"And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much" (Ex. 36:6b–7).
I want to return to the study of Exodus in chapter 36 and see the people of God serving their Lord willingly and abundantly. For the past few posts we have been studying the nature of the church in doctrinal terms, looking at its oneness, holiness, universality, and apostolicity. We have said that it is comprised of the servants of Jesus Christ, and that it functions properly when preaching the word, administering the sacraments, and exercising church discipline. Now, as we go back into the Old Testament, we see the church animated in the work of the Lord. It seems as if most of our studies in Exodus have seen Israel doing the wrong thing. But here, we find a refreshing example of the church functioning as it should: giving, working together in unity, and delighting in its service of the Lord.
We read that the people gave generously to the artisans for the building of the tabernacle. They came early in the morning to present their offerings. We read of no grumbling, no strife, no dishonesty on the part of the artisans who could have pocketed the extra money that came in. Instead, we see people working together, each carrying out his own task, using his God-given abilities for the edification of the Old Testament church and for the glory of God.
So exuberant were the people to serve the Lord that they brought more than was necessary. The artisans recognized this and reported it to Moses, saying that they had plenty of materials. Notice that the leaders here did not become irresponsible with the abundance of the people. They did not look for new and inventive ways to spend the money. Instead, they stuck to the plans God had given them, and when they had sufficient materials to execute those plans, they told the people to keep their money and materials. The people were not bled dry by greedy men who saw excess as an opportunity for their own gain or for their own vanity.
Like the Israelites in this account, the people of God should be liberal with their possessions. Most people need to be admonished to bring at least a small portion, but the Israelites needed to be admonished to stop giving so much. What a rare thing! Let us emulate the Israelites and give generously and abundantly so that our leaders might say, “Enough, we are overflowing with abundance!”
Do you give abundantly, not just your finances, but your resources, your time, your abilities? Do you do what you can for the benefit of the church, or are you stingy? If you have a stingy spirit, pray that God will help you be generous to others, willing to give according to the model presented to us in today’s passage.
