Exodus 39:43 - Homiletics

A blessing upon obedience.

It is not every kind of obedience that brings down a blessing upon it. To deserve the Divine approval, and obtain the Divine benediction, obedience must be, as was that here recorded—

I. EXACT . "According to all that the Lord commanded, so the children of Israel made the work" ( Exodus 39:42 ). "As the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it" ( Exodus 39:43 ).

II. PROMPT . The work could not have commenced before the sixth or the seventh month, since Sinai was not reached till the third month ( Exodus 19:1 ), and Moses passed in conference with God nearly three months. Yet the whole was finished before the year was out (see Exodus 40:1 ). Thus it appears that six months sufficed for the completion of everything.

III. INTELLIGENT . There was little misunderstanding—few, if any, mistakes. All comprehended the orders given to them, and each carried out his assigned portion. Unless this had been the case very generally, it is impossible that all would have been ready by the end of the year. The rapid completion of the work proves the intelligence of the workmen, Note what is said of their being "wise-hearted" ( Exodus 36:1 , Exodus 36:2 , Exodus 36:8 ). Men, for the most part, think to obtain the supreme blessing of eternal life, though their obedience has been

1 . Partial and inexact;

2 . tardy;

3 . marred by misapprehension of the commands given them.

They do not seem to imagine that there will be any real inspection of their work, such as that which is here ascribed to Moses. "Moses did look upon all the work" ( Exodus 39:43 ). Yet surely at the last day, man's work will be tested in some real, searching way. Whatever may be meant by the expression—"The fire shall try every man's work" ( 1 Corinthians 3:13 ), at any rate, some trial there will be. Faithful service to Christ will be rewarded by a blessing exceeding all that we can ask or think; but there will be minute inquiry, whether the service has been indeed faithful.

For further Homiletics on the subjects of this chapter, see those upon Exodus 28:1-43 .