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SERIES D --- YHVH’S TABERNACLE --- LESSON 11

GIFTS GLADLY GIVEN

A CALL FOR GIFTS

From Exodus 35:1-36-7

One day Moses called together the entire congregation of Israel for a special meeting. [Here are the Laws which Adonai has given us to obey,] he told them. [Work six days each week, but set aside the seventh day as a holy day, a time of rest before Adonai. Whoever works on the Shabbat day shall be put to death. You must not even light a fire in your homes on that day.] Moses also said to the people, [Adonai has Commanded that whoever wishes to contribute offerings with willing hearts, may bring them to Him. Bring gold, silver, bronze, fine-twined linen cloth of blue, purple and scarlet colours, rams’ skins dyed red, goats’ skins, acacia wood, olive oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and aromatic incense and onyx stones and other stones to be set in the ephod and breastpiece. Let all of you who are craftsmen bring your special talents to Adonai and we will build the Tabernacle which He has Commanded, along with its coverings, hooks and frames, bars, pillars and sockets. We will build the Ark and the carrying poles, the mercy seat, the veil to screen the Ark from view, the table and its carrying poles and utensils and the Bread of the Presence. We will make the lamp stand with its lamps and utensils and the oil for the light, the altar of incense and its carrying poles, the anointing oil and aromatic incense and the curtain to cover the doorway of the tabernacle. Let us make the altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grating and the carrying poles and utensils, the laver and its pedestal, the curtains to form the walls of the courtyard with their pillars and sockets, the curtain to cover the entrance and the posts and cords to form the courtyard wall. And we will make beautiful garments for Aaron, his sons and the priests, to be used when serving YHVH in the Holy Place.] The people left Moses and returned to their tent homes. Then all those whose hearts were stirred by the Spirit of YHVH brought offerings of beautiful materials for the tabernacle and its services and for the sacred garments. Men and women, stirred to give, brought golden earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches, necklaces and other kinds of golden jewellery. Others gave blue, purple and scarlet cloth and fine linen, goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and special goats’ skins. Some came with silver and bronze and others brought acacia wood to be used in making the tabernacle. Women who had special skills in sewing and spinning worked with the blue, purple and scarlet thread and the fine-twined linen. Others spun the goats’ hair into cloth. The leaders of the people gave the onyx stones and the stones for the ephod and the breastpiece, the spices and oil for the lamps and for the anointing oil and the aromatic incense. The men and women of Israel whose hearts had been moved brought materials for the tabernacle, as Adonai had Commanded through Moses, presenting them as a freewill offering to Adonai. Moses said to the people of Israel, [Adonai has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, filling him with the Spirit of YHVH, giving him great skill, wisdom and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship. He has fitted him to make beautiful designs, working in gold, silver and bronze and in cutting stones for setting, carving wood and other skilled crafts. Adonai has also given to Bezalel the desire to teach and likewise to Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has given them the ability to do skilful engraving, designing and embroidering. They can make many beautiful things from the blue, purple and scarlet material and from fine linen and they can also weave skilfully. We need their skills greatly in making the tabernacle. Bezalel and Oholiab will work with other skilled craftsmen to whom Adonai has given special abilities so that together they may make the tabernacle and its furnishings.] Moses gave Bezalel and Oholiab and the other skilled craftsmen orders to begin the work. He gave them the beautiful gifts which the people had brought with a willing heart. And each morning he added those materials which the people continued to bring. One day the craftsmen came to Moses. [The people have brought more materials than we need for the work Adonai Commanded,] they reported. Moses issued orders which were circulated around the camp, [Bring no more gifts for the tabernacle.] The people stopped giving, for there were more than enough materials to do the work that Adonai had told them to do.

COMMENTARY

SPINNING AND WEAVING IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Making clothes in the ancient world took a long time and was very complicated. It was also very expensive. If someone owned four or five articles of clothing, he was very rich by Egyptian standards. The smallest piece of cloth had to be painstakingly made from the very beginning. The Egyptians used cotton, wool, flax, camels’ hair and goats’ hair. They made especially fine linen from flax. The best kind was called {byssus.} Spinning is the first step in making cloth. The fibre is stretched and twisted until it becomes yarn. The spindle, the piece used to form and twist the threads, was a hooked stick. The Egyptians tied a little doughnut-shaped weight; a whorl; to the end of the fibres to make them twirl around faster. Women did most of the spinning in Egypt. Often, they would spin as they walked to get water or do other things. The most skilful spinners used two spindles; one in each hand; as they spun thread from the fibre, they carried with them. After spinning, the loom was prepared to weave the thread or yarn into cloth. There were three kinds of looms in ancient Egypt. One was placed on the ground and the weaver had to squat over it. Another was a simple crossbeam, from which weighted threads hung. The third also had a crossbeam, but it could be turned to wind up the cloth as it was woven. The hand looms invented today are somewhat easier to use and speedier than the ancient Egyptian looms. The first step is still the same; setting up the warp, the long rows of tied-down strings all going in the same direction. The Egyptians used a ball of thread as the shuttle to pass in and out of the strings of the warp. These days, the shuttle is a flat object with thread wrapped around it. Its shape makes it easier to pass through the strings, and the thread unwinds much faster. When all of this was done and the cloth was completed, it was then beaten on the sides to bring the threads closer together and make the cloth that much firmer. Since weaving was such wearying, dull work, the Egyptians gave the job to slaves whenever they could. After the cloth was woven, it was ready to be sewed. Of course, that too was done by hand, with needles and thimbles that look much like those used today. The Egyptians preferred white fabrics, so not much material was dyed. Cloth for special use was embroidered. The Israelites learned the techniques of weaving from the Egyptians. They devoted long hours of very hard work and delicate skill to make the curtains, veils and embroidered drapery of YHVH’s tabernacle.

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