How does Exodus 35:1 connect to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20? Setting the Scene Exodus 20 records the Ten Commandments thundered from Mount Sinai. After Israel’s lapse with the golden calf and the covenant’s renewal (Exodus 32–34), Exodus 35 opens with fresh instructions—beginning, significantly, with the Sabbath. “Then Moses assembled the whole congregation of the Israelites and said to them, ‘These are the words that the LORD has commanded you to do:’ ” (Exodus 35:1). Echoes of Sinai • “These are the words…” recalls Exodus 20:1—“And God spoke all these words.” • “Assembled the whole congregation” mirrors the national assembly at Sinai (Exodus 19:17). • The focus on commanded words underscores the unchanged authority of the Law despite the intervening failure with the calf. Immediate Link: The Sabbath Command vv. 2-3 reiterate the fourth commandment almost verbatim: “Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest… You must not even light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:2-3; cf. Exodus 20:8-11) Why start here? • The Sabbath is the covenant sign (Exodus 31:13-17). By restating it first, Moses reconnects the people to covenant loyalty. • Sabbath rest ensures the building of the tabernacle (35:4 ff.) is grounded in obedience, not frantic human effort. • It locates all subsequent work—craftsmanship, giving, artistry—inside God’s rhythm of rest and worship. Continuity With the Tablets of Stone • Exodus 34 ends with Moses’ face shining after receiving the second set of tablets. Exodus 35 begins with Moses sharing those same commandments with the people. • The unbroken flow from tablets (ch. 34) to congregation (ch. 35) shows that the moral law written on stone now governs community life in real time. Broader Scriptural Threads • Leviticus 23:3 echoes the same Sabbath emphasis in Israel’s worship calendar. • Deuteronomy 5:12-15 re-states the command while adding redemption from Egypt as a motive—reinforcing God-centered rest. • Hebrews 4:9-10 applies the Sabbath principle spiritually, pointing to ultimate rest in Christ, yet never dismissing the historic command given at Sinai. Takeaway Connections • Exodus 35:1 anchors the forthcoming tabernacle instructions to the unchanged moral foundation of Exodus 20. • The sequence—commandments → covenant renewal → community obedience—demonstrates that right worship flows from right relationship with God. • For believers today, honoring God’s pattern of work and rest still proclaims trust in His lordship and reflects the enduring relevance of the Ten Commandments. |
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