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 This
parasha begins in Exodus 38:21-40:38. It is called Pekudei. We begin
this parasha with one last census taking place. At least it is the
last census in the book of Exodus. It would be hard for it not to
be the last census, since we are at the end of this bookJ. But this
census is not a counting of the people, but a counting of the objects
of the Mishkan. Aharon's son Ithamar was in charge of keeping a record
of everything. Even though Moses was a man above reproach in character
and was the great man that he was, he still gave an account for all
the items the people gave and what it was used for. I believe that's
just as important today in the ministry, people should know where
their money goes. We continue to hear about large ministries with
their "Jesus Jets" and $23,000 dollar toilets, what is wrong with
that picture? If Moses saw the necessity of accounting for gold, silver,
and other things out in the wilderness, I believe certain ministries
could do a little better job at accounting for funds today. That's
my opinion and as you know, I'm always willing to give itJ. I found
a couple of things interesting here in the text. The first one was
the gold that was used in the weaving of the garments and tapestries.
This
parasha begins in Exodus 38:21-40:38. It is called Pekudei. We begin
this parasha with one last census taking place. At least it is the
last census in the book of Exodus. It would be hard for it not to
be the last census, since we are at the end of this bookJ. But this
census is not a counting of the people, but a counting of the objects
of the Mishkan. Aharon's son Ithamar was in charge of keeping a record
of everything. Even though Moses was a man above reproach in character
and was the great man that he was, he still gave an account for all
the items the people gave and what it was used for. I believe that's
just as important today in the ministry, people should know where
their money goes. We continue to hear about large ministries with
their "Jesus Jets" and $23,000 dollar toilets, what is wrong with
that picture? If Moses saw the necessity of accounting for gold, silver,
and other things out in the wilderness, I believe certain ministries
could do a little better job at accounting for funds today. That's
my opinion and as you know, I'm always willing to give itJ. I found
a couple of things interesting here in the text. The first one was
the gold that was used in the weaving of the garments and tapestries.
This
gold had to be beaten down until it was literally in slivers small
enough to weave. Think about just how small that would have it be.
Another thing that caught my attention was the brass that was collected.
Brass stands for judgment and in verse 29 it reads the brass collected
came to seventy talents. The laver that contained the water the priests
had to wash their hands and feet in was brass. Their hands had to
be washed because of touching unclean things of the world. Their feet
had to be washed because of where they would walk in the world. In
the beginning there were seventy nations and the brass that was collected
here was seventy talents. Judgment would be upon all the seventy nations!
Everything was made to perfection. Take for instance the crown. It
was held in place over Aharon's forehead by three blue cords, (YHVH
likes using the number 3) threaded through three holes in the crown.
Two holes were in the end of the crown and one was at the top of the
center of the crown. The center thread was pulled over the turban
to the back of his head where all three cords were tied together (Rashi).
You can notice that from 39:32 until the end of that chapter it makes
mention three times that the work was done (32, 42, 43). The Jews
have an interesting take on why YHVH mentioned this three times here.
They
believe it may allude to the three elements of sin they committed
in the building of the golden calf. They expressed their denial of
the Torah by deed in worshipping the golden calf, in speech by calling
it a god, and in thought by believing it had supernatural power. In
making the Tabernacle they showed their loyalty to YHVH in the same
three areas. They showed it in deed by contributing their goods, in
thought by dedicating their intelligence to the tasks at hand and
in speech by declaring throughout heaven and earth this was going
to be the resting place of the God of the universe. So they bring
all the items of the Tabernacle and all the garments for Aharon and
his sons to Moses' tent. Afterward, Moses blessed them. Well actually
YHVH blessed them THROUGH Moses. Then in chapter 40 you read where
Moses now begins to bring it all together. As a matter of fact, if
you look at 40:12, you'll see Aharon and his sons did not wash with
the water themselves, the first time. Moses washed them AND dressed
them. Did you ever think about how special the first things in life
are; the first time to go on a date, the first day of school, your
first kiss, the birth of the first baby, the first word the baby says,
the first time he/she takes a first step, and the first time you tried
my banana and mayo sandwich, well maybe not that first timerJ. My
point was, that first times are important in life and YHVH made this
first time special for both Moses and Aharon. You will also notice
that this beginning of setting up the Tabernacle took place on the
first day of the New Moon in the first new month. (Exodus 40:2) In
other terms, on the "New Moon" of the first month of the year.
The
word month in Brown, Driver, and Briggs dictionary is H2320 and is
listed as New Moon. It is believed by many rabbis' the Tabernacle
work began six months after they left Egypt and continued until the
beginning of the year, marking the second year since they left Egypt.
What is the real miracle here is, they brought Moses the items and
the scriptures said he raised up the Tabernacle! It doesn't say he
oversaw Betzal-El and his workers to erect it. It never says the people
erected the Tabernacle the first month, but it says Moses erected
it. (40:18) It continuously says the word "he" Moses, did this and
"he" did that in the erecting of the Tabernacle. The word he is not
plural. After saying he did such and such about thirteen times in
this last chapter, then in verse 33 it says, and Moses finished the
work. Notice it doesn't say, they finished the work, but he finished
the work. Then the cloud of YHVH came down upon the Tent of Meeting.
