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Oholiab and Bezalel
31 The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”
The Sabbath
And the LORD said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
(ESV)
Exodus 31 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel of the third sign of their covenant – the Sabbath. Overall, these signs were established as a reminder of the great provision of God, and to allow the people to partake in God’s plan for their lives.
The first sign was the rainbow. Although today, the rainbow has been used for all sorts of other signs, the original intention was as a reminder of God’s covenant with Noah and his family. It’s fascinating to consider the fact that the rainbow we see in nature was designed and given by God Himself. I am reminded of His covenant on a day after it has rained but the sun begins to peek through the clouds. This would have been the case after the flood as well.
The second sign was the circumcision. This covenant was made with Abraham and was established to set apart God’s people as His own.
Here, in Exodus 31, we are reminded of the third covenant – the Sabbath. This was a routine established by God that mirrored His Creation account. It was also established as a means to help the Israelites understand that God was their ultimate rest. Throughout the OT, the Jews continually worked every day to come near to God. In creating this rhythm, God was foreshadowing the coming Messiah who would give people rest in their hearts forever.
Each sign was a powerful reminder of God’s provision for His people. The rainbow was given as hope after death. The circumcision was given to begin life. The Sabbath was given to sustain life. The progress of these signs all led to the Messiah who would die, resurrect, and sustain us until His Second Coming.