Exodus 31:12 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Moses always recognized when God spoke to him, and so must we.  We cannot just assume that we know what God wants without first listening to what God has to say.  Verse thirteen states, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.  God again told Moses to tell the people of Israel to keep the sabbath.  It was a sign between God and them and was to kept forever.  As stated before, we today observe the Lord's Day, or Sunday, as our sabbath, but it should still be kept holy to God.  This is our day to rest and worship God.  Verse fourteen adds, Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Not keeping the sabbath brought a death penalty.  We might have a lot fewer people who profess to be Christians today if everyone of them who does not keep the sabbath, or the Lord's Day, holy were put to death.  Verse fifteen continues, Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.  God again told Moses that the people of Israel were to work six days a week then rest to keep the sabbath holy.  We only work five days a week normally, and still too often fail to keep the Lord's Day, our sabbath, holy  Verse sixteen states, Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.  Since God put so much emphasis on keeping the sabbath perpetually, I believe that we can say that it was and is important to do so.  Verse seventeen declares, It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.  This was to be a sign between the people and Israel and God.  The sabbath would have no meaning to those who were not God's people, just as the Lord's Day has no meaning to those who are not followers of Christ today.  Verse eighteen adds, And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.  These were the Ten Commandments, written by God's finger.  Again, these were not Moses commandments that he thought up, but the commandments of God.  They are till His commandments today.

Exodus 31:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:  God again spoke to Moses and told him that He had called Bezaleel, and then God further identified Bezaleel.  There could be no mistake about who God had called.  When God calls us for a purpose today, there can be no mistake about who He has called.  Verse three continues, And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,  God called Bezaleel and He equipped him to do the job he was called for.  Not everyone is called to the same purpose in Go's kingdom, but whatever a person is called for, God will equip that person to do what he or she is called to do.  Verse four states, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,  Moses was called as God's spokesman, Aaron and his sons as priests, and Bezaleel as a craftsman.  As long as they were fulfilling their role, none was superior to the other because of their role.  Today, I believe that preachers and teachers are not superior to other Christians, as long as all are doing what God has called them to do.  Verse five adds, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.  Bezaleel was to be a great craftsman, not because of some innate ability, but because God had given him this talent.  We today need to acknowledge that God gives us the ability to do whatever He calls us to do.  It is not some great innate talent that allows us to fulfill God's calling, but God's empowering us to do what He calls us to do.  Often, God calls a person to do something that the that person may feel very unequipped to do, so that he or she has to rely on God to carry out the calling.  Of course, whether we feel that we are capable of following God's calling or not, we should always rely on God to empower us.  Verse six declares, And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;  God specified another person, Aboliah, who was called to help Bezaleel in doing what God was to have them do.  We are never alone in doing God's work, and all that are filled with God's wisdom will recognize this.  Just as there were to be other unnamed individuals to help Bezaleel and Aboliah, there are many people at work in God's kingdom today that we may never know by name, but this does not make them less important in God's kingdom.  Verse seven says, The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,  Then verse eight states, And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,  Verse nine adds, And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,  Verse ten continues, And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,  Then verse eleven concludes, And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.  God had given Moses the plans for the tabernacle, and now He calling the people to build the tabernacle according to His plans.  I will state again, we all have a purpose in God's kingdom if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we must all work together to carry out God's plans.  No one is unimportant.

