Exodus 39 - Integrity

Exodus 39:32-33a MKJV  And all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation was finished. And the sons of Israel did according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. So they did.  33  And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent, and all its furniture…
Exodus 39:42-43 MKJV  According to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel made all the work. 43 And Moses looked upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it. As Jehovah commanded, even so they had done it. And Moses blessed them. 

“Ten times over we are told that all the work was done, as the Lord commanded Moses. Their obedience had been minute and exact…Will our Lord, when He beholds it, be able to say that it has all been wrought according to His pattern and in obedience to His command?” – Through the Bible Day By Day by F.B. Meyer

“In not much more than five months. Though there was a great deal of fine work, such as used to be the work of time, embroidering, and engraving, not only in gold, but in precious stones, yet they went through with it in a little time, and with the greatest exactness imaginable. The workmen were taught of God, and so were kept from making blunders, which would have retarded them. And the people were hearty and zealous in the work, and impatient till it was finished. God had prepared their hearts, and then the thing was done suddenly, 2 Chronicles 29:36.” – Joseph Benson’s Commentary of the Old and New Testament

“Moses was the leader with the vision from God, with the best knowledge of the pattern God wanted the tabernacle built according to (Exodus_25:9). Therefore it was right and proper for him to supervise every detail of the construction. As the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it: This was wonderful obedience. No wonder Moses blessed them.” – David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary

Exodus 39:43, “blessed” – barak – H1288
Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason): –    X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions
1) to bless, kneel
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to kneel
1a2) to bless
1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself
1c) (Piel) to bless
1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored
1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel
1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself
2) to praise, salute, curse
Part of Speech: verb

“For though ordinarily the labourer be worthy of his hire, yet in this case, they wrought for themselves. The honour and comfort of God’s tabernacle among them would be recompense enough. And they had their meat from heaven on free cost, for themselves and their families, and their raiment waxed not old upon them; so that they neither needed wages, nor had any reason to expect any. But indeed this blessing, in the name of the Lord, was wages enough for all their work. Those whom God employs he will bless, and those whom he blesseth they are blessed indeed. The blessing he commands is life for evermore.” – Benson Commentary

It is worth noting this endeavor was done with INTEGRITY! God gave Moses the plan and showed him the pattern while on the mountain. God also told him who to select as the artisans – Bezalel and Oholiab. Moses brought that down and followed the plan, the pattern, the selection of the artisans and then opened it up to the people with the encouragement to give and work on this holy project.

Thus far, Moses followed God’s directives to the letter and he would continue to do so. That is integrity in leadership! Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and following them at all times, no matter who’s watching. A person with integrity acts with honesty, honor, and truthfulness. Integrity can be defined as aligning your conduct with what you know to be excellent. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” means “the condition of being without blemish, completeness, perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.” Integrity in the New Testament means “honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works.” Moses was a man of integrity. Bezalel and Oholiab exhibited integrity. Integrity is a determination of the heart. Integrity is the unwavering determination in the heart to do right no matter what. Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. He was tempted but He did not sin. He had the determination to follow His Father no matter what. If you’ve got any integrity, it’s not because you have it naturally. If you’ve really got it, it’s because God gave it to you.

Christians should be those who cannot be bribed or compromised because we serve God rather than men (Colossians 3:17, 23; Acts 5:29). We are to be people who keep our word (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). We are to love those around us in both word and deed (1 John 3:17–18; James 2:17–18; Ephesians 4:29). We are called upon to believe in God and therefore to follow Him in all our ways (John 6:19; 15:1–17). Our lives should line up with our belief in God and evince a trust that His ways are best (Proverbs 3:5–6). – GotQuestions.org (Integrity)

