Exodus Thirty 0ne

by Dr. Henry M. Morris:

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

Exodus 31:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Exodus 31:2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

the spirit of God. The “gifts of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4) thus can include what might be considered mundane skills, if they are dedicated to God's service. Bezaleel is thus said to have been “filled with the Spirit” for the accomplishment of building the tabernacle and all its accessories in accord with the divine specifications.

Exodus 31:4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

Exodus 31:5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Exodus 31:6 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;

Exodus 31:7 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,

Exodus 31:8 And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

Exodus 31:9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

Exodus 31:10 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,

Exodus 31:11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

Exodus 31:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Exodus 31:13 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.

Exodus 31:14 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.

Exodus 31:15 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.

seventh is the sabbath. Breaking God's rest day was defined by Him as a capital crime among His chosen people, and this at least shows all people how vital its observance is to Him. As far as Israel was concerned, it was to be observed perpetually. Since its use long antedates the calling of Israel, it should actually be regarded as a perpetual reminder to all people of the preeminent importance God placed on the fact of His completed work of creation, and His abhorrence of any religion (e.g., evolutionism) or any practice which denied or trivialized this foundational doctrine.

Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Exodus 31:17 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.

in six days. Here is repeated the formula of Exodus 20:8-11, making it undeniable that the six creation “days” were literal days. God even wrote it down with His own finger on a table of stone (Exodus 31:18). All Scripture is divinely inspired, but this was divinely inscribed! To attempt to stretch these days into ages of evolution would destroy the very basis of God's supremely important day of rest and commemoration. That His work of creation is not still continuing, as theistic evolutionists allege, but was completed in the six days, is not only indicated by the past tense (“God rested,” rather than “is resting”) but also by the fact that He “was refreshed,” as He contemplated the marvelous universe He had created and made.

Exodus 31:18 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.

finger of God. The fact that God wrote the Ten Commandments down Himself, rather than through a prophet, indicates the unique importance He places on these ten laws, as the foundation for all human legal systems. Also see note on Deuteronomy 9:10.