And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35Them 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.

Verses to carry from Exodus 35

“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,”Exodus 35:5

“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.”Exodus 35:22

“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.”Exodus 35:29

Reflection

Notice that the same gold could build an idol or God's dwelling. What matters is the heart behind the giving and the One it is given to. Grace does not empty your hands; it redirects them. Ask what God has stirred in you to offer, and give it willingly, for he loves a glad and freely giving heart.

A prayer from Exodus 35