Exodus 31: Jehovah continues an education of Moses: Bezalel, of Judah’s tribe and Oholiah, of Dan’s tribe are appointed by Jehovah specialists of all things: gold, jewelry, brass, Tent, ark, mercy-seat, tent furnishings, table, vessels, candlestick and vessels therein, altar, laver and base, finely wrought and holy garments for Aaron, and Aaron’s sons, anointing oil and sweet incense. Moses is again reminded of the Sabbath’s representative place as a covenant between Jehovah and Israel, and Moses is at long last given two tables of stone written with the finger of God.
Exodus 32: Meanwhile, below Mt. Sinai, Aaron is gathering earrings to satisfy Hebrew murmurings that they lack identification with Jehovah due to Moses’ prolonged absence. Aaron sees some handymetalurgists have made a golden calf, and Aaron proclaims the calf to be representative of the gods of Israel. When Moses returns, he’s upset with Aaron’s interpretation, and breaks the stone tablets given him by Jehovah on the rocks. Moses asks who is with him at the gates of the encampment, and the Levites join him. Moses tells them to slay the unrighteous, and in one night, the Levites take out the 3,000 worst offenders. Those who personally crafted the golden calf were also smote, presumably by Jehovah, but it appears quite likely the Levites were acting upon Jehovah’s direct wish. Moses asks to personally make atonement for the sins done in his absence, which I guess pleases Jehovah enough to spare Aaron, since he has many future garments set aside.
Exodus 33: Jehovah tells Moses to have the Israelites remove their ornaments. They do, and they wonder again about the purpose of their leaving Egypt in the first point. Moses’ tabertentle is placed outside the main encampment of the people, and on an occasion, there is much clamoring there, and Jehovah appears again before Moses. Jehovah reiterates the importance of the personal relationship he has with Moses, conceding that Jehovah will be gracious to whom he will be gracious and will have mercy on whom he has mercy. We won’t get into a logic lesson at this point in time, as Moses is instructed to place himself in the cleft of a rock until Jehovah passes, but that Moses will have the ability to know Jehovah was in his presence by looking at His ass. (None may view the face of Jehovah, or they will perish)
Exodus 34: Jehovah (name meaning Jealous) tells Moses to craft another couple of tablets of stone, and Jehovah can again do the carving. While back in Mt. Sinai for forty days and nights, Moses is again told that: Idolatry is forbidden, the covenant is still intact, the feasts are still required, unleavened bread is preferred for sacrifice, don’t boil meat in milk, and the stones were again carved with commandments while Moses fasted. When Moses descends from the mount, his face glows, so he walks about with a veil until “he went in to speak with him,” whatever that means.
Exodus 35: Moses calls the people to bring goods and labor required for the assembly of the tabernacle. Lots of colorful garments, precious metals, and acacia were brought by skilled people. A new requirement for Sabbath I hadn’t noticed is that no fires may be set in homes on the rest day. Perhaps there was an arson flareup in camp…
Exodus 36: Bezalel and Oholiab, General Contractors on the Tabernacle project, tell Moses that they have a surplus of supplies. Moses dispatches word to the people to cease delivery. Bezalel makes curtains and golden connecting clasps. It also looks like Bezalel was in charge of the carpentry as well, along with the silver sockets at the joints of the acacia. I guess a cubit is about 18 inches long.
Exodus 37: Bezalel also makes the ark, mercy-seat, table. And the staves. And the vessels and dishes. And the candlestick and candlestick accessories. And the altar. I hope for Bezalel’s sake that Oholiab was strictly the money man in their operation, because he took a hell of a lunch break during this project.
Exodus 38: The materials used in construction of the court, or atrium. The gold and silver used in construction are valued. The census of the people over 20 years are 600,350. Credit is given to Oholiab for his embroiding talents, which must have been extensive.
Exodus 39: The priests’ outfits are garmented. The crown was special, as it was engraved “HOLY TO JEHOVAH.” Moses blesses the workers.
Exodus 40: There is an allusion here by Jehovah’s discourse with Moses that the temple might be used only for special feasts (the three a year), but maybe not. Jehovah might have been referring to the initial erection of the tent, which was highly portable. Furthermore, any future moving of the tent and contents thereof was mandated by the presence of cloud/fire (presence of Jehovah) in the midst of the tentanacle.
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