Episode 42: Bezaleel and Aholiab (Exodus 35-40)

Sabbath laws

35 After Moses received the second set of tablets, he told the people what God had commanded.

² Don't work on the sabbath.

Whoever works on the sabbath will be killed.

³ Don't light a fire on the sabbath.

Stuff God wants

⁴ Moses said to the people,

These are the things that God says you must give to him.

The people bring stuff to God

²⁰ After Moses told the people what God wanted, the willing-hearted people brought those things to God.

²² They came, both men and women, and brought bracelets, earrings, rings, tablets, and jewels of gold.

And every man gave some gold to God.

²³ And blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins.

²⁴ Every one that had silver, brass, or shittim wood, gave it to God.

Bezaleel and Aholiab

Moses introduced Bezaleel to the Israelites, saying,

^30-31 God has called Bezaleel and has filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and workmanship skills.

³² He will devise curious and cunning works in gold, silver, brass, stones, and wood,

^34-35 Aholiab will assist Bezaleel in devising all manner of cunning works.

Bezaleel and Aholiab make things for God

36 ¹ Every wise hearted man gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the materials they needed to build the things God wanted.

Bezaleel and Aholiab said to Moses,

The people brought us much more than enough to do what God commanded us to do.

⁶ So Moses gave the people a commandment, telling the people not to bring Bezaleel and Aholiab anything more

Bezaleel makes more stuff for God

37 ¹ Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood, 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high....

²⁴ Bezaleel used a talent of gold to make the vessels.

Bezaleel makes even more stuff for God

38 ¹ Bezaleel made an altar for burnt offerings out of shittim wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high....

Bezaleel makes holy garments for priests

39 ¹ Bezaleel made holy garments for priests out of blue, purple, and scarlet cloths, as God commanded Moses....

The people bring more stuff God

³³ They brought the tabernacle, tent, furniture, taches, boards, bars, pillars, and sockets.

Setting up the tabernacle....

40 ¹ God said to Moses,

² Set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month.

A cloud at night and a fire during the day

³⁴ A cloud covered the tent and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ When the cloud was over the tent, the people stayed where they were.

³⁷ Whenever the cloud left, the people went on with their journey.

³⁸ The cloud of the Lord stayed on the tabernacle during the day, with a fire on it at night.