READING: Exodus 37-40
“. . . just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
Exodus 39:31
“Just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” It’s just one sentence, but this phrase or a similar one occurs 17 times in Exodus 39-40. God’s people were building the tabernacle, and they did so as God required.
Whether they were creating priestly garments or a holy diadem, they did it “just as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Exo. 39:31). All the work they did to build and set up the tabernacle they did just as the Lord commanded, and Moses “blessed them” for their efforts (Exo. 39:43). He, too, “did everything just as the Lord had commanded him” (Exo. 40:16).
Central to this work was “Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah [who] made everything that the Lord commanded Moses” (Exo. 40:22). He was uniquely gifted, a man filled “with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft” (Exo. 35:31) – but more than that, he did what God commanded through Moses. Apparently, other workers followed his lead as they completed and furnished the tabernacle.
One man, Moses, did what God commanded. Another man, Bezalel, followed suit to build what God required. In the end, “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exo. 40:34). That’s my desire—to follow God’s commands and to experience His presence and power.
ACTION STEPS:
- Think about this question: do I really want the glory of God to be evident in my life?
- Decide to do everything that God commands today.
PRAYER: “Lord, I commit myself to complete obedience. Help me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Leviticus 1-4