The people began to give freely, voluntarily and with a cheerful heart in order to complete the holy project. They, in fact, gave so much the Leaders had to finally say, “Enough!” Moses, Bezalel and Oholiab could have continued receiving from the people and putting it in their own pet pork barrel projects, or lining their pockets. Plenty of politicians do just that! But they showed integrity! They only took in what they needed to do the project exactly as God told them to do it. They didn’t add or subtract to His holy habitation. And they certainly didn’t line their own pockets or garner favors with pork barrel projects. There was no substandard material used and then covered with gold so as to be “undiscovered”, meanwhile pocketing the difference in profit. There was no bid rigging. There were no bribes or coercions, back room deals. The people gave honestly and openly and the material, valuable as it was, was used exactly how it was supposed to be used according to God’s directives. No more, no less, and no dipping in the till. Once they had enough, they constrained the people from giving more.

There were no add-ons either. It was done exactly to God’s pattern. They didn’t add on a “holy” mega-pool in order to pay Moses’ son, as the pool contractor, so he could get rich. They didn’t add on a “holy” penthouse for Moses to live in to “oversee” the project. They didn’t add on a “holy” jet plane so Moses could quickly get from one speaking engagement to another in style and comfort. They didn’t add on “holy” limousine camels or “holy” $5,000 silk robes and Gucci sandals so Moses looked the part of a ministry leader.

God forgive us! Have we showed INTEGRITY in our homes, businesses and churches? As Christians, have we used God-given resources with integrity? Have we followed God’s patterns and directives without adding, or subtracting, to them according to our designs and desires? Have we taken what God has given us and used it well or wasted it? Or grumbled about what He’s given us? Or wasted and destroyed what He’s given us?

Think about it… has God given you health but you take drugs, get drunk, sleep around, smoke/vape, do dangerous stunts, etc.? You are taking God-given good health and destroying it with your own hands.

Has God given you a nice home but you won’t maintain it, clean it, declutter it? Maybe you are even destructive with it such as punching holes in the walls or kicking a door in? You are destroying a God-given resource, a blessing.

Do you have money but you waste it on alcohol, drugs, parties, or useless crap like a pitiful hoarder? That is a God-given resource, a blessing. How are you using it?

Do you have clothes to wear? Where are they? Are they on the floor? Do you walk on them? They are God-given blessings you are trashing! If you can’t wash, fold, put away, care for your clothes, you don’t deserve to have them. And if you have clothes that you’ve never worn and still have the price tags on them, you have wasted money on clothes you don’t even wear.

What about a God-given talent? Do you use it with integrity and gratitude? Or do you waste it? Or do you destroy it? Let’s say God has given you a wonderful voice but instead of using it for Him, you choose to use it to try and get rich and famous. Before you know it you’ve ruined your voice with overusing our voice, or drugs, or a dissipated lifestyle. It takes integrity to use a God-given talent the way God directs you to, according to His plans, purposes and pattern.

Why would God continue to bless you when you aren’t grateful and you don’t use integrity with your God-given resources? If you misuse, abuse, destroy what He gives you then they are wasted because they weren’t used for His service.

Notice, also, that Moses, Bezalel, Oholiab and the Israelites worked in UNITY to accomplish this holy project. Hundreds of thousands of people had ONE common goal and they worked together to accomplish it in record time. Everything from the plans to the giving to the work to the finish was a common effort led by God. This unity was highly unusual and is unusual today. It’s a beautiful thing to see but a rare thing to see. Everyone is usually going in different directions and we can’t get moving as one. There is no coming together with common purpose. It only happens when everyone shares the same vision, the same hope, and a clear path forward. Only God can truly give that to a group of people whether it be a family, a church, a state or a nation.

For instance, right now, in 2021, I see no hope for America in the future and certainly no clear path upward and forward. I see America totally disintegrating in a hellish, selfish, spiraling, corrupt, violent, immoral mass and taking the good people with it. There may be clear water in the bathtub, but when the plug is pulled and the water starts spiraling down the drain, all the water goes with it. The Democrats pulled the plug and we’re all going down. The immoral, corrupt politicians, along with the selfish and violent thugs and criminals have pulled the plug. There is nothing to keep us from going down the drain.

There is no ideal any more. There is no hope or vision for the future any more. There is nothing but corruption, chaos, criminality, immorality, evil everywhere you turn. Right is wrong and wrong is right. They have used their own hands to pull the plug. They cannot complain when they circle down the drain of judgment.

BUT, God knows each and every true believer and Christian in this country, in this world. He knows how to take care of us even as the water is circling the drain. We will NOT face judgment because we are His Children. It may feel like we are caught in the mess that’s going down the drain, but God knows how to rescue His people. He removes them or He provides a way, but He knows just what to do for each one of us. That’s what I hold on to and is my faith. We are not facing God’s wrath, we are facing God’s rescue!

What could we accomplish if we had God’s vision, followed His directives, worked on His purposes and let Him be our GOD!?! What could we accomplish if we worked in unity, in love, in harmony, in one direction? We won’t see that on this earth, except maybe in small groups. It’s unrealistic and unsustainable with sinful human beings. But to imagine it as it will be when God is our God and we are sinless and able to follow Him with our whole being is magnificent!

Another notable is how they worked with great care. They did their best work. They didn’t shirk. They did their work with a whole heart and were deliberately careful and exact. No one was saying, “That’s not my job” or “I put in my eight hours and then I go home”. They weren’t stealing office supplies or stealing time. They weren’t taking long lunch breaks or clocking in late or leaving early. In fact, it doesn’t say that they got any “wages” for their work. They were blessed in many other ways but it wasn’t with a paycheck. They did such a good job that when Moses inspected their work, it was done “as Jehovah had commanded and Moses blessed them”! Their work passed Moses’ inspection. And, in chapter 40, their work passes God’s inspection because His glorious presence moved in!

As a Christian, we should go above and beyond worldly standards. Right now, worldly standards are very sub-par. It’s become expected for contractors to use substandard materials to line their pockets and the taxpayers get crappy work for exorbitant and inflated prices. For example, schools built at the turn of the last century are still standing 120 years later. Schools built today, despite all the technology, may not last 50 years. But the expense of building them, even considering today’s dollars, is so much higher than it was back then. For instance, building a high school in 1920 (100 years ago) cost about $15,000 which would be nearly $200,000 in today’s money. Our district just finished a new high school and it went way over budget and cost $80,000,000+. And it won’t last 100 years. Why? Because everybody, and his brother, has their hand in the till and are making profits every way they can because taxpayer money is a big pot of money without a lot of accountability. You may have contractors rigging bids, bribing officials, using substandard materials, cutting corners. You may have officials who make the decisions deciding on add-ons in order to give the business, and the profits, to family members or friends. Since when did every high school in the county need their own soccer field, separate baseball field, separate football field, separate band practice field, their own gym, custom sports buses, extravagant football locker rooms, their own tennis courts, gourmet cafeterias (that still serve low quality swill because those catering contractors may also be lining their pockets), an auditorium and a music room, an outdoor amphitheater (that is never used), a mega fountain, $100k signs at the entrances, 100 acres of land that has to be landscaped (because someone knows a landscaper who gets paid to do all that landscaping), etc. That’s just one high school in one district in our county. There are multiple mega-high schools in our county, each one competing for which spends the most money. And our students are graduating barely able to read and write. The whole purpose of these schools is supposed to be graduating students with a good education. NOT graduating students with such a low level of education they cannot compete in the real world. There is no integrity left in these kinds of public works projects whether it’s schools, universities, roads, infrastructure, utilities, medical corporations, etc. It’s all about greed and has become shills, grafting, bribery, con games on the taxpayers.

If you are a Christian, how do you show integrity in your work place? Do you do a good job? Do you represent a good company that stands behind their product or service? Do you do your best? Do you work for the good of the company? Do you listen and try to do what you are told to do?

