"Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them" (Ex. 39:43).
In submission to the authority God had put over them, the Israelites handed their work over to Moses for inspection. As a faithful minister of the Lord, Moses examined the work to make sure it had been done according to the word of the Lord. He found that the Israelites had been conscientious and faithful in their duties to construct the tabernacle according to the exact design commanded by God. He looked upon the work piece by piece, carefully examining every detail to make sure there was nothing that would offend the Lord, but everything he saw pleased him, for it corresponded to the instructions given to him by God.
Having found everything in its place, Moses blessed them. He did not find fault where there was none, as some leaders are prone to do. It is easy to become frustrated when you complete a task but find that it does not meet the perfectionistic requirements of the one in authority. But we take comfort that the righteousness of Christ which covers our “work” is perfect, and that though our lives bear the spots of sin, God is gracious to us, for His Holy Spirit is perfecting us every day.
It is difficult to pass over these verses without picturing Jesus Christ examining His bride on the last day. Though this may not be the meaning of the imagery intended in this passage, it is certainly one that comes to mind as we consider the biblical texts of our Savior looking upon His church with delight as He finds everything in its place—everything according to the Father’s will. This should be our prayer and our goal, that when the last day comes, when we stand before the tribunal of God, Christ will take delight in what He sees and bless us even as Moses blessed Israel.
We don’t read that Moses paid the workers with money. The honor and comfort of God’s tabernacle among them was recompence enough. Though they did not receive monetary rewards, they gloried in the blessing of God’s presence. “The obligations we lie under, both in duty and interest, to serve God, should be sufficient to quicken us to our work, though we had not a reward in prospect,” Matthew Henry writes. “But 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 blesses are blessed indeed.”
When you are going about the work of the Lord, whether it be in the home, in the office, in the church, or in the community, are you looking for some kind of tangible, earthly, reward? Would you do the same ministry you do now if no one knew about it? Be satisfied in God’s blessing as you serve Him.