At that point Moses could not enter the Tabernacle. At one time in
my life I believed this cloud just sort of hung up in the air all
the time for all of the people to see and when it moved, they moved.
Then at night there was the fire ball hanging up in the sky. But that's
not quite the way it was. The cloud only stayed over the Tabernacle,
when the cloud lifted, the people knew it was time to travel. The
same goes for the fire. The fire only stayed over the Tabernacle at
night, not just some big ball of fire or cloud up in the air hanging
out in any old place. So we are saying so long now to the book of
Exodus with all the counting of the people taking place and the counting
of the items of the Tabernacle being done. But fear not, we are not
down for the countJ! We'll be beginning the book of Leviticus next.
Leviticus, the book of "shall do and shall not do" that many believers
so dread to read and the first book a Hebrew child is taught. There's
a big difference there in those two viewpoints. Do you think that's
because we have been taught in Christianity that all the Old Testament
has been done away with, so we don't need to look at all those regulations
anymore? We are strictly under grace now, remember, or so we were
told. See you in Leviticus! This gold had to be beaten down until
it was literally in slivers small enough to weave. Think about just
how small that would have it be.
Another
thing that caught my attention was the brass that was collected. Brass
stands for judgment and in verse 29 it reads the brass collected came
to seventy talents. The laver that contained the water the priests
had to wash their hands and feet in was brass. Their hands had to
be washed because of touching unclean things of the world. Their feet
had to be washed because of where they would walk in the world. In
the beginning there were seventy nations and the brass that was collected
here was seventy talents. Judgment would be upon all the seventy nations!
Everything was made to perfection. Take for instance the crown. It
was held in place over Aharon's forehead by three blue cords, (YHVH
likes using the number 3) threaded through three holes in the crown.
Two holes were in the end of the crown and one was at the top of the
center of the crown. The center thread was pulled over the turban
to the back of his head where all three cords were tied together (Rashi).
You can notice that from 39:32 until the end of that chapter it makes
mention three times that the work was done (32, 42, 43). The Jews
have an interesting take on why YHVH mentioned this three times here.
They believe it may allude to the three elements of sin they committed
in the building of the golden calf. They expressed their denial of
the Torah by deed in worshipping the golden calf, in speech by calling
it a god, and in thought by believing it had supernatural power. In
making the Tabernacle they showed their loyalty to YHVH in the same
three areas. They showed it in deed by contributing their goods, in
thought by dedicating their intelligence to the tasks at hand and
in speech by declaring throughout heaven and earth this was going
to be the resting place of the God of the universe. So they bring
all the items of the Tabernacle and all the garments for Aharon and
his sons to Moses' tent. Afterward, Moses blessed them. Well actually
YHVH blessed them THROUGH Moses. Then in chapter 40 you read where
Moses now begins to bring it all together. As a matter of fact, if
you look at 40:12, you'll see Aharon and his sons did not wash with
the water themselves, the first time. Moses washed them AND dressed
them. Did you ever think about how special the first things in life
are; the first time to go on a date, the first day of school, your
first kiss, the birth of the first baby, the first word the baby says,
the first time he/she takes a first step, and the first time you tried
my banana and mayo sandwich, well maybe not that first timerJ. My
point was, that first times are important in life and YHVH made this
first time special for both Moses and Aharon. You will also notice
that this beginning of setting up the Tabernacle took place on the
first day of the New Moon in the first new month. (Exodus 40:2) In
other terms, on the "New Moon" of the first month of the year. The
word month in Brown, Driver, and Briggs dictionary is H2320 and is
listed as New Moon. It is believed by many rabbis' the Tabernacle
work began six months after they left Egypt and continued until the
beginning of the year, marking the second year since they left Egypt.
What is the real miracle here is, they brought Moses the items and
the scriptures said he raised up the Tabernacle! It doesn't say he
oversaw Betzal-El and his workers to erect it. It never says the people
erected the Tabernacle the first month, but it says Moses erected
it. (40:18) It continuously says the word "he" Moses, did this and
"he" did that in the erecting of the Tabernacle. The word he is not
plural. After saying he did such and such about thirteen times in
this last chapter, then in verse 33 it says, and Moses finished the
work. Notice it doesn't say, they finished the work, but he finished
the work.
Then
the cloud of YHVH came down upon the Tent of Meeting. At that point
Moses could not enter the Tabernacle. At one time in my life I believed
this cloud just sort of hung up in the air all the time for all of
the people to see and when it moved, they moved. Then at night there
was the fire ball hanging up in the sky. But that's not quite the
way it was. The cloud only stayed over the Tabernacle, when the cloud
lifted, the people knew it was time to travel. The same goes for the
fire. The fire only stayed over the Tabernacle at night, not just
some big ball of fire or cloud up in the air hanging out in any old
place. So we are saying so long now to the book of Exodus with all
the counting of the people taking place and the counting of the items
of the Tabernacle being done. But fear not, we are not down for the
countJ! We'll be beginning the book of Leviticus next. Leviticus,
the book of "shall do and shall not do" that many believers so dread
to read and the first book a Hebrew child is taught. There's a big
difference there in those two viewpoints. Do you think that's because
we have been taught in Christianity that all the Old Testament has
been done away with, so we don't need to look at all those regulations
anymore? We are strictly under grace now, remember, or so we were
told. See you in Leviticus!
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