Divine Principle Bible

Exodus 31–35

Exodus chapters 31 through 35 with devotional commentary in the same style as the earlier sections.

Exodus 31

31:1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 31:2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 31:3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 31:4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 31:5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. 31:6And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; 31:7The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, 31:8And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, 31:9And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, 31:10And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office, 31:11And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

Comment on 31:1–11: I as God of Divine Principle say that heavenly work needs inspired skill. Wisdom is not only for prophets and leaders. Artisans, builders, and craftsmen also serve God when they shape the sanctuary according to heaven’s pattern.

31:12And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 31:13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 31:14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31:15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 31:16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 31:17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. 31:18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Comment on 31:12–18: Holy labor must still remain under holy time. Even sacred work does not replace covenant rhythm. The sabbath and the stone tablets show that God’s order is both relational and enduring.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Exodus 31 reveals that the building of God’s dwelling requires both divine gifting and covenant discipline. Bezaleel and Aholiab are not accidental helpers. They show that God gives wisdom for practical creation, so that heavenly patterns may take visible form on earth.

This chapter also returns to the sabbath, teaching that even when people are engaged in sacred tasks, they must not lose the rhythm of sanctification. Providence needs both activity and rest, creation and reverence, work and remembrance. The chapter closes with the tables of testimony, showing that the covenant is not merely spoken but inscribed as a lasting standard.

Exodus 32

32:1And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 32:2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 32:3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 32:4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 32:5And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 32:6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Comment on 32:1–6: I as God of Divine Principle say that when faith loses patience, idolatry rushes in. The people who received the covenant turned quickly to a visible substitute. Fallen nature resists waiting for heaven’s timing.

32:7And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 32:8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 32:9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 32:10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 32:11And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 32:12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, for to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 32:13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 32:14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

Comment on 32:7–14: Moses stands in the gap as mediator. Heaven’s providence is protected through intercession, remembrance of the promise, and the central figure’s willingness to plead for a fallen people.

32:15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 32:16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 32:17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 32:18And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. 32:19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 32:20And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. 32:21And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 32:22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 32:23For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 32:24And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. 32:25And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) 32:26Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 32:27And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 32:28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 32:29For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. 32:30And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 32:31And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32:32Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 32:33And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 32:34Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. 32:35And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

Comment on 32:15–35: The broken tablets show the broken covenant. Yet even after judgment, the providence is not abandoned. Restoration continues through separation from evil, repentance, and the mediator’s sacrificial heart.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Exodus 32 is one of the great tragedy chapters of the Old Testament. While Moses is receiving heaven’s order on the mountain, the people below turn to a golden calf. This reveals how quickly fallen humanity substitutes visible desire for living faith, especially when the central figure seems delayed.

The chapter also reveals the heart of the mediator. Moses does not merely condemn; he intercedes, descends, judges, separates good from evil, and then ascends again to seek atonement. This is a pattern of restoration: when the covenant is broken, there must be both judgment and sacrificial intercession if providence is to continue.

Exodus 33

33:1And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: 33:2And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 33:3Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. 33:4And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 33:5For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 33:6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

Comment on 33:1–6: I as God of Divine Principle say that the greatest loss is not merely hardship but the withdrawal of God’s presence. The people begin to repent when they realize that blessing without divine nearness is not enough.

33:7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 33:8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 33:9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 33:10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 33:11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Comment on 33:7–11: Even after sin, the seeking heart still turns toward God. Moses’ intimacy with heaven shows the value of a true central figure through whom the people may again find direction.

33:12And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 33:13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 33:14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 33:15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 33:16For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 33:17And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 33:18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 33:19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 33:20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 33:21And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 33:22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 33:23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Comment on 33:12–23: Moses values presence above territory and seeks glory above mere success. Yet heaven still reveals itself by degrees. Restoration draws near to God, but full vision remains beyond fallen humanity.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Exodus 33 is the chapter of yearning for presence. After the sin of the calf, the question is no longer simply how to reach the land, but whether God Himself will remain with the people. Moses understands that providence without God’s presence is empty.

This chapter reveals the essence of true leadership in restoration. Moses does not seek position, comfort, or a substitute arrangement. He asks for God’s way, God’s presence, and God’s glory. Yet the chapter also teaches that because of the human condition, divine revelation is still partial. Nearness is granted, but full sight awaits a deeper fulfillment.

Exodus 34

34:1And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. 34:2And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. 34:3And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. 34:4And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. 34:5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 34:6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 34:7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 34:8And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 34:9And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Comment on 34:1–9: I as God of Divine Principle say that after failure there can still be renewal, but it requires a new ascent, new stone tablets, and renewed grace. God reveals both mercy and righteousness together.

34:10And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 34:11Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 34:12Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 34:13But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 34:14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 34:15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; 34:16And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. 34:17Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. 34:18The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. 34:19All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. 34:20But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. 34:21Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. 34:22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. 34:23Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. 34:24For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. 34:25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning. 34:26The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. 34:27And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 34:28And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Comment on 34:10–28: Renewal does not mean a weaker covenant. It means a restored covenant that still demands purity, separation from idolatry, holy times, and faithful offering. Grace does not erase responsibility.

34:29And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 34:30And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. 34:31And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. 34:32And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 34:33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34:34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 34:35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Comment on 34:29–35: When the mediator has truly been with God, heavenly glory marks him. Yet the veil shows that revelation still comes through mediated forms because the people are not yet ready for full direct encounter.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Exodus 34 is the chapter of covenant renewal. The first tablets were broken because the people broke faith, but heaven does not end the providence there. Moses ascends again, and God writes again, showing that restoration is costly but possible.

This chapter also reveals the balance of divine heart. God is merciful and gracious, yet He does not call evil good. Therefore renewed covenant life still requires separation from idolatry, holy observance, and obedience. Moses’ shining face shows that one who truly meets God becomes a bearer of reflected glory for the sake of the people.

Exodus 35

35:1And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them. 35:2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 35:3Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Comment on 35:1–3: I as God of Divine Principle say that even after forgiveness, the people must begin again with obedience and holy time. Restoration restarts at the level of order and reverence.

35:4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 35:5Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 35:6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 35:7And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 35:8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 35:9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. 35:10And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 35:11The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 35:12The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, 35:13The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, 35:14The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 35:15And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, 35:16The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 35:17The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 35:18The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 35:19The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.

Comment on 35:4–19: The renewed people are invited to participate with willing heart and skilled hands. Providence advances when the community joins its offerings and talents to the heavenly purpose.

35:20And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 35:21And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 35:22And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. 35:23And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. 35:24Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it. 35:25And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 35:26And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. 35:27And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 35:28And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 35:29The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

Comment on 35:20–29: After the sin of misused gold in the calf, the people now bring their possessions rightly for God’s dwelling. Restoration includes turning former instruments of error into offerings for holiness.

35:30And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 35:31And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 35:32And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 35:33And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 35:34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35:35Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Comment on 35:30–35: Heaven not only gives skill but also the ability to teach. The work of restoration multiplies when gifted people build others up to participate in God’s purpose.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Exodus 35 marks a restored beginning. After sin, judgment, repentance, and covenant renewal, the people are again gathered to obey, offer, and build. This is important in restoration: failure does not end the providence if the people return with willing heart and right order.

The chapter also shows the healing of misdirected desire. Gold once used for an idol is now offered for the tabernacle. Skill once ordinary becomes consecrated craftsmanship. Men and women, rulers and workers, all participate. Thus the people begin to move from rebellion toward cooperative attendance before God.