Exo 35:3 No fire should be kindled on the Sabbath day. Despite the weather, and the know there was both frost and snow in Israel, the people were not to kindle a fire. No warm food, perhaps not even warm hands - the Sabbath must be kept for God.

Exo 35:30-35  Bezalell was filled with the spirit of God.  As we read these verses we soon see the Power of God at work in this man. The wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all manner of works,that he was provided with, would be comparable with the wisdom granted Solomon. He was an artist, a stone mason, a wood carver, an instructer, an engraver, a designer, an embroiderer, and a weaver. Each one of us has been given talents, it is our responsibility to see that we use them in the service of the Lord.

The emphasis in this chapter seems to be on "a willing heart"  Five times in this chapter V.5,21,22,29,(twice) This work was to be done on a volunteer basis. The power of God was at work within Bezaleel, it must have also been with others, as they worked with him. Once again a lesson for all of us when we go out to do the work of the Lord, It must be done with a willing heart. 

35         This chapter speaks of those who are ‘wise hearted’ and ‘willing hearted’. It is not sufficient to be willing to work for God. One has, also, to make sure that the work that one does is acceptable to Him. This is why it is essential that the willing one is also wise.

35:21,22,29   The repeated use of ‘willing; highlights that whilst God commanded Israel to make the tabernacle He still desired men and women who were willing to work for Him.

35:2 Adam had been told that he must work in the field all the days of his life until his death – Gen 3:19 – and now the law of the sabbath prohibits work on the sabbath. So the law of the sabbath is a weekly overturning the law associated with Adam’s sin. Thus each week, if Israel would take notice of it, they were experiencing the benefits of the kingdom. Thus the kingdom of God on earth was not some distant theory but something which should have had a weekly relevance in their daily life. Likewise ourselves. Freed from the condemnation we are now ‘translated into the kingdom of his dear son’ – Col 1:19 This is not to say that the future kingdom of God will not come, or that we have attained to it now. Rather our daily experience reminds us of the full fellowship we will have with our Father in the coming kingdom.

35:22 Israel had already given earrings – Exo 32:3 – for the purpose of making the golden calf. Now they were to give their earrings for the purpose of the making of the tabernacle. Thus we see that the things we possess can be used either for the purposes of denying our God who has saved us of in His service.

Psalm 92 The title of this Psalm tells us that it is 'for the sabbath day'. Reading the Psalm we learn what God wanted His servants to do when they were freed from the worry and toil of labouring in the field.
They were to 'triumph in God's work' (verse 4). The fool does not understand the provision of a worry free life (verse 6). The lesson for us is 'do we realise that we can devote ourselves to God's service in our lives because we know that he has provided for us (Matthew 6:8)

Psalm 93 Verse 5 in saying that God's testimonies are sure the Psalmist is echoing the idea of Psalm 19:7. The fact that Gods testimonies are sure has a consequence - but only for those who take heed to them. They are made 'wise'.

92:12 The idea of the righteous as a palm tree is found elsewhere in Scripture - Jeremiah 10:5 - the upright palm tree would remind the Jew of the upright man.

93:2 That God is from everlasting is so obvious. However this truth is seen as a reason to praise God Psalm 41:3 106:48 and because of His everlasting nature salvation is assured Habakkuk 1:12. In a similar way that Jesus 'ever liveth' (Hebrews 7:25) is the guarantee that our salvation is sure.

92:3 ‘solemn sound’ is, in fact the Hebrew word Higgaion found in Psa 9:16 – so we can be certain of it’s meaning.

93:4 Just as the noise of raging sea can be frightening the noise of a tumult can cause terror. However the Lord is mightier than all the noise and tumult of the world.

Psalm 92  We are not told who the author is. It is however a song urging faithfulness to God, even though the wicked appear to prosper. This song was traditionally sung on the Sabbath.

Psalm 93 The Septuagint says that David wrote the next seven Psalms. This Psalm is a song rejoicing in God's virtues,

"Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God."

In Psa 135:1-2, Israel is told to praise God. They who were called out from Egypt, baptised in the sea, and brought to worship God at the foot of mount Horeb, where they were told they would be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. They stood in the house of the LORD, and in His courts, in a figure.

But Hebrews 9 (see v24) tells us that the tabernacle was never actually the court of God at all. It was merely an earthly representation. It was a figure, a similitude, a shadow of the real. A model, and the priests which served in it were likewise only representations of those who would really minister in the house of God. The real house of God.

The real house of God is a heavenly house. Jesus has gained entry to that house, and will ever be there (92:8). It is not a shadow, but the real thing. In Psa 92:13 the saying from Psalm 135 is repeated, "Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God." Is this the genuine house of God, or the shadow?

In the next verse (v14) we are told that they will bear fruit in their old age. This is a reference to Abraham, the Father of the faithful. It is also a reference to the river of life, written of in Revelation and Ezekiel (Eze 47:1-9, Rev 22:1-2). Matching the two together we are told that whatever is planted by the river of life will bear fruit continually. This river is Jesus. Jesus has gained access to God, and is sitting at the Father's right hand. Those who are "in Christ" are rooted in that water (Psa 1:3). They are branches on His vine. They abide in Him, and therefore will bear much fruit (John 15:1-5). If they abide in Jesus, they are planted with God, where Jesus is. Abide is another word for "live with"!

