G-D Doesn’t Want a Place to Dwell With Us

As we read through the Book of Exodus, we discover that G-D uses seven chapters in order to provide the intricate details of how to build the Tabernacle. In chapter 25 He provides Instructions for the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, and the Golden Lampstand. In chapter 26 details are given for the curtains, tent structure, its framework of acacia wood, and the veil that would separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Chapter 27 tells them how to build the Altar of Burnt Offering and the courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle. Chapter 28 gives specifics for the priestly garments to be worn by Aaron and his sons. Chapter 29 provides the directions for the consecration of the priests. Then in chapter 30, we find directions for the Incense Altar, the bronze basin, and the anointing oil. Each of these chapters provide extremely detailed instructions with exacting details for building the Tabernacle, followed by Chapter 31 which provides specific instructions for the appointment of Bezalel and Oholiab to be in charge of the construction of the Holy Items. 

After Exodus 31, the Scripture takes 3 chapters to share about Moses’ two trips up the Mountain to get the Tablets of Testimony as well as the telling of Aaron making the Golden Calf. Then we arrive at Exodus chapter 35 which begins with these words:

Exodus 35:1 Then Moses assembled all the congregation of Bnei-Yisrael and said to them, “These are the words which Adonai has commanded you to do. 2 Work is to be done for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest to Adonai. Whoever does any work then will die. 3 Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on Yom Shabbat.”

Directly after these three opening verses, Exodus 35 continues with the instructions for gathering the offerings of materials and the actual preparation and building of the Tabernacle. The start of Exodus 35 isn’t the first time G-D’s word provides Israel with commandments concerning Sabbath observance. In fact, commandments concerning the Sabbath were previously given in Exodus 16:23-29, Exodus 20:8-10, Exodus 23:10-12, Exodus 31:12-17, and Exodus 34:21. 

Although the Sabbath commandments have been provided numerous times in preceding chapters among other commandments, when we read these words in Exodus 35 they seem somewhat out of place. While it may seem, on a surface-level reading of the text, that this commandment is out of place, when we take a deeper look into what I believe is G-D’s intention when he placed the Sabbath commandments at the beginning of Exodus chapter 35, we will find a richer, more powerful reason for the Sabbath commandment to be placed just before the actual building of the Tabernacle was to begin. 

In order to see this rich and meaningful purpose, we have to understand what the Sabbath was intended to be. Sabbath was never intended to be a day filled with restrictions and limitations to make us miss out on all of the fun things in life. Sabbath wasn’t even intended to be a day off from the drudgery of work and labor. Sabbath’s purpose was for us to spend the day unobstructed from fellowshipping with our G-D, the King of the Universe. Remember what Yeshua said in Mark 2:27, “Then He said to them, “Shabbat was made for man, and not man for Shabbat.

In Exodus 35, the Children of Israel were about to start building a Tabernacle so that G-D would have a place to dwell among them. It is because of this that G-D wanted to remind them that before they built a place for Him to dwell with them, they needed to remember that He had already built a place for them to dwell with Him. The Sabbath was made by G-D for man so man would have a place to dwell with G-D. Think about that for a moment. 

Once you have thought about that for a moment, think about the truth that G-D didn’t want them to begin building a place for Him to dwell with them until after they had understood and entered into the place He had already made for them to dwell with Him. Put in another way, G-D didn’t want them to do the things he commanded them to do until they entered the door to a personal relationship with Him by choosing to dwell in the place He had prepared for them. This should immediately bring to mind Yeshua’s words in John 14:3: If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be.

This verse should cause us to notice that Yeshua’s invitation to dwell with Him eternally comes just before His words in John 14:15 where He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

G-D’s consistent message throughout the Bible is one that begins with us accepting His invitation to have a relationship with him, to dwell with Him, before we begin to obey Him or build things for Him. Because G-D Doesn’t Want a Place to Dwell With Us until we choose to begin to dwell with Him.