Exodus 36 has the skilled workers doing their thing under the direction of Bezalel and Oholiab who were chosen to lead the charge. Moses calls all the workers together. These were not just guys looking for something to do. Moses called “everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work”. When God moves in us – our heart gets stirred to love and good deeds. God orchestrated what He originated in His commandment to Moses – to build the Tent of Meeting and all that went with it. And He stirred up hearts to respond to the call for workers.
The rest of the folks were stirred up as well. Moses had asked for contributions to allow the building to happen. People brought their donations. “They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning”. Giving is core to our walk with God. It is part of His design – His economy if you will. He ordained it from the beginning and it is the very character and nature of God. He has instilled it into His people as well. The world tells us to hang on tightly to all that we have. God’s answer is that we are to give what we have away – to give freely and trust Him for provision. It is not the way of the world – but it is God’s way and is to be the way of God’s people. For God so loved the world that He gave……
We do see a rather unusual problem though for Moses. They have too much stuff coming in. “The people bring much more than enough” is what the workers come to tell Moses. Now that is a situation most churches don’t face. The reality is that it should be normal because we cannot possibly out give God. When we are giving His way – there should never be a shortage and should always be plenty. But we often fall short in trusting Him and giving what He would lead us to do. So churches don’t have to do what Moses does as “the people were restrained from bringing”. He had to shut them off and tell them to bring no more.
Can you imagine that coming from the pulpit on Sunday morning. Please stop giving so much – we can’t use all that you are donating to the cause. That would raise some eyebrows. Unfortunately we would probably just expand the budget and spend the money without God’s direction. But in Moses case – the people were on God’s plan living God’s way. God’s economy was working as designed. It can do the same for us if we get lined up with Him!
