Exodus 36
Outline
1 | Bezalel and Oholiab and all the other workers to do the work
2-7 | The workers receive the offering; the people were told to stop bringing the offering as they had more than enough
8-13 | Bezalel makes the tabernacle and its curtains
14-19 | The covering of the tabernacle is made
20-30 | The boards for the tabernacle
31-34 | Bars for the boards
35-38 | The veil is made
Reflections
Every construction project has some common activities: planning and procurement, construction, and utilization. In the planning and procurement phase, all of the designs for the construction project are completed, and the necessary skills and materials identified and assigned to individuals or groups. In the construction phase, the work is performed and managed to completion according to the plans. In the utilization phase, the building is put to use and maintained.
In the previous chapters, God had given Moses the plans for the tabernacle and its furnishings and the people were encouraged to give materials according what they had available to them. This would be the planning and procurement phase of the tabernacle construction.
In this chapter. the construction phase begins. It begins with Moses calling the general contractors, Bezalel and Oholiab, the construction crews, every skillful person and “everyone whose heart stirred him”, to begin the construction of the tabernacle.
One of the first things that needed to take place is the delivery of the materials required. This is accomplished by the freewill offerings given at the end of the last chapter and continued in this chapter. In fact the people were giving so much above what was needed that the workers came to Moses and asked him to have the people stop bringing their gifts.
The actual construction is described in the rest of the chapter and the next. There isn’t much here in terms of devotional content except to go back to the phrase in verse 2, “everyone whose heart stirred him.” It is the same phrasing that was used to describe the people who brought the freewill offerings in Exodus 35:21.
This is another reminder that God wants us to freely offer our gifts to Him for the service of the kingdom and to His glory. God doesn’t want us to be burdened but joyful in our giving and service to His glory.
Lord God, You have blessed us with so much and only ask a portion of it be returned to You as a freewill offering with thanksgiving and joy. We pray that You will bless all our offerings to the furtherance of Your church in this world. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Exodus_36_RL_GodsTabernacleDesign-ConstructionBegins.pdf
