Ki Tisa (When You Take) Exodus(Sh’mot) 30:11-34:35
1.Torah tells the story of building the Tabernacle twice: first in Ex 25:1-31:17 where G-d gives instructions, then in Exodus 35-40 as the Israelites constructed it. In both cases, the construction of the building is side by side with the command of the Sabbath, Exodus 31:12-17 and Exodus 35:1-2. Why is that important? Also there is one marked difference between the account of G-d’s instruction to build the Sanctuary, and Moses instruction to the people. In the first case, the command of the Sabbath appears at the end, after the details of the construction. In the second, it appears at the beginning, before the details. Why so?
Putting Shabbat and building of the Tabernacle together established the rule that the Sabbath overrides the making of the Tabernacle.
Not only is the seventh day a time when secular work comes to an end.
It also brings rest from the holiest of labors: making a house for G-d.
Why is the order reversed when G-d gave instructions and Moses gave instructions?
G-d’s point of view, the Sabbath was the seventh day.
First human beings view – created on the sixth day – the Sabbath was the first day.
Now we understand why the Sabbath comes last when G-d is speaking about the Tabernacle, and why it comes first when Moses, a human being, is doing so.
For G-d, the Sabbath was the last day;
for human beings it was the first.
However there is something more fundamental at stake.
Isaiah says: in Isaiah 46:10 “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
G-d knows in advance how things will turn out.
Human beings do not.
Often, we cannot see the outcome when we begin something.
G-d wanted us to know what we are aiming at,
so that we would not lose our way in the wilderness of time.
That is why the human construction of the Tabernacle, the Sabbath came first.
The Sabbath is our picture of heaven –
what will be our fulfilled rest –
the peace that will one day take the place of the strife and struggle of this world.
Honoring the Sabbath gives us a glimpse of our destination as we travel our journey.
2.Speaking of the Sabbath, if you keep the Sabbath what does the Sabbath mean to you? Why do you keep the Sabbath? Has it changed your life in any way? Why does scripture tell us to not work on the Sabbath and also to rest on the Sabbath? Aren’t these two things the same, no work and rest?
The Tabernacle was to be a holy place a sanctuary in space where Israel could meet G-d.
The Sabbath is a sanctuary in time in which we can meet with G-d.
Shabbat is the name for the seventh day of the week.
In Judaism, the other days of the week
Yom Rishon – Sunday
Yom Shani – Monday, etc. don’t have special names of their own.
Weekdays as “the first day toward Shabbat,” “the second day toward Shabbat,” etc.
Each day is known by its relation to Shabbat.
This reminds us daily of the centrality of Shabbat.
We anticipate its arrival.
Two commandments teach us how to observe Shabbat.
First commandment is not to work on Shabbat.
Ex 20:9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the L-rd your G-d. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.”
Second is a commandment to rest on Shabbat:
Exodus 23:12 states, “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest“.
One commandment is not to do any work
the second commandment is to rest.
Why do we need both?
If the Torah tells us “not to work,” obviously we’re going to get a lot of rest and relaxation.
Shabbat helps us understand our place in the universe.
Refraining from work is the first step
G-d gave mankind the power to change the world.
Sometimes we start thinking we are in control of the world.
Then comes Shabbat.
Once every seven days, we step back from the world
We make a statement to ourselves and humanity that we are not in charge of this world.
We acknowledge that it is God’s world, not ours.
The goal of Shabbat is not simply to put our feet up and get a suntan.
Torah gives us two separate commandments for a reason.
Refraining from work does not automatically include rest
When we refrain from work on Shabbat,
we reinforce our knowledge of Who is the true Creator.
Once we’ve extracted ourselves from the illusions of our own power and once again realize we’re not G-d, we free ourselves to get in touch with G-d.
On Shabbat
I cease to work,
I no longer feel the need to compete with the world around me. I
I put all the cares of the world aside for this day.
I leave them outside my door
I welcome the peace of the Shabbat into my house as the candles are lit.
I then focus my attention on worshiping the Creator, learning from Him and resting in His presence.
On Shabbat, we focus on our spiritual goals.
We study G-d’s word.
For one day, there is no competition.
This is what is referred to in the commandment to rest.
Here is what Hebrews 4:9-11 says about the Sabbath: “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of G-d; for anyone who enters G-d’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as G-d did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
Genesis 2:2-3, “By the seventh day G-d had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then G-d blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Genesis 2 describes G-d resting on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth and then blessing and sanctifying it. This establishes a pattern for human rest and worship and foreshadows the ultimate rest found in Yeshua.
3. In this week’s portion Moses descended the mountain holding the holiest object of all time, the two tablets carved and inscribed by G-d Himself. He saw the people dancing around a calf and in his anger he threw down the tablets and broke them. (Ex 32:19) It was a public display of anger. Yet Moses was not punished. In Numbers 20:2-12 when the people complained of no water Moses was punished when he struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock. Why was he punished for his anger in the verses in Numbers and not in our Torah portion this week?
In both cases, the people were running out of control.
In both cases, Moses performed a gesture of anger.
Why was a show of anger okay in one case but not in the other?
Key question: is this a moment when anger is called for or not?
why we get angry is the first step identify – is holy or unholy.
That calls for careful judgement.
When people are dancing around an idol, anger is the right response.
When there is no water and the people are crying out in thirst, it is the wrong one.
Their need is real, even if they do not express it in the right way.
Moses came down the mountain
Exodus 32:19, “When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.”
It’s clear Moses’ anger was in line with the anger of G-d.
Moses is right to be angered by the people’s idolatry.
In Numbers 20:8 G-d said,
”Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
No where do you read G-d was angry with the people.
Evidently Moses was fed up with their complaints.
Numbers 20:10-11 Moses said, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.”
In Numbers Moses was speaking to the people in a degrading way
He was disobeying G-d’s direction.
He was not displaying righteous anger.
He was speaking from his flesh.
And for that G-d punished him.
Unrighteous anger is destructive,
Unrighteous anger occurs when I have put myself onto the throne instead of G-d.
Instead of representing G-d, I have replaced him
Example of Unrighteous Anger – Genesis 4:5-8 – “but for Cain and his offering he [the L-RD] had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The L-RD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.”
Righteous anger is a grief over sin that arises when we witness an offense against G-d or His Word.John 2:13-18 Yeshua was angry with righteous anger.
Examples of righteous anger
Nehemiah 5:1-11Helping the Poor
“Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
.When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
Paul visited Corinth and was anger when he saw the idolatry and the insult to the honor of the one true G-d. Acts 17:16-17, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and G-d-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”