Exodus 30:22 says, Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Once again God spoke to Moses, just as He will speak to us daily if we are followers of Christ and are listening.  Verse twenty-three states, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,  Verse twenty-four adds, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:  Verse twenty-five concludes, And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.  All these spices were to be made into an anointing oil.  Matthew Henry says there is no agreement as to why these particular spices were used, except that they were the finest and were specified by God.  Verse twenty-six declares, And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,   This anointing oil mixture was to be used to anoint the tabernacle and the ark of the testimony.  Coming into God's presence was not an ordinary thing then, and though we are continually in God's presence as followers of Christ, we should never take God for granted.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,  Verse twenty-eight continues, And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.  Then verse twenty-nine concludes, And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.  Everything in the tabernacle was to be anointed, so that it would be sanctified and holy unto God.  Then, everything that touched it would be holy also.  The world does not overcome the holiness of God, even if they do not accept Him.  Whenever we come in to God's presence, we are on holy ground.  Verse thirty says, And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.  Next, Moses was to anoint Aaron and his sons so that they might minister to God.  We today are anointed by the blood of Christ as Christians when we come into God's presence to do what He has called us to do.  We must never think that we are just to do what we think should be done by our own ability, but must rely on God's guidance and power to do what He calls us to do.  Verse thirty-one states, And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.  The children, or people, of Israel were to be told why this was being done and it was to be done throughout the generations.  God's word was never intended to be a temporary thing.  Verse thirty-two declares, Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.  This anointing oil was not to be poured on anyone else and it was not to be duplicated.  This anointing oil was holy to God and was to be holy to the people of Israel.  Today, we are made holy to God by our faith in Christ, and there is no other way to be made holy.  Verse thirty-three adds, Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.  There was a penalty for attempting to duplicate the anointing oil or for putting it on a stranger.  There is a penalty today for attempting to find another way to salvation other than through Christ.  Any of the people of Israel who attempted to do this would be cut off from God's people, just as those today who attempt to find salvation through any way except through the blood of Christ will be cot off from God's people.  Verse thirty-four says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:  Then verse thirty-five adds, And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:  Moses was to make a sweet perfume out of the spices that God specified.  Verse thirty-six continues, And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  This perfume was to be put before the testimony of the tabernacle, where God would meet them.  Verse thirty-seven declares, And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.  As with the anointing oil, the people were not to attempt to duplicate the perfume for their own use.  As already stated, we must never attempt to duplicate God's saving grace with plans of our own.  Verse thirty-eight adds,Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.  The same penalty applied as for duplicating the anointing oil.  Whoever did this would be cut off from the people of  Israel.  We must come to God in obedience to His word and salvation plan if we are not to be cut off from His people.

Exodus 30:11 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse twelve states, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.  Matthew Henry says that this was likely not God continually speaking to Moses, but time passed for Moses to write down what God said before He continued.  Moses was to number the children of Israel by God's direction.  God was the government at that time.  It would be so much better today if God controlled the government in all aspects.  Verse thirteen adds, This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.  The people were to give a gift of a half shekel for the upkeep of the tabernacle and a half shekel as an offering to the LORD.  God's people were expected to support His work, just as we are today.  God expects us as followers of Christ to bring our tithes and offerings to Him.  Verse fourteen says, Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.  Everyone twenty and older was to give an offering to God.  Verse fifteen adds, The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.  The rich and the poor were required to give the same amount.  Again this was to support God's work and was not to support a secular government.  Moses was told that this was to be given to make atonement for their souls.  I believe this would have been to show their obedience, and not to buy redemption.  We today show our obedience to God by accepting the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our redemption, then we are expected to support His work in the world.  We do not buy redemption with our gifts to God, our tithes and offerings, but we show our faith in Him whn we give.  Verse sixteen states, And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.  The atonement money was to be used for the upkeep of the tabernacle, just as our tithes and offerings today are to be used in the continuation of God's work.  Verse eighteen declares, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse eighteen adds, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.  There was to be a basin filed with water between the people and the tabernacle.  Verse nineteen continues, For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:  Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet in the basin, which would represent a spiritual cleansing,  We today should do all that we can to be spiritually clean when we come before God.  Verse twenty states, When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:  Aaron and his sons were to do this washing anytime they went into the tabernacle so that they didn't die.  We are purified by the blood of Christ so that we don't suffer spiritual death, but we are still to do all in our power to follow God's laws so that we can show our commitment to Him.  Verse twenty-one concludes, So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.  This law was to apply not only to Aaron and his sons, but to future generations as well.  Christ's death on the cross was not just for that generation, but for all people for all time.  We simply have to believe that He died for our sins and put our faith in His gift of salvation.

Exodus 30:1 says, And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.  Next they were to build an altar to burn incense.  Verse two states, A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.  The altar was to be square, but twice as high as it was long on each side.  Verse three adds, And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.  This altar was also to be covered with gold and to have horns on it.  God expects the very best to be given when we serve Him.  As followers of Christ, this is not just the best of what we have but of the best that we are also.  Verse four says, And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.  Thi altar was also to be made with rings to make it mobile.  The altar was to move with the people of Israel, just as the Holy Spirit moves with Christians today.  Vere five states, And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.  The people of Israel were to make staves overlaid with gold to be used to transport the altar.  Verse six declares, And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.  This altar was to be placed before the veil of the ark of testimony and before the mercy seat.  Then, God said He would meet them there.  When we are obedient to God"s instructions, we can be certain that He will meet us where we are.  Verse seven adds, And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.  Matthew Henry says that they were to burn incense to overcome the smell of the burnt offerings that were offered in the tabernacle.  Aaron was to do this in the morning and at night.  Verse eight says, And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.  As just stated, this was to be done morning and night perpetually.  This was to be a sweet incense unto the LORD.  Our worship should always be sweet to God and should always be a perpetual worship.  We are not to just worship God when we are in the church building, or during the good times, but we are to worship Him at all times.  Verse nine adds, Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.  They were to only use the altar for the purpose that God intended it to be used for.  Matthew Henry states that there was no grate to this altar, but that a golden censer was brought with coals upon it and with it all the coals were taken away.  Verse ten concludes, And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.  Once a year, Aaron was to make atonement with blood upon the horns for a sin offering.  This was to purify the altar.  Christ is the only One Who can purify us today, and this can only occur if we put our faith in Him and His sacrifice for us on the cross.  When we do accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we are to be perpetually in the presence of God.

