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Exodus 30-31
Exodus Chapters 30-31 Atonement Money and High Sabbaths
Chapter 30 begins with the instruction for the altar of incense. You may have seen in some churches the clergy waving a container with smoke coming out of it. This is a censer or incense burner. They vary in size, design and are used in many religions. They oftentimes have chains on them so they can be swung through the air to spread the incense more widely. They contain a mixture of aromatic plant material and charcoal which burns it to release the smoke and its odor.
The burning of the incense was symbolic of the prayer of the people rising up to God. “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2). The formula for this incense was very special and was to be used only on the altar of incense. It was not to be used at home or anywhere else. The incense container may have had a warning label: FOR TABERNACLE USE ONLY!
Chapter 30:12 “When you take a census . . . each must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.”
This census, since it was commanded by God, not by man, would not bring about a plaque. Why would a census bring about a plaque? In 2 Samuel 24:1 David took a census and God was very angry. Why was God angry? You don’t have the right to count what doesn’t belong to you, either someone else’s money or a population. David wasn’t supposed to count the people because they didn’t belong to him, but to God. They were God’s people, not David’s. David was to conduct a census only when told to by God. His disobedience brought about a plaque.
The census that Moses was told to conduct was by God’s direction. Each person, twenty years old and older, was to pay half a shekel, regardless of how rich or poor they were. This payment of “atonement money” was the individuals’ acknowledgement that they had been redeemed by God. When the money was counted, they knew how many people there were.
The half-shekel was a recognition of redemption, a sign of atonement. Here the rich and the poor were equal, and they each paid the same amount. Verse 15, “The rich are NOT to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less . . . and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting.”
Many Jews continued to pay this as a temple tax even when they were not living in Israel. The historian Josephus wrote that after Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to build the wall around the city, Jews in Persia continued to pay the tax. There would be deliveries of this money periodically taken to Jerusalem.
In the New Testament this temple tax is mentioned. In Matt 17:24 we find Jesus and his disciples in Capernaum when the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?" Jesus responded by asking who pays takes, the king and his sons or others? The answer was, “others.” Kings and his relatives were “tax exempt.” Then, Jesus said, “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Do you remember the gospel song, “What a Friend We have in Jesus”? What a friend, indeed. He paid his friend’s taxes. Don’t you wish you had a friend like him when you got your tax bill?
Did you notice Jesus’s motive for paying the temple tax? It wasn’t out of any legal obligation. It was to avoid conflict, to maintain a relationship. Sometimes we should just go ahead and do something that is not required of us to avoid a conflict or offending someone.
Romans 14:1 “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Paul spoke about what we eat or drink in the presence of others. “If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.” (Rom. 14:15). Always do the loving thing. We should choose our battles wisely. Paying a modest temple tax was not worth arguing over.
The Romans tried to halt the payment of the Temple tax by Jews living outside of Israel. Years later, after the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. a new Roman tax was imposed on the Jews and the money that would have gone to the temple ended up in the Roman treasury. Are you surprised?
Here is an interesting point concerning the temple tax. Everyone was required to pay the atonement money or temple tax for the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle. No one was considered too poor to give. When everyone gives everyone can have a sense of pride in being a part of something bigger than himself. A few rich people could probably have given enough to cover all the costs, but that would not be good for the other members of the community. I’ve seen the income statement of some churches where the church is in debt as we approached the end of the year. Then, someone with a lot of money makes a large donation and the church ends the year without debt. This can lead others to give little or nothing, knowing that others will donate more. This is not good. Everyone should give something, even if it is the “widow’s mite.”
Exodus Chapter 31
We have all the instructions on what was to be built. Metal had to be forged, wood had to be cut and carved, fabric had to be cut, and sewn, etc. Who is going to do all this work? Who is qualified to do it? Who is willing to take on the responsibility for building the tabernacle, the uniforms, furnishings, etc. to the very high standard that God has given to them? Any volunteers?
