This passage continues with the great depth of details about the assembling of materials and laborers for the construction of the Tabernacle and all of the instruments and garments that will be utilized in the worship of God. God gives us so many details in this section and many of them are repetitive as we move from God's directions for the Tabernacle being given to Moses to the description of Israel's completion of the Tabernacle according to the specifications that they have received. We are, no doubt, tempted to read quickly over this section not paying much attention to what has been recorded. I know the thought comes to mind, "We are not building a Tabernacle so this has nothing to do with me". Well that is not necessarily true. We are not building a Tabernacle but we are still serving God and worshiping God so perhaps we can find some direction for our lives and ministries in this passage.
Chapter 35 presents us with some insights that I believe would prove very beneficial if we would apply them to our ministry in and through the church today. We see that two things made this extravagantly expensive and monumental endeavor light work for the people of Israel. They possessed a willing heart and a wise heart. These possessions made the work possible.
A Willing Heart:
Exodus 35:4-9 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
Now here is an admission that it takes a great deal of resources in order to effectively worship and serve God. Some of these things were very expensive such as gold and silver and some were pretty common things like oil and spices. In verses 21 and 22 we see the result of a willing heart when this call went out for resources to be given so that the worship and service of God might be established--Exodus 35:21-22 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought God's work languishes because of a lack of supplies, but God points to the fact that it is not a lack of resources but it is a lack of a willing heart in those who have the resources. When we have a willing heart we see all that we have and give as nothing more than the LORD's offering (35:24) because we have received it from Him, and we bring it so that all manner of work that God is directing the leader(s) of His church to do may be accomplished (35:29).
A Wise Heart:
Exodus 35:10-19 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, 13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, 14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, 16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
A willing heart makes us both willing and able to give of our resources so that God's work might be done. For us today that would mean giving of our resources that our churches would have the means to proclaim the Gospel to our communities through personal evangelism, portray Grace to our communities through benevolence and hospitality, and preach God to our communities and Christians through a vibrant well-supplied, well-situated church facility. A wise heart also prompts us to give but this time it goes beyond our possessions to our persons. These people gave themselves for the work of God. These were not all glorious tasks but they were necessary tasks. A wise heart helps us to see the need of cutting the grass, raking the leaves, painting the wall, remodeling the room, singing the song, reading the Scripture, inviting the person we met today, etc. A wise heart helps us to really understand that only what is done for Christ will last. Judson, a missionary to Burma in the 1800's, said it best when he said, "Be careful ... Don't under live your life". Those with a wise heart give themselves in service to God so others might be brought to know God that they might worship and serve God together.
So how does God conclude this challenge for us today? How about with the words of Exodus 36:4-7 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; 5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. 6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. We find that we have sufficient to do the work of God if we give out of a willing heart and we find that we have sufficient man-power for the work of God if we wise-heartedly give ourselves to do the work. That's what happened in Israel and the results were a glorious Tabernacle and the abiding presence of God. I wonder what we could do as a glorious church with the abiding presence of God today? We can have it if we will remember that many hands make light work.
Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 20:5-26 The Sins of the People
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