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Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; Exodus 35:5 (ESV)

We should be generous from our hearts with our money, time and skills for God’s glory

And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. Exodus 35:21 (ESV)

Our service should be from the heart, not just duty or rule keeping

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. Exodus 36:2 (ESV)

God puts the skills and intelligence in our minds but our hearts must be stirred to joyfully use them for him

for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. Exodus 36:7 (ESV)

If we all give generously and don’t limit ourselves to just 10% for example, then there will be great provision for the Lord’s work

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Exodus 33:11 (ESV)

God calls us all to enjoy his presence in close fellowship and relationship with him, as he spoke to Moses face to face. We should have a hart to stay in God’s presence like young Joshua.

And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17 (ESV)

Again the Lord responds to Moses intercession, not because of the greatness of his prayer but because Moses had a relationship with God. We should desire God’s presence to be with us too

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” Exodus 33:18 (ESV)

Moses wanted to know God more, so should we.

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exodus 33:19 (ESV)

Thank God today that he has chosen to be gracious and merciful to you, he was not obligated to be gracious to any of us so we should be grateful

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)

This tells us so much about who God is and how he operates

and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods. Exodus 34:16 (ESV)

Idolatry is spiritual adultery

Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, Exodus 34:34 (ESV)

2 Cor 3:7-18 gives some great commentary on this. We should pray for the Jews that the veil is removed and they would see Jesus as Messiah

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” John 6:7 (ESV)

It is easy to fall into this sort of faithless pragmatism, thinking only in physical terms about a problem. We should boldly and radically put of faith in God.

You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. Exodus 30:9 (ESV)

The incense speaks of prayer. Our prayers should not be casual or disrespectful etc but should be holy. This is why Jesus said when we pray we should say hallowed (holy) be your name…

You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.” Exodus 30:16 (ESV)

This points forward to Jesus who paid the ransom for out atonement, once for all

and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, Exodus 31:3–4 (ESV)

God filled Bezalel with is Holy Spirit so that the tabernacle could be furnished to his glory. This also points to the fact that Jesus builds the church by the Holy Spirit. God has given us His Spirit and the practical abilities we need to work in his house for his glory.

And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Exodus 32:14 (ESV)

Moses intercessory prayer points forward to Jesus intercessory ministry. When we pray to God he is willing to respond… so pray.

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” John 5:47 (ESV)

We must believe God’s written word, the bible and come to Jesus or we can not have life.

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. Exodus 28:2 (ESV)

The high priest’s uniform points forward to the better High Priest Jesus Christ and represents the glory, beauty and majesty of God.

You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. Exodus 28:3 (ESV)

We should use the skills God has anointed us with to his glory

And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. Exodus 28:12 (ESV)

As the high priest Aaron would represent the entire nation of Israel before God this is why their names are on the shoulders and later on the breastplate. The use of such precious stones for representation shows the value God places on his people.

And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. Exodus 28:30 (ESV)

Jesus now fill this office for us

“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ Exodus 28:36 (ESV)

This points to one of the main functions of the high priest, which is to make intercession for the people that they would be holy and acceptable before God

But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. Exodus 29:14 (ESV)

Hebrews 13:11 tells us this type of sin offering points to the ultimate sin offering Jesus Christ who was crucified outside the camp.

and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. Exodus 29:20 (ESV)

This points to the fact that all believers as God’s priest now need the cleansing blood of Jesus to consecrate what we hear, what we do and where we go

And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. Exodus 29:46 (ESV)

God’s purpose in all this is is own self disclosure to us and glory. Also this was all to allow and establish relationship (meet with you, speak with you)

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18 (ESV)

Jesus clearly declare himself to be the Son of God, which makes him equal with God, this is why they wanted to kill him

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. John 5:20 (ESV)

We get a glimpse into the loving relationship of the Father and the Son. Jesus submits to and relies on the Father in his incarnation as a man.

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. John 5:21 (ESV)

Praise God today that Jesus specifically chose to give us life (salvation)

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24 (ESV)

A judgment day is coming, death is not the end. If we hear the gospel and truly believe we have eternal life and actually pass from death to life. How can we escape if we neglect such a great salvation.

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:30 (ESV)

Jesus is the great judge

“And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. Exodus 26:31 (ESV)

It is wonderful that in God’s detailed design, building and assembly instructions for the tabernacle there is room for artistry. God is the original artist. Skilful and artistic expression have their place in service and worship.

You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. Exodus 27:8 (ESV)

Like Jesus said, whatever we do we should do in accordance with what God has shown us. This could be for example through his word, our Pastors or something the Lord has laid on our hearts.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” John 5:6 (ESV)

Jesus asks us the same question today, because if the answer is yes he has the power to accomplish it in his sovereign grace as we see later in verse 8

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” John 5:14 (ESV)

Although all sickness is connected to the fall and in general illness and misfortune happen to all so we must all repent, in this case Jesus is talking about some specific sin committed by this man leading to his state of illness. Specific sins can lead to illness and even death so if God brings healing and deliverance in these cases it is imperative that we do not return to that sin as Jesus warns this man.