Exodus 31:2, “I have chosen Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill and ability and knowledge in ALL kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” Verse 6, “Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab of the tribe of Dan to help him.”
Do you think God gave these two guys a heads up before making this announcement? If not, imagine the look on their faces when their names are called out. They may have protested, “I don’t know anything about being a goldsmith or a seamstress!” I wonder if Bezalel and Oholiab made for themselves a work wagon with a sign on the side:
BEZALEL AND OHOLIAB:
ARTISANS, DESIGNERS AND BUILDERS.
WE HAVE GREAT REFERENCES! CALL FOR AN ESTIMATE!
Take the job, it will look GREAT on your resume.
Does the verse, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill and ability” bring to mind something that Paul taught the early church? Are we not, in our own way, much like Bezalel and Oholiab? Aren’t all believers given a special gift for ministry? Romans 12 and I Cor. 12 list some of the spiritual gifts that are given to all Christians to use to build up the Church. They include the gift of helps, administration, teaching, mercy, wisdom, and faith, among others. These chapters also tell us that all Christians, not just clergy, have different gifts (Rom 12:6). Not only are we not to inhibit people from using their gifts, but leaders are also to help church members to identify their gift and help them to find a setting to use it (Eph 4:12). Our church leaders are not to minister to us but with us.
Unlike a sporting event where a few athletes work very hard while the vast majority passively watch, the church members did not buy a ticket to sit and watch ministry taking place by a few paid professionals. Everyone is gifted and need to be actively involved in ministry.
Chapter 31:12, we shift our attention back to the Law of Moses and away from the tabernacle, priestly garments, etc.
Verse 12, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.’”
Who is He speaking to, the world or to the Israelites? The Israelites. If you weren’t an Israelite, you could ignore this commandment. What are they to observe? The Sabbaths, plural. Yes, there was more than one Sabbath. What is He referring to? Besides the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day, there are what are called High Sabbaths, which were associated with the Holy Days. Three occur in spring: the first and seventh days of Passover, and Pentecost. Four occur in fall: Trumpets; Atonement; and the first and eighth days of Tabernacles.
A church that observes these Holy Days today would gather for worship each day during the Feast of Tabernacles (FOT), but on the “High Sabbaths” the first and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, they would meet twice a day. The middle days of the FOT were not High Sabbaths.
Chapter 31:14, “Anyone who desecrates it (the Sabbaths) must be put to death.” And if you didn’t quite understand this threat, it is repeated in verse 16, “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.” But we know that this seldom occurred because in Numbers 35:30-31 it says that murderers must be executed, and NO ransom can be accepted to spare his life. What is this talk about a ransom instead of being executed? Jewish commentaries suggest that non-murder capital crimes can be resolved with a ransom rather than execution. So, if you break the Sabbath, you weren’t really put to death, but you would pay a fine. Why would God designate these sins as a capital offense if the ultimate punishment were not carried out? It was a way of showing the Israelites how serious God takes those sins. They were capital offenses but only in the case of murder would the sentence be carried out.
Chapter 31:18, “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”
Have you ever wondered how large and heavy these stones might have been? If they are the size pictured in paintings, say 24 inches by 13 inches, then they are the size of the government-issued headstones at military cemeteries. The headstones are 4 inches thick, which would be thicker than necessary. They weigh 230 lbs. If the tablets that Moses had were a half inch thick, each one would still weigh about 30 lbs. That would mean that Moses would have to carry 60 pounds of stone down from the mountain. I bet they were much smaller. How much space do you need to write the Ten Commandments? Do you think they might have been small enough to fit in the pocket of his robe? Besides the Ten Commandments, he had a lot more information to give to the Israelites such as drawings, specifications, etc. for the tabernacle and uniforms. Perhaps he also had three ring binders or an ancient form of the thumb drive.
All of us Bezalels and Oholiabs, let’s use our gifts this week and do something good.
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Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.