Exodus 29:31 says, And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.  Verse thirty-two adds, And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The ram of consecration was to be cooked and eaten by Aaron and his sons, along with the bread in the basket.  This was to be done by the floor of the tabernacle of the congregation.  Verse thirty-three declares, And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.   Aaron and his sons were to do this to consecrate themselves.  Strangers were not to eat of these things, because the meat and bread were holy in God's view.  Those who do not believe in God have always been kept from sharing in God's sanctification.  Those who do not accept Christ as Savior and Lord today will never share in everlasting salvation.  Verse thirty-four adds, And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.  Anything left over was to be burned, because it was holy.  Verse thirty-five states, And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.  Moses was to follow God's instructions concerning Aaron and his sons.  They were to be consecrated for seven days.  When we come to Christ today, we must come on God's terms, and when we do, we are then consecrated to Him.  Verse thirty-six adds,  And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.  A bullock was to be sacrificed every day for a sin offering, and the altar was to be cleansed afterwards.  Verse thirty-seven says, Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.  After seven days of atonement for the altar, it was considered holy and anything that touched it was considered holy.  We today do not have a physical altar that is considered holy in this respect, in that anything that touches it becomes holy.  We do have the Holy Spirit living in us if we are followers of Christ, so when we go to the altar, it becomes a holy place.  Verse thirty-eight declares, Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.  There was to be an ongoing offering.  Today, Christ is our everlasting offering to atone for our sins.  Verse thirty-nine adds,  The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:  There was to be a morning offering of one lamb, and an evening offering of the other.  Verse forty adds, And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.  In addition to the lamb, there was to be a bread and wine offering.  Today, Christ is the Lamb, and we commerate His sacrifice with the Lord's Supper of bread and wine, or grape juice as the case may be.  Verse forty-one states, And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  The evening offering was to be the same as the morning offering.  Verse forty-two declares, This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.  The people of Israel were to have a continual offering to God, and today Christ is our continual, forever sacrifice to God.  Verse forty-three adds, And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.   God said He would meet the children of Israel in the tabernacle.  We today have so much greater access to God.  As Christians, we have God with us at all times through the Holy Spirit living in us.  Verse forty-four continues, And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.  The sacrifices that were offered did not sanctify the altar and Aaron and his sons, but God did.   No matter what we sacrifice to God, it will not sanctify us.  Only Christ can.  Verse forty five declares, And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.  God said He would be their God and dwell among them.  As followers of Christ,  God is our God and He dwells among us.  Verse forty-six adds,  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God. Today, if we are followers of Christ, we know that God is our God, and He dwells among us.

Exodus 29:22 says, Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:  Certain parts of the ram and the fat of certain parts were to be used for consecration to God.  Verse twenty-three states, And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:  Then verse twenty-four adds,  And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.  One loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread were to be placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons as a wave offering to God.  Verse twenty-five says, And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  After the bread and wafer had been given to Aaron and his sons, it was to be given back and burned on the altar as an offering to God.  I believe that the sweet savor was more to do with their obedience than the actual burning of the bread and wafer.  Verse twenty-six states, And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.  The breast of the ram was to be taken by the people as a wave offering on their part.  Obviously, they could not all be in physical possession of the breast, but it was to represent them all.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:  Then verse twenty-eight continues, And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.  This was to be a heave offering to God from the children of Israel from their offering of sacrifice from then on.  Verse twenty-nine declares, And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.  The holy garments of Aaron's were to pass to his sons after him.  We do not have holy garments today, but we must do our best to pass the truth of the gospel on to our children.  Verse thirty adds, And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.  The son who had on the holy garments was to serve as priest for a week.  There was only one priest allowed in the holy place, but we today have unlimited access to God.