They brought the Tabernacle unto Moses. Exodus 39:32-43 The delivery of the work to Moses J. S. Exell, M. A. I. THE PRESENTATION OF THE WORK: "They brought the Tabernacle unto Moses." So, whatever work or service is done in connection with the Christian Church should be solemnly presented to Christ, who is the Chief Builder of the Christian Temple. II. THE INSPECTION OF THE WORK; "Moses did look upon all the work"; and so does Christ inspect every offering that is brought to Him. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:13 , that a day is coming in which every man's work will be tried of what sort it is — tried by fire — tried with the most terrible exactness. III. THE APPROBATION OF THE WORK: "Behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded." So in Christian service nothing can be accepted that is not minutely in accordance with the Divine specification. IV. THE REMUNERATION OF THE WORK: "And Moses blessed them." So is all faithful service done to Christ rewarded even here with spiritual blessing. So will it be in the end ( 1 Corinthians 3:14 ). Lessons: 1. The dignity of Christian work as presented to Christ. 2. The duty of fidelity in Christian work, considering it must be inspected by Christ. 3. The grand aim in Christian work, to be accepted by Christ. Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:9 . 4. The high stimulus in Christian work, the certainty of being rewarded by Christ. ( J. S. Exell, M. A. ) The Tabernacle itself E. F. Willis, M. A. The Tabernacle held an important position in the divinely-appointed worship of the Jewish Church. No less than thirteen chapters in the Book of Exodus (25-31; 35-40) are devoted to the account of it; an account twice repeated, extending to the minutest details of shape, size, material, colour, and workmanship. Special stress is laid upon the fact that it was made after a heavenly design exhibited to Moses during the forty days of his mysterious communing with Jehovah on Mount Sinai ( Exodus 29:9, 40 ; Exodus 26:30 ). The smallest details are included in this heavenly pattern ( Exodus 27:8 ; Numbers 8:4 ). This heavenly pattern of the Tabernacle is twice referred to in the New Testament ( Acts 7:44 ; Hebrews 8:5 ). Not only was the Tabernacle made after a heavenly pattern, but divinely-inspired artificers carried the design into execution ( Exodus 31:1-6 ; Exodus 35:30-35 ; Exodus 36:1 ). We see from these passages that, in matters which concern the worship of God, the minutest details as to the colour, shape, material, and make of the ornaments of Divine service, and of the ministers of it, are not thought unworthy of a special Divine revelation as to their design, and of a special Divine inspiration for the carrying of that design into effect. At the close of the work we are told, in words that carry our thoughts back to the blessing bestowed upon the first creation ( Genesis 1:30 ), that Moses recognized its exact accordance with the heavenly pattern which he had seen ( Exodus 39:43 ). ( E. F. Willis, M. A. ) Names of the Tabernacle E. F. Willis, M. A. It is called the House of Jehovah ( Exodus 23:19 ; Joshua 6:24 ; 1 Samuel 3:15 ); The Temple of Jehovah ( 1 Samuel 3:3 ), the Sanctuary ( Exodus 25:8 ; Leviticus 12:4 ; Leviticus 16:33 ; Leviticus 19:30 ; Leviticus 20:3 ; Leviticus 21:12 ; Numbers 3:38 , etc.); or simply, the Tabernacle ( Exodus 25:9 ; Exodus 26:16 ; Exodus 27:9, 19 , etc.); or Dwelling, i . e. , of God. The two most characteristic names, however, are, the Tent or Tabernacle of the Testimony (Numbers 9:15; 17:22, etc.), and the Tent or Tabernacle of Meeting ( Exodus 27:21 ; Exodus 39:32, 40 ; Exodus 40:7, 34, 35 , etc.). The name Tent or Tabernacle of the Testimony had reference to that which was one of the two chief objects of the Tabernacle, viz., to serve as a shrine for "the Testimony" — the two tables of stone on which were engraved the ten words of the Divine Law. The other characteristic name, that of Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting, speaks of the other chief end for which the Tabernacle existed, viz., to be a place of meeting between God and His people ( Exodus 25:8, 22 ; Exodus 29:42-45 ; Exodus 30:6, 36 ). ( E. F. Willis, M. A. ) Completed labour I. THE WORK WAS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO PLAN. II. It was completed IN A SHORT TIME. III. It was completed WITH GREAT JOY. The joy of — 1. Knowing that each had done something, and that something his best. 2. Anticipation. IV. The completed work may remind us of the WORDS OF HIM WHO SAID, "I have finished the work Thou gavest Me to do." V. As the house in the wilderness was finished down to the last pin, so THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD, of which it was a type, shall be perfected down to the last and meanest member. The Jewish Tabernacle : — 1. It was a school of object-lessons, designed to teach the ignorant and sensual Israelites the truths of the invisible and eternal kingdom of God. It was a small model of heavenly realities — a pattern of sight in the heavens ( Hebrews 9:23 ). It was, in the realm of religious truth, something like the planetarium used in a recitation room in teaching astronomy. 2. The principal lessons it taught were — (1) The holiness of God. (2) The sinfulness of man. (3) The distance between God and man. (4) The fact that God will abide with man. (5) The Divine plan for bringing God and man into union..

Benson Commentary Exodus 39:1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place , and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:1 . The tabernacle and its court being now fitted for divine service, the next things to be wrought were the robes of the high-priest and priests, to be put on when they did service in the holy place. Hence these garments are termed clothes of service. And “those that wear robes of honour,” says Henry, “must look upon them as clothes of service; for, from them upon whom honour is put, service is expected. Holy garments were not made for men to sleep in, but to do service in, and then they are indeed for glory and beauty.” These also were shadows of good things to come, but the substance is Christ. He is our great High-Priest; he put upon him the clothes of service when he undertook the work of our redemption; arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which he received not by measure; charged himself with all God’s spiritual Israel, bare them on his shoulder, carried them in his bosom, and presented them in the breast-plate of judgment unto his Father. And, lastly, he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrated his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father’s holiness. And all true believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen, with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the righteousness of saints: and holiness to the Lord must be so written upon their foreheads, that all who converse with them may see they bear the image of God’s holiness. Exodus 39:2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. Exodus 39:3 . Cut it into wires — They had not then the art which we have now, of drawing a piece of gold into threads of what length we please; but they beat it first into thin plates, and then cut off small wires, which they wove with the other materials here mentioned. Exodus 39:4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. Exodus 39:5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. Exodus 39:7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:8 And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. Exodus 39:8 . He made the breast-plate — This was the next piece in order, and it was formed with its four rows of jewels, and its chains, rings, and laces, to tie it inseparably to the ephod: all which was done according to the model given chap. 28. It is observable that nothing is here said of the Urim and Thummim, which is thought an argument that they were not distinct things from the precious stones in the breast-plate. Exodus 39:9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. Exodus 39:10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. Exodus 39:11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. Exodus 39:12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. Exodus 39:13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings. Exodus 39:14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. Exodus 39:15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. Exodus 39:16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. Exodus 39:17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. Exodus 39:18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. Exodus 39:19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. Exodus 39:20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. Exodus 39:21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. Exodus 39:23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. Exodus 39:24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen . Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; Exodus 39:26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in ; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, Exodus 39:28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, Exodus 39:29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. Exodus 39:31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. Exodus 39:32 . Thus was all the work finished — In not much more than five months. Though there was a great deal of fine work, such as used to be the work of time, embroidering, and engraving, not only in gold, but in precious stones, yet they went through with it in a little time, and with the greatest exactness imaginable. The workmen were taught of God, and so were kept from making blunders, which would have retarded them. And the people were hearty and zealous in the work, and impatient till it was finished. God had prepared their hearts, and then the thing was done suddenly, 2 Chronicles 29:36 . Exodus 39:33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, Exodus 39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering, Exodus 39:35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, Exodus 39:36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, Exodus 39:37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, Exodus 39:38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, Exodus 39:39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, Exodus 39:40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, Exodus 39:41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place , and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office. Exodus 39:42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. Exodus 39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. Exodus 39:43 . And Moses did look upon all the work — Piece by piece; and behold they had done it according to the pattern showed him — For the same that showed him the pattern, guided their hand in the work. And Moses blessed them — He not only praised them, but prayed for them: he blessed them as one having authority. We read not of any wages Moses paid them for their work, but his blessing he gave them. For though ordinarily the labourer be worthy of his hire, yet in this case, they wrought for themselves. The honour and comfort of God’s tabernacle among them would be recompense enough. And they had their meat from heaven on free cost, for themselves and their families, and their raiment waxed not old upon them; so that they neither needed wages, nor had any reason to expect any. But indeed this blessing, in the name of the Lord, was wages enough for all their work. Those whom God employs he will bless, and those whom he blesseth they are blessed indeed. The blessing he commands is life for evermore. Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Expositor's Bible Commentary Exodus 39:1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place , and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. -35 CHAPTER XXXV. THE CONCLUSION. Exodus 35:1-35 - Exodus 40:1-38 . The remainder of the narrative sets forth in terms almost identical with the directions already given, the manner in which the Divine injunctions were obeyed. The people, purified in heart by danger, chastisement and shame, brought much more than was required. A quarter of a million would poorly represent the value of the shrine in which, at the last, Moses and Aaron approached their God, while the cloud covered the tent and the glory filled the tabernacle, and Moses failed to overcome his awe and enter. Thenceforth the cloud was the guide of their halting and their march. Many a time they grieved their God in the wilderness, yet the cloud was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, throughout all their journeyings. That cloud is seen no longer; but One has said, "Lo, I am with you all the days." If the presence is less material, it is because we ought to be more spiritual. * * * * * Looking back upon the story, we can discern more clearly what was asserted when we began--the forming and training of a nation. They are called from shameful servitude by the devotion of a patriot and a hero, who has learned in failure and exile the difference between self-confidence and faith. The new name of God, and His remembrance of their fathers, inspire them at the same time with awe and hope and nationality. They see the hollowness of earthly force, and of superstitious worships, in the abasement and ruin of Egypt. They are taught by the Paschal sacrifice to confess that the Divine favour is a gift and not a right, that their lives also are justly forfeited. The overthrow of Pharaoh's army and the passage of the Sea brings them into a new and utterly strange life, in an atmosphere and amid scenes well calculated to expand and deepen their emotions, to develop their sense of freedom and self-respect, and yet to oblige them to depend wholly on their God. Privation at Marah chastens them. The attack of Amalek introduces them to war, and forbids their dependence to sink into abject softness. The awful scene of Horeb burns and brands his littleness into man. The covenant shows them that, however little in themselves, they may enter into communion with the Eternal. It also crushes out what is selfish and individualising, by making them feel the superiority of what they all share over anything that is peculiar to one of them. The Decalogue reveals a holiness at once simple and profound, and forms a type of character such as will make any nation great. The sacrificial system tells them at once of the pardon and the heinousness of sin. Religion is both exalted above the world and infused into it, so that all is consecrated. The priesthood and the shrine tell them of sin and pardon, exclusion and hope; but that hope is a common heritage, which none may appropriate without his brother. The especial sanctity of a sacred calling is balanced by an immediate assertion of the sacredness of toil, and the Divine Spirit is recognised even in the gift of handicraft. A tragic and shameful failure teaches them, more painfully than any symbolic system of curtains and secret chambers, how little fitted they are for the immediate intercourse of heaven. And yet the ever-present cloud, and the shrine in the heart of their encampment, assure them that God is with them of a truth. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.