John Calvin Commentary Exodus 31
John Calvin Commentary
Exodus 31
John Calvin Commentary
Exodus 31
"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:" — Exodus 31:2 (ASV)
See, I have called by name Bezaleel. In the remainder of this work, we will follow the course of the history to the end of Deuteronomy, where the death of Moses himself is recorded.
Although God had omitted nothing that related to the form of the tabernacle, but had accurately prescribed everything that was to be done, still the actual difficulty of the work might have overwhelmed both Moses and the whole people with despair. For this was no ordinary work, or one on which the most skillful artisans might exercise their ingenuity, but a marvelous structure, the pattern of which had been shown on the Mount, so that it might seem incredible that any mortals could, by their skill, accomplish what God had commanded. Besides, they had been entirely engaged in servile tasks in Egypt, tasks that would extinguish all intellectual vigor and prevent them from aspiring to any liberal arts.
From this, we gather that all who obediently follow God’s voice are never without His aid. In all our difficulties, then, let this prayer encourage us to proceed: 290 “Give what You command, and command what You will.”
To “call by name” is equivalent to making eminent, so that Moses indicates that Bezaleel was to be something extraordinary, as being endowed with a special gift. Thus Cyrus is said in Isaiah 45:4, to be called by his name, because in the purpose of God he had been destined in a remarkable manner to execute such great things.
Still, although the call of Bezaleel was special because, as I have just said, God entrusted to him an unusual and by no means ordinary work, we gather that no one excels even in the most despised and humble handicraft, except to the extent that God’s Spirit works in him. For, although there are diversities of gifts, it is still the same Spirit from whom they all flow (1 Corinthians 12:4); and God also distributes them to each person as He sees fit.
This applies not only to the spiritual gifts that follow regeneration, but to all the branches of knowledge used in everyday life. It is, therefore, a false division when ungodly people attribute all the means of our support partly to nature and God’s blessing, and partly to human industry, since human industry itself is a blessing from God.
The poets are more correct who acknowledge that all that is suggested by nature comes from God, and that all the arts emanate from Him and therefore ought to be considered divine inventions.
The utility of this doctrine is twofold. First, all things related to the support and defense of life, whenever we encounter them, should arouse our gratitude; and whatever seems to be derived from human ingenuity should be regarded as proofs of God’s paternal care for us. Secondly, we should honor God as the Author of so many good things, since He sanctifies them for our use.
Moses applies many epithets to the Spirit because he is speaking of so remarkable a work; yet we must conclude that whatever ability is possessed by anyone emanates from only one source, and is conferred by God. This is the only difference: Bezaleel was endowed with consummate excellence, while God distributes to others according to His pleasure.
290 Augustin. Confess. 10. 40. “Et tota spes mea non nisi in magna valde misericordia tua. Da quod jubes, , et jube quod vis.” See also .” See also ibid., Section 45, 7. ., Section 45, 7. Edit. . Bened., Tom. 1, pp. 184, 186, 191; et Tom. 10. 851 A.., Tom. 1, pp. 184, 186, 191; et Tom. 10. 851 A.
"And I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee:" — Exodus 31:6 (ASV)
And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab. It is no matter of surprise that the principal workman should be chosen from the tribe of Judah; 291 why a companion should be given him from the tribe of Dan can hardly be accounted for, unless its obscurity more highly illustrated the grace of God.
A kind of contradiction at first sight appears when it is added immediately afterwards that God had put wisdom in the hearts of all who were wise-hearted; for, if they already excelled in intelligence, what was the object of this new inspiration? Therefore, it has been commonly supposed that the special grace of God was only given to aid the ability we naturally possess.
But this passage teaches us instead that when anything grows in us, and our endowments manifest themselves more conspicuously, our progress is derived solely from the continued operation of the Spirit. God had already conferred acuteness and intelligence on the craftsmen in question. Yet their dexterity was only, as it were, the seed, and He now promises that He will give them more than had previously appeared.
I know that the words may be explained in this way: Whoever is fit and proper for the work has therefore been endowed with intelligence because God has inspired it by His secret influence; but the other exposition is more simple. What follows concerning the various parts of the tabernacle has already been treated elsewhere.
291 Addition in Fr., “Laquelle estoit la premiere en dignite;” which was the highest in dignity.., “Laquelle estoit la premiere en dignite;” which was the highest in dignity.
"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you." — Exodus 31:13 (ASV)
Speak you also to the children of Israel. He impresses upon them the same things as before, with the addition of a few words, such as for it is holiness to you;337 by this expression He exhorts them to observe this rite as most sacred and inviolable, since by its neglect religion would fall.338 And therefore He denounces capital punishment against anyone who would work on that day.
From this, again, we gather the dignity and excellence of the mystery, when God considered an apparently minor transgression of it worthy of death. Still, this was an act of inexcusable contempt, to openly overthrow, as it were, what God intended to be a mark of distinction between His people and heathen nations.
The following passages have the same tendency, and it would have been superfluous to repeat them, except that the people were thus reminded that it was a matter of the utmost importance. By prohibiting them from lighting a fire, He anticipates all the excuses they would have readily invented. For they would have alleged that if the pot had been put on the fire the day before, the Sabbath would not have been violated by lighting the fire. What, then, would have been more allowable than anything else? God excludes even this: namely, that they should not employ themselves in preparing their food or undertake any other earthly work, however minor.
When He calls it a “perpetual” or eternal “covenant,” the Jews rely on this as a basis for their obstinacy and wantonly denounce Christ as a covenant-breaker because He abrogated the Sabbath. I will not argue with them about the word גולם, gnolam, which sometimes means a long time and not perpetuity; I will simply insist on the matter itself.
Whatever was spoken of under the Law as eternal, I maintain, had reference to the new state of things that occurred at the coming of Christ. Thus, the eternity of the Law must not be extended beyond the fullness of time, when the truth of its shadows was manifested and God’s covenant assumed a different form.
If the Jews object that what is perpetual and what is temporary are contradictory, we must deny this in various respects, since certainly what was peculiar to the Law could not continue to exist beyond the day of Jesus Christ. Besides, the Sabbath, although its external observance is not now in use, still remains eternal in its reality, like circumcision.
Thus, the stability of both was best confirmed by their abrogation, since if God now required the same of Christians, it would be putting a veil over the death and resurrection of His Son. And hence, the more carefully the Jews persevere in keeping the festival, the more they detract from its sanctity.
But they slander us falsely, as if we disregarded the Sabbath, because there is nothing that more completely confirms its reality and substance than the abolition of its external use. To this point also, my readers may apply what I have written on Genesis 17,339 lest I should weary them needlessly with my lengthy explanation; and again, in discussing the sacrifices, I have referred to some things that relate to the same doctrine.
When, in Exodus 34, God especially commands them to rest in earing-time and harvest,340 it is not as if He would loosen the reins for the rest of the year; but He rather draws them tighter, since no necessity must interrupt this sacred observance. Otherwise, it might have seemed a justifiable excuse if, due to continuous rains or other unfavorable weather, plowing became difficult, for farmers to be released from the law’s obligation, lest their resting should have produced barrenness. The same opinion might have prevailed regarding the gathering of the harvest, lest it should have spoiled on the ground. God, however, allows no exception; the Sabbath is to be observed, even at the risk of general loss.
337 “For it is holy unto you.” — A. V.
338 “Ils mettoyent bas la religion comme pour la fouler au pied;” they would cast down religion as if to trample it under foot. — ;” they would cast down religion as if to trample it under foot. — Fr..
339 Vide C.’s Comment on Genesis, Calvin Society’s edit., Comment on Genesis, Calvin Society’s edit., vol. 1 pp. 447, , et seq.
340 We must beware of being misled by what is a very common misapprehension, not without the authority of some of our English Dictionary-writers, as if “earing-time” were the time of gathering the earing-time” were the time of gathering the ears of corn, instead of a derivative from the Saxon “erian,” cognate with and equivalent to the Latin “of corn, instead of a derivative from the Saxon “erian,” cognate with and equivalent to the Latin “arare,” to plough. See ,” to plough. See C.’s Latin, “Latin, “in aratione."
"And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." — Exodus 31:18 (ASV)
And he gave to Moses. It must be observed that, after the voice of God had been heard from the midst of the fire, and He had delivered the Ten Commandments, and the form of the tabernacle had been described, and the work had been already finished by the craftsmen, though its dedication had not yet taken place, Moses was again withdrawn from the sight and company of men, so that he might be taught privately by himself to be a faithful interpreter of the Law. For although God had briefly contained in the Ten Commandments the sum of His doctrine, which might be sufficient for the rule of a pious and righteous life, yet a clearer explanation was needed, such as Moses afterwards added.
For this purpose he was taken up into the sanctuary (adytum) of heaven, as it were, so that he might intimately learn all things that concerned the full and complete understanding of the Ten Commandments, since he could never have attained their genuine meaning if God had not been his Master and Teacher. From this we gather that he wrote his five books not only under the guidance of the Spirit of God, but as God Himself had suggested them, speaking to him from His own mouth.
Therefore he observed silence for forty days, so that he might afterwards speak freely by the authority of God. Thus all true pastors of the Church ought to be disciples, so as to teach nothing but what they have received.
But although God might in a moment have fully perfected His servant, yet, to demonstrate more surely that he put forward nothing which did not proceed from the school of heaven, he was separated for forty days from the human race, so that the Israelites might from then on look up to him as an angel sent from heaven. For there could be no trace of earthliness about him who had thus lived with God, without food and drink, or any other means of nourishment, and stripped of all weakness of the flesh.
Finally, the Ten Commandments were written on two tables, so that they might never be lost. I have elsewhere stated why they were divided into two tables, namely, because they consist of two parts, the first of which is the rule of piety, while the second prescribes how we must live righteously, innocently, and chastely with men. Thus the worship of God comes first in order, and then the duties of charity follow.
The tables were of stone, since it is usual for enduring monuments to be engraved on brass or stones. That they were written with the finger of God, we must understand to mean that the characters were formed without the hand or skill of men, by the secret power of God. Nor is it surprising that a writing should have suddenly been brought into existence at the same will (nutu) of God, by which the waste and shapeless materials of the world, which they call chaos, were changed so as to be resplendent with astonishing elegance and beauty.
This expression, however, is metaphorical, by which what is only applicable to men is figuratively spoken of God. For God is not corporeal so as to write with His finger, and for Him to act is only to command, as it is said in the Psalms:
He spake, and all things were made; he commanded, and they were created (Psalms 33:9; Psalms 148:5).
Many approve of the allegory, that the Law was written by the Spirit of God on stones, because the hardness of our heart does not receive it without the grace of regeneration. But we must rather hold to the antithesis of Paul, in which he shows that the Gospel differs from the Law in this respect, because it is written on fleshy hearts, subdued to obedience (2 Corinthians 3:3), and indeed it is by no means fitting that we should trifle with such notions as this, when the simple intention of God is abundantly clear, namely, that the Law was recorded on stones, so that the permanence of its doctrine should be maintained in all ages.
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