If you are a Christian and own a business, how do you exhibit integrity? Do you stand behind your product or service? Do you treat your employees right and pay a living wage? Do you do your best to give your customer what they are paying for? Are you honest, dependable, hardworking? Do you inspect the work of your business to make sure it’s right like Moses did? Do you take your company plans, goals and vision to God for His directives? Do you use your God-given resources and blessings according to His ways?

If you are a Christian and a politician, are you serving God in your job as a politician or yourself? Are you overseeing budgets and making sure, as to the best of your ability, that it’s honest and accountable? Are you pursuing any mishandling of public funds? Do you take your role as a public administrator and overseer of taxpayer monies seriously? Are you using your position to help the most people? Are you willing to hold your workers and your fellow Congressmen/women accountable? Are you honest, transparent, accountable, an “open book” to those who elected you?

If you are a Christian in a church, as a lay person or staff, do you use integrity with the resources God has given you? Are you using church monies with the highest integrity, honesty, accountability, transparency? Are you taking in monies people have freely given, to make a profit for yourself or to subtract, or add on, to your own benefit? Are you willing to be transparent and accountable in all areas of your life? Are you consistently going to God for the vision, plans and patterns God has for your church? Are you following and obeying God’s directives without your own subtractions and add-ons? Have you established protocols to protect yourself and your congregation from any misuse of resources? Documentation, honesty, and following the rules are for your own protection as well as the protection of the church. That’s what church By Laws and financial procedures are for. Are you allowing the leaders in the church to inspect and oversee your work and willing to make adjustments as God directs through them? Or do you expect those who surround you to be “Yes” men who don’t get in your way? If there are questions or reluctance from your overseers, do you all take it to God, pray and wait for His directives? Are you obedient to God’s directives when shown? Are you willing to adjust according to God’s directions or does it have to be your way?

Are you using Christian integrity in your home and family? Do you exhibit integrity in your home life before your spouse and children? Do you do good work around the house, maintaining your home, keeping it clean and habitable? Do you treat your spouse and children with Christian principles of love, kindness, goodness, patience and self control? Do you show them respect? Do you lead them spiritual disciplines? Do you teach them how to use their God-given resources for God? If you take little Johnny to baseball practice, you are using Johnny’s youth and ability, maybe even talent, for baseball. You are using your time and money for Johnny’s baseball practice and games. Is this a waste of yours, and Johnny’s, God-given resources? It depends on how you are using them. First ask God for His direction as to whether Johnny should play baseball. God will direct you and it may be He has other plans for Johnny and all that would be a waste. Or it may be that Johnny needs what he’s learning with baseball and God wants him to play. Only God knows these things. So pray. Then, if God directs you to let Johnny play, use the time and resources wisely by using it as teachable moments. Discuss, teach, train within the baseball season. It’s not just about getting little Johnny a baseball scholarship to college or teaching him a sport or even teaching him teamwork! It’s about little Johnny learning spiritual lessons with, or without, the aid of baseball, that will be with him for eternity. So pray first, get God’s directives, be obedient and then use your God-given resources wisely in teachable moments.

What would you do if you knew that nobody would ever find out? Integrity says, “I can’t do this because I can’t live with myself if I do.” Psalm 101:2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.

Proverbs 11:1-5 (NLT)
1 The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales,
but he delights in accurate weights.
2 Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 Honesty guides good people;
dishonesty destroys treacherous people.
4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
but right living can save you from death.
5 The godly are directed by honesty;
the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

Look at verse 3 in the New King James Version
Proverbs 11:3 (NKJV) The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.

The Israelites were blessed with God’s presence, His provision, His protection for their giving and hard work. We cannot out-give God. He blesses us thus we love Him and wish to give and work for Him. Then God blesses us more and we desire to give more out of the abundance of our heart. It begins with God’s love and blessing and our response to Him. It becomes a beautiful cycle. No paycheck could be more satisfying than what God gives us for any sacrifice we make on His behalf. His blessings overflow and run over!