GIVING WHAT YOU HAVE

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GIVING WHAT YOU HAVE: In order to make a holy dwelling for God, the Israelites had to give the right materials for the work of the Lord. Exodus 35 depicts how they gathered what they needed for this huge project. They all had a contribution to make. What is so wonderful is, God, blessed the community so that they had something to contribute.

From their example, we learn what it means to have a unified heart forgiving. One person could not have provided for the whole project. It took the Israelite community to give an offering of what they have, and what they can do for the glorