Exodus 31

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur He seems to be the same mentioned 1 Chron. 2. 20. of the tribe of Judah.

And I have filled him with the spirit of God Which was now necessary, because the Israelites in Egypt wanted ingenuous education to learn these things, and therefore needed inspiration., in Or, with, the following clauses being explicatory of the former, showing what gifts of the spirit God had filled him with, to wit, Wisdom, &c. wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.

To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass.

And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And I, behold, I have given with him, Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted That have wisdom and skil sufficient to do these things under the inspection and direction of Bezaleel and Aholiab, the principal workmen. I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee:

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle:

And the table, and his furniture, and the pure candlestick, with all his furniture, and the altar of incense: So called by way of eminency, not only because it was made of pure gold, and was not defiled with blood, for so some other things were, but especially to mind the Priests of their duty in keeping it neat and clean, it being more subject to defilement than other things.

And the altar of burnt-offering, with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot:

And the clothes of service Wherein the Ark and other sacred utensils were wrapped up when they were to be removed. See Exod. 35. 19. and Numb. 4., and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priests office:

And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep This precept is here repeated, either 1. to show the chief use of the Tabernacle and all this cost and trouble about it, to wit, that they might there acceptably serve God, as in some measure upon every day, so especially upon the Sabbath day. Or rather 2. to restrain the time for the doing of the forementioned works, q. d. Though the work of the Tabernacle and utensils be holy and for an holy use, yet I will not have it done upon my holy day. The sabbath was not made for them, but they for it, and therefore they shall give place to it.: for it is a sign between me and you The sabbath is a fivefold sign, 1. Commemorative, of Gods creation of and Dominion over them and all other things, to whom they do hereby profess their subjection. 2. Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification can be had from none but from God, as it here follows, and from the observation of Gods days and appointments. 3. Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lords peculiar people by a religious keeping of those Sabbaths, which the rest of the World grossely neglected and profanely scossed a.... 4. Pr... figurative of that rest which Christ should purchase for them, to wit, a rest from the burden of the ceremonial, and from the cur... s and rigours of the moral, Law, as also from s... n and the wrath of God for ever. See Heb. 4. 5. Confirmative, both assuring them of Gods good will to them, and that as he blessed the Sabbath for their sakes so he would bless them in the holy use of it with temporal, spiritual and everlasting blessings, as he declares in many places of Scripture, and assuring God of their standing to that covenant made between God and them. So that this was a mutual stipulation or ratification of the covenant of grace on both sides., throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the LORD that does sanctifie you That selecteth you out of all people and consecrate you to my self and to my service and worship, a great part whereof is the observation of the Sabbath. Or, that sanctifieth you by my Word and Ordinances, which are in more eminent and solemn manner dispensed upon the Sabbath day, by the observation whereof you declare that you own me as your only sanctifier. And so we may observe, the sabbath owns the Lord as our Creatour and as our Redeemer and as our Sanctifier, and therefore it is no wonder God so severely enjoyns the sanctification of the Sabbath and punisheth the neglect of it, it being a tacit renouncing or disowning of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost.?

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore: for it is holy unto you: every one that desileth it, shall surely be put to death Of which see an example Numb. 15. 32. &c.: for whosoever does any work (i. e.) Servile work, as it is explained, Lev. 23. 7. &c. therein, that soul shall be cut off from amongst his people.

Six days may work be done, but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest Heb. the sabbath of sabbaths, or of sabbaths, i. e. the great and chief sabbath, as the song of songs is the most excellent song, the holy of holies is the most holy, &c. The Iews had many sabbaths or days of rest, but this is here preferred before them all by this emphatical repetition of the same word, and by this argument the foregoing duty is pressed upon them.: holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath Or, shall keep the sabbath by observing or celebrating the sabbath, i. e. by observing or celebrating it, the antecedent being put for the relative, as is frequently done. So here is another most emphatical repetition to oblige us to the greater caution and diligence in this great duty, and to show what stress God lays upon it, who has therefore placed this in the midst of the commands of the Decalogue, as the heart which gives life and vigour to all the rest. Or it may be rendered thus, shall observe the day of rest to celebrate the sabbath, and so the phrase is like that, in the 4th. Command, Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. So here, Observe the sabbath, i. e. watch its coming and approach, consider attentively the nature and use of it, and that not as a matter of idle speculation, but of serious practise, or so that you may do or celebrate the Sabbath, i. e. perform all the duties of it. Or thus, shall observe the sabbath, to make it a sabbath, or day of rest, and that no idle or carnal rest, but a rest, holy to the Lord, as it is called in the foregoing verse. throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant Or, by a perpetual covenant: or, it is a perpetual covenant, i. e. condition or part of that agreement made between me and them, they have solemnly covenanted or promised that they will do all that I commanded them, Exod. 24. 7, 8, among which this is a chief branch, and I have covenanted to bless and sanctify them in so doing. And this word perpetual, as also the word for ever being added to it in the next verse, may intimate that this has a longer perpetuity than the c... remonies, to which this phrase is sometimes ascribed, the rather because the reason of this perpetuity given in the next verse is such as has its force not only till Christ, but even till the end of the World, and it is fit and just that men should retain this monument or memorial of the Worlds Creation even till its dissolution..

It is a sign A sign of the covenant between us, that I will be their God and they will be my people, both which depends upon this, amongst other, duties, and upon this in an eminent degree. between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven, and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed Not as if he had been weary with working, which surely he could not be with speaking a few words, nor can God be weary with any thing, Isa. 40. 28. but it notes the pleasure or delight God took in reflecting upon his works, beholding that every thing he had made was very good, Gen. 1. 31..

And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony (i. e.) The tables of the law, which was the witness of Gods will and Israels duty. See Exod. 16. 34., tables of stone Whereby was signified both the durable and perpetual obligation of the moral law, whereas the ceremonial law was to end with the Iewish policy at Christs coming, and the stoniness of mens hearts by nature, in which the law of God could not be written but by a divine and omnipotent h... d., written with the finger of God (i. e.) With the power or spirit of God, by comparing Mat. 12. 18. not by any art of man, but immediately by a divine hand..