The Theology of Participation

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR KEEPING THE SABBATH (35:1-3):
- Moses gathered all the Israelites to him and shared the laws of the Lord he received on the top of Mount Sinai.
- In regards to the Sabbath, the Israelites were to work 6 days and rest on the 7th day.
- They were not even to kindle a fire in the home on the Sabbath.
- Anyone caught breaking the Sabbath was to be put to death.
CONTRIBUTION FOR THE TABERNACLE (35:4-29):
- Moses invited anyone who had a generous heart to contribute gold, silver, bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarn, fine twined linen, goats’ hair, ram skins, acacia wood, oil, spices, onyx stones, or precious stones to be part of the Lord’s Tabernacle.
- He also invited any craftsman among the people to volunteer their skills to build parts of the Tabernacle.
- Verses 11-19 list all the important pieces of the Tabernacle as God described them to Moses on Mount Sinai.
- The people gave very generously, both of their possessions and their talents.
BEZALEL AND OHOLIAB (35:30-35):
- God gifted two men special skill, intelligence, and craftsmanship to work on the Tabernacle.
- Bezalel and Oholiab were empowered by the Spirit of God to “devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.”
- The men were also inspired to teach others how to create the necessary articles of the Tabernacle.