How to Build a Tabernacle: Part 9

Today's Reading: Exodus 35

Comments:

Today I have posted my answer to question number 8 in the Exodus 35 chapter study.  Please see Part 1 for a description/explanation of this chapter study.

Prayer:

Lord show me what you would have me take way from this text in answer to the question here.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.

8. Is there a difference in what the women vs the men are commanded to offer?

1. Would this speak to actual differences in the genders or more a reflection of the general variety of the calling?

The general call and response from the people…

Exodus 35:22–24 (ESV)²² So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. ²³  And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 

Exodus 35:29 (ESV)²⁹ All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

See Jeff that I called the entirety of my people to be involved with this offering.  Everyone is subject to my command but each answers according to what I have blessed them with in skill or belongings.  Some have more, some have less, each is only called to offer from their own.  Nobody needs to get anything from anyone else in order to come before me with their offering of obedience Jeff. Nobody needs to fear that they have not something to offer. Everyone with voice can sing my praise, everyone with sight can behold my glory, everyone with skill can offer it to my service, everyone with provision can take the first of it and offer it, everyone with great ideas by my Spirit can bring them and implement them to my glory.  

The specific call and response from the women…

Exodus 35:25–26 (ESV)²⁵ And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. ²⁶ All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair.

See Jeff that the women went farther than the men in this stage of collection.  The women used their skills to form some of the base materials that were to be used by the craftsmen that would actually build the tabernacle.  Just as by Mary, the Son of God was made incarnate in human flesh as the building block of the heavenly tabernacle, so these women weaved the goat hair that would become a key component of the earthly tabernacle of their time.  The heavenly tabernacle in Jesus was not brought by man, but came by a woman.  This reserves for the heavenly Father alone the role of initiator, just as these people are called by the Father to assemble the basic materials for this tabernacle.

So then the women were largely responsible for forming the building blocks of the tabernacle itself- as was Jesus formed in the womb of Mary.

The specific call and response from the leaders…

Exodus 35:27–28 (ESV)²⁷ And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, ²⁸ and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.

See that the leaders (the men whom were lifted to positions of leadership according to my purposes) were moved to bring items that would serve purposes of the High Priest.  Jesus serves as the heavenly high priest Jeff and so we see the men also contributing to this imagery of the heavenly tabernacle and priesthood. For the earthly tabernacle the men in leadership are primarily making contribution toward the leadership role in the nation.  For today we see men gifted as leaders and teachers being called for such service and other men with varied gifts serving in all variety of needs for the church- just as many men brought goods from their possessions of gold or other items.  The number of those called to lead the construction were few as are the calling of teachers and preachers among the church body.

From the Matthew Henry Commentary-

The work that was done for the service of the tabernacle (v. 25): The women did spin with their hands. Some spun fine work, of blue and purple; others coarse work, of goats’ hair, and yet theirs also is said to be done in wisdom, v. 26. As it is not only rich gifts, so it is not only fine work that God accepts. Notice is here taken of the good women’s work for God, as well as of Bezaleel’s and Aholiab’s. The meanest hand for the honour of God, shall have an honourable recompence. Mary’s anointing of Christ’s head shall be told for a memorial (Mt. 26:13); and a record is kept of the women that laboured in the gospel tabernacle (Phil. 4:3), and were helpers to Paul in Christ Jesus, Rom. 16:3. It is part of the character of the virtuous woman that she layeth her hands to the spindle, Prov. 31:19. This employment was here turned to a pious use, as it may be still (though we have no hangings to make for the tabernacle) by the imitation of the charity of Dorcas, who made coats and garments for poor widows, Acts 9:39. Even those that are not in a capacity to give in charity may yet work in charity; and thus the poor may relieve the poor, and those that have nothing but their limbs and senses may be very charitable in the labour of love.
Henry, M. (1996). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ex 35:20–29). Peabody: Hendrickson.

See Jeff that there is distinction between the women and between the leaders from the people, but no specific distinction of all men in this case.  Note that the men may have actually been coming along with the women in that the women may have been the primary respondents to this call and their husbands came along and supported the offering.  Early Greek translation indicates that the men came along with or from beside the women (παρὰ).

Application and Prayer:

• Today I will bring my talents and resources to the Lord and ask that He show me how to best utilize them.
• Today I will celebrate that I am invited to participate in this offering to the body of Christ.
• Today I will remember that my resources should be valued and not squandered.
• Today I will remember that my skills should be honed, not wasted or cast aside.

Thank you Lord for revealing yourself in your Word.  Please let me walk in obedience to this revelation today and allow me to be a doer of the Word.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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