Exodus 31:7, commentary and pictures

The verse names the tabernacle of the congregation, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat upon it, and all its furniture among the sacred objects to be made for God's service. It is part of the instruction God Himself spoke to Moses on the mount, appointing by name Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted worker and filling them with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and skill to do it. God required perfection, exactness, and completeness in every detail of that earthly work as a pattern for all work done in His service. Even this sacred work done under His own supervision did not excuse working on the Sabbath, for Israel in zeal would say the Lord's work could be done without observing it. Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is His perpetual sign between Him and His people that He sanctifies them, distinguishing the loyal from false religionists and drawing the line between him that serves God and him that serves Him not.

Tabernacle Ordered and Built

The verse names the tabernacle of the congregation, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle among the sacred objects to be made for God's service, with wisdom and ability given to the appointed skilled workers for that detailed work. It gives part of the instruction God spoke to Moses on the mount, with Jesus giving the special directions, in which God Himself commanded these things and appointed by name who should make them. This was because Moses did not know the engraving and embroidery crafts, and Israel in Egyptian bondage had not learned to work in gold and silver.

Bezaleel of Judah as architect with Aholiab of Dan and every wise-hearted person were filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and craftsmanship to make all God commanded. God is the true source of that wisdom and skill, so no person has cause to boast. Though the work was the Lord's own work done under His supervision, the workers were guided by the unseen Leader, felt greatly honored to have a part assigned them, and from love and reverence offered faithful unselfish service. Every detail of construction was arranged under His direction and displayed His power and majesty.

God required perfection, exactness, skill, wisdom, and completeness in every detail of the earthly tabernacle. This stands as a lesson for all ages and a pattern for every kind of work done in His service, with the same care belonging in every part of His service today. Set apart as sacred for God's service and kept continually in sight of more than a million people, the tabernacle and everything made for it were to represent His perfection. It stood as an illustration of the perfection and completeness of Christ's work.

God can communicate with His people and give wisdom, judgment, and skill to do His will, as He communicated with His people of old in this building. Work for Him must therefore honor His name and not move forward shabbily but show faithfulness, stability, and fitness in every line. Capabilities, with Christ first bestowing the gift and then power to improve it, are to be returned to Him in willing service and used with unselfish love to show His glory and advance His cause in smaller as well as larger matters. This is done in daily surrender of self with the cross of self-denial cheerfully and willingly borne, with times apart to rest and commune with God to learn how to work to His greatest glory, and great grace is imparted in that way as the Lord bestows wisdom and judgment and skill to be given back in willing service. It includes building sanitariums with wisdom sought from God under His direction, and buildings corresponding with His providence and their relation to work in other places.

Sabbath Sign of Loyalty

Exodus 31:7 stands in a chapter that plainly tells which day is the Sabbath of the Lord, and God means exactly what He says there. The Sabbath presented in that chapter was instituted in Eden. Keeping the Sabbath is a sign of the loyalty of God's people.

By that sign His commandment-keeping people in the last days must exalt Him by keeping His law, with the seventh-day Sabbath as His sign by which loyalty is tested. It is His sign between Him and His people throughout their generations that He sanctifies them, evidence of His kindness, mercy and love, and a token distinguishing them from false religionists. With it goes His pledge to bless the obedient, to show Himself their God, to take them into covenant relation and to fulfill His promise to them. It is holy, to be kept as a perpetual covenant on the seventh day, not the first, because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh He rested and was refreshed, satisfied with creation, with death and cutting off for defiling it or doing work in it.

Even this sacred tabernacle work done under God's own supervision did not excuse working on the Sabbath. Israel had been compelled to work on the Sabbath in Egypt and had largely lost the knowledge of the Sabbath, so God guarded His Sabbath in particular when giving these directions. He knew the workmen in their zeal would say this work is the Lord's and can be done without observing the Sabbath. Genuine sanctification is keeping the seventh day holy unto the Lord as God's memorial, so that the people may know He is the Lord who sanctifies them.

Keeping the seventh day in accordance with those directions publicly shows to those united in a confederacy of transgression that Sabbathkeepers bear God's sign, are loyal subjects of His kingdom, and acknowledge Him as Creator of heaven and earth. It plainly draws the line of demarcation between him that serves God and him that serves Him not, as a public sign of honoring God by keeping His commandments. Such obedience brings cheerfulness and happiness in assurance of receiving His blessing. Keeping the sanctified Sabbath of creation causes joy again among angels of heaven as when the morning stars sang together, while bringing oppressive persecution upon the militant church for obedience.

God's commandments are the guide for His people, and the words of this chapter are from God and bear directly on the coming Sabbath controversy. Those who obey need not contend with opponents but must remain faithful to God's requirements. Proper observance means resting from taxing labor and not keeping a restaurant open on the Sabbath to serve meals even when regular boarders plead earnestly to eat there. Keeping it open deprives owners and helpers of the Sabbath and turns it into heavy work for waiters serving large numbers. Closing it honors the Lord's memorial and gives opportunity to proclaim the truth by explaining the reason, answering the questions of those who wonder why it is closed, and giving interested ones reading matter that sows seeds of truth.