It's time now for the work on the tabernacle to begin. Moses is about to take up the collection for the tabernacle that the Lord instructed him to ask for, but first he reminds the Israelites that they must still observe the Sabbath while this project is in progress..
"Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, 'These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord." (Exodus 35:1-2a) They've been commissioned to do a great thing and so much work needs to be done that it would be tempting to work seven days a week in order to complete it swiftly, so Moses warns them against doing such a thing. The penalty for disrespecting the Sabbath will be harsh. "Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day." (Exodus 35:2b-3) Consecrating themselves for the Lord's work involves being obedient to Him. No one who breaks the Sabbath will be allowed to contribute toward the work on the tabernacle. Anyone who breaks the Sabbath at this time will be removed from the world as an example and a reminder to the others that God is holy and that man must have a holy attitude when he approaches God or performs any work for the Lord's kingdom.
Such a penalty will not be enforced later on in the Bible, for a number of times in the Old Testament we'll learn that at least some of the people are defiling the Sabbath, and yet we don't see them put to death for it. I can't say for sure whether the death penalty was only to be carried out if someone broke the Sabbath during the early stages of Israel's development as a nation or whether the religious leaders were intended to continue carrying out this penalty but gradually began failing to do so until it was no longer considered at all. There will actually come a time when the people have fallen into so much idolatry that the Lord will no longer care whether they observe the Sabbath or any other holy day because they're only going through the motions. He's not interested in them keeping the letter of the law while losing the heart of the law. He will find their hypocrisy detestable and will prefer that they not obey the rules outwardly if their hearts aren't right with Him inwardly.
When the idolatry in the land begins to reach its tipping point, before the Lord allows them to be conquered and taken into captivity as discipline for their sins, He will have this to say about any offerings that are being brought in the wrong spirit and any observations of holy days that are being kept just as an outward show of obedience: "'The multitude of your sacrifices---what are they to Me?' says the Lord. 'I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of My courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations---I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all My being. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them." (Isaiah 1:11-14)
The Lord looks on the heart and sees what is in it. We might be able to fool our fellow man by going through the motions and by saying and doing all the "right" things. We might even be able to fool ourselves sometimes. But we don't fool God and He finds hypocrisy disgusting. For proof of this we'll look at the following verses.
"The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him." (Proverbs 15:8) A sacrifice costs a person something while prayer is something even the most financially destitute person can offer, but the Lord is not pleased with a sacrifice brought in the wrong spirit. He'd far rather hear a sincere prayer than receive an extravagant offering.
It doesn't matter whether an offering cost a lot or only cost a little, if it's brought for the wrong reasons it's an abomination to the Lord. "What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me." (Jeremiah 6:20)
The Lord would rather see the church locked up and abandoned than to have it filled with meaningless actions where people are just going through the motions with hearts that are very far from Him. "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on My altar! I am not pleased with you,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will accept no offering from your hands." (Malachi 1:10)
The Lord wants our hearts, not meaningless outward shows of religion. What is one way we display hearts that are right with Him? Obedience, and that's why Moses is stressing the importance of obeying the Sabbath rule while they construct the tabernacle and all its furnishings. This meeting house will be detestable to the Lord if the people aren't living in obedience to Him while they build it. If they don't do the work out of love for the Lord and out of a desire to have a place to meet with Him, they might as well be lying in their tents doing nothing. No type of work or sacrifice or offering is acceptable in the Lord's eyes if a person does not love Him. "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)
When Moses warns the people to observe the Sabbath he's warning them to make sure their hearts are right with the Lord. Then their offerings for the tabernacle and their work for the tabernacle will be pleasing and acceptable in His eyes.
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