Old Testament Commentary - Exodus 31

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 31 Artisans inspired in building and furnishing the tabernacle—Israel commanded to keep the Lord's sabbaths—Death penalty decreed for sabbath desecration—Moses receives the stone tablets.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 See, I have called by name ^aBezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3 And I have filled him with the ^aspirit of God, in ^bwisdom, and in understanding, and in ^cknowledge, and in all manner of ^dworkmanship, 4 To devise ^acunning works, to work in ^bgold, and in silver, and in brass, 5 And in ^acutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
6 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 ^awise hearted I have put ^bwisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; 7 The ^atabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, 8 And the table and ^ahis furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, 9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, 10 And the ^acloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office, 11 And the ^aanointing oil, and sweet ^bincense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
12 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my ^asabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations^a; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is ^aholy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to ^bdeath: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.	13^a my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations Now this 'sign' or 'witness in a form of worship' between the children of Israel and the Lord is given that the children of Israel does show forth that they do 'always remember Him' and that also 'He doth always remember them'. We also so covenant on the sabbath day that we do always have him in remembrance before us and in turn he does bestow the spirit to always be a companion and witness within us, Where the children of Israel of the Law of Moses performed outward signs in all their sabbaths and performances of worship, so also do we and ours is a more inward manifestation of the spirit of the Lord to be within us, and it stands between we and the Lord as that sign and witness between us.,	3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of ^arest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any ^bwork in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual ^acovenant. 17 It is a sign^a between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in ^asix days the LORD ^bmade heaven and earth, and on the ^cseventh day he ^drested, and was ^erefreshed.	17^a a sign There will be forever those who seeketh for a sign. The wicked will always tempt one and ask them to provide for a sign that God is God. One of the most simplest and true signs to give that is already instituted and in effect is the sign of the seventh day. The world's calendar is present before all men's eyes and has been institued but upon God's very commandments from the beginning. The odd prime number 7 to be instituted as that which the calendar's week is based upon comes only and is only truly based upon God's own words and institution of the seventh day of the creation when God took his rest from his labor of structuring and forming the world as it is today. That is in a state that supports life. How rare in the universe is such creation and rare also is the sign of the odd prime number week wherein God rested from his labors and commanded man to observe the seventh day as a day of rest.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two ^atables of ^btestimony, tables of stone, ^cwritten with the finger of God.