EXo 31.1-18 tells us about the skillful craftsmen; the sign of the Sabbath; and Moses receiving the tables of stone.
v 1…Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying,
v 2…”So I have called (chosen) by name Bezalel (in the shadow of God) the son of Uri (my light) the son of Hur (liberty) of the tribe of Judah.
v 3…And I have filled him with the spirit of God (of ingenuity and skill) in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship (this defines what is meant by the spirit of God);
v 4…to make artistic designs for work in gold (deity), in silver (redemption), and in bronze (judgment),
v 5…and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all craftsmanship (man is fashioned in the image of God).
v 6…And behold, I myself have appointed with him (as a partner) Oholiab (my tent is father), the son of Ahisamach (brother of strength), of the tribe of Dan (judge or discernment), and in the hearts of all who are skillful (wise-hearted) I have put wisdom (chacham-Prov 9.10), that they make all that I have commanded you;
v 7…the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat (kipporet) upon it, and all the furniture of the tent;
v 8…the table also and its utensils and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense;
v 9…the altar of burnt offering also with its utensils, and the laver and its stand (base);
v 10…the woven garments as well, and the holy garments of Aaron the priest, and the undergarments of his sons, to carry on their priesthood;
v 11…the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place; they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
v 12…And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
v 13…”But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall observe my sabbaths (no work on the Mishkan on the sabbath-Exo 35.3; the sabbath is put here on purpose as he is talking about the Mishkan; the sabbath had the same status in kedusha as the Mishkan or the Temple (Lev 20.30, 26.2), for this is a sign (a marker; see v 17 notes) between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord (Yehovah) who sanctifies you (gave them their kedusha from all other nations-Exo 19.6; to observe the sabbath acknowledges that God is the creator of the universe; to not observe the sabbath is a denial of God, even in the construction of the Mishkan-Hertz “Pentateuch and Haftorahs”, p. 356).
v 14…Therefore, you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy (it was the first thing that was given a kedusha at the creation in Gen 2.3) to you; everyone who profanes it (treats it as common) shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work (business, working on the Mishkan) on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
v 15…For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest (from work/business; alludes to the fact that we cannot enter our rest by works), holy to the Lord; whoever does any work (business) on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
v 16…So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath to celebrate (enjoy the rest and sense of completion) the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
v 17…It is a sign (Hebrew “owt” made up of an aleph, vav and a tav; the aleph and tav symbolize Yehovah as “head of the covenant”; the vav is the number six and also the number of man, and it is between the aleph and tav; this alludes to Messiah being both God and man, and he is also a sign in Isa 7.14) between me and the sons of Israel forever (olam); for in six days (the vav is the number six) the Lord (the aleph and tav) made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he ceased (completed from labor) and was refreshed (to take a breath from working; cease from working).’ “
v 18…And when he had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone (a type of Messiah who is the word of God-Gen 49.24; 1 Cor 10.4), written by the finger of God (the Ten Commandments were already given orally, now they were written down).
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