We are rolling into chapter thirty-six of Exodus with our word for today. כֹּל all, whole, everyone, everything, total, in all. It is used 5,415 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of all of something including all its component elements or parts. We see it used in reference to the sacrifices. Leviticus 1:9 And the priest shall burn הַכֹּל֙ all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Our word is used to reference everyone or everything in a group. Ruth 1:19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the כָּל whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” Ruth 2:21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished כָּל all my harvest.’” Our word is used to tell all the details of good things that were done or that happened. Ruth 2:11 But Boaz answered her, כֹּ֤ל “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. Ruth 3:16-17 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her כָּל all that the man had done for her. We see our word used in reference to following all of one’s instructions. Ruth 3:5-6, 11 And she replied, כֹּ֛ל “All that you say I will do.” So she went down to the threshing floor and did כְּכֹ֥ל just as her mother-in-law had commanded her … And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you כֹּ֥ל all that you ask, for כָּל all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. Our word is used in following all of God’s commands. Leviticus 4:2, 13, 22 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally מִכֹּל֙ in any of the Lord's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them … If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do מִכָּל any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done … When a leader sins, doing unintentionally מִכָּל any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 36:1 Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work לְכֹ֥ל in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded. I like how the same word is used to describe following all of God’s direction and telling all of the good things that happened. It reminds me of the woman who met with Jesus. She told the whole town all that he did for her. John 4:28-30, 39-41 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him … Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” I’ll close with this great Psalm. Psalm 145:10, 13 כָּל All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! … Your kingdom is an כָּל [literally an all kingdom or an everything kingdom] everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures בְּכָל throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful לְכָל in all his words and kind לְכָל in all his works.