Unlike the tabernacle, these things are not a figure. They are not the foreshadowing of a better thing later on. This is the REAL HOUSE OF GOD! Those who are planted with Christ (Rom 6:5) are in that house, NOW, that real house, NOW, able to do the real service, NOW, overseen by the real high priest, Jesus Christ, who lives for ever! If we take this truth seriously, we cannot help but be in awe of our position! We are in the house of God, and in his courts (v13). I wonder what He wants us to do here?

92:2-3  As the title has shown us, this Psalm was specifically for the Sabbath day. A day on which no work was to be done. So every man and woman in Israel was freed from the requirement to work. Their time was their own to do as they pleased. Well actually it was not. Their time was all available to devote to worshiping their God. How do we feel abut all the ‘free time’ we have? To whom does it belong? How do we spend it?

The palm tree is associated with righteousness (92:12). Carved palm trees were fixtures in Solomon’s temple (1Kin 6:35). They will be again in the new temple, to be built when Jesus returns (Eze 41:18,19). Palm branches were strewn in the path of the Jesus (John 12:13).

92:14 There is no retirement from the service of God. The servant of God who is truly committed will always bring forth frit to God. It may not be in the vital activities of youth but fruit will be there. We must not use advancing age to excuse ourselves from service to our God. as we age the scope of our work changes. Maybe rather than doing the physical work we encourage the younger and tell them that we are praying for them and the work that they are doing.

93:3-4 Man’s tumult is no match for the words of God. He always overcomes those that oppose Him. We should be comforted in this when we see man seemingly successfully disregarding God’s words.

4:3 Here we see the first indication that there were those at Corinth who sought to denigrate Paul - a theme which appears a number of times in both 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.

5:9 In saying 'I wrote …' we have evidence that Paul had already written to the ecclesia at Corinth about this issue so it would appear that they had not done anything about the problem.

4:12 Paul lays out a principle of how things are for the believer which he reminds Timothy of 1Tim 4:10. Today Christianity is viewed as a socially acceptable 'pastime' by many. However we should be ware that this is not so in all countries where there are believers. Some still suffer terrible persecution for their faith.

5:1 This problem at Corinth was so bad that it was commonly known of around the ecclesias - but Paul's first action was not to encourage others to dissociate from the ecclesia at Corinth. Rather he addressed their need to deal with the problem themselves.

Paul's idea of mysteries (4:1) is misunderstood by some churches. These churches claim that their clergy are the only ones to have the power to understand the mysteries of God.

These so-called fathers of the church (4:15) ought to be followed (4:16) as they have the divine authority.  Some even make the blasphemous claim that their church is a higher authority than the Bible. It is ironic that this system of worship is termed mystery (Rev 17:5).

The mysteries or secret things of God have been revealed (Rom 16:25,26).  They are readily available, for consultation by anyone, in the scriptures.

Paul (4:15,16) is not setting himself up as a someone greater than his brethren.  He realized his humble position (4:9,10).  He was as a spiritual leader to Timothy but was in no way advocating a church hierarchy.  In fact Jesus' own words dispel such a notion (Matt 23:9).

4:5  Paul’s counsel implies that those who seek pre-eminence and a following have things to hide – ‘hidden things’. In the end those who are faithful will be praised by God. Far more important than being praised by men.

5:2 It appears that the ecclesia was glorying in the sin of the brother. Maybe they were proud of the fact that they were showing him mercy by keeping him in fellowship. If so then rather than dealing with the matter in hand they were more concerned with pride – feeling that they were doing the ‘right thing’.

4:6 This problem of one being puffed up one against another appears to have been a major problem in Corinth. PHUIOO (5448) is used six times in scripture; five times in this epistle; three times in this chapter (V.6; 18; 19). The pride of life is an age old problem facing man, as John wrote that it is part of the world that passeth away (1John 2:15-17)

4:5 here Paul tells us not to judge, but in 5:1-5 he is asking for judgement. It is a matter of discerning when one judges, perhaps incorrectly, without knowing the heart, and when one should judge, in a matter that is patently obvious to everyone by the person's behaviour, which is not of the fruit of the Spirit, and shows no repentance. What is important is that we should continually examine ourselves.

4:6 The use of ‘puffed up’ is the first of a series of uses of that phrase in this letter – 4:18,19, 5:2, 8:1, 13:4. From these passages we can clearly see that self centredness destroys spirituality.

The Greek word for judge used in 4:5 and 5:3, and in most places in the New Testament, is krino.  It carries the judicial meaning of condemnation and also the meaning of discernment and decision making. For example, Acts 4:19 conveys discernment while Acts 13:46 shows (self) condemnation. In Rom 14:13 the word is used twice; the first has the meaning of condemnation while the second the invitation to decide. And that pattern continues throughout the New Testament. Thus, we are urged to judge in the sense of discernment and decision making, but not in condemnation. We are to leave that to the righteous judge when he returns (Acts 17:31; 2Tim 4:1; Heb 10:30).

5:6         Paul makes the same point to the brethren and sisters in Corinth – Eph 5:9– The problem in Corinth was their casual attitude to one wrong. It has an application for us today. We cannot ‘dabble’ in sin. Once we give n to a temptation we are on the slippery downward slope.

4:3-4 It's a good thing we're judged by Jesus, and not by ourselves.

4:5Those who were ‘puffed up’ sought the honour of men now. This was the motivating force in their lives. Jesus says that this sort of motivation is wrong – Matt 6:4 – encouraging the believer to wait for God to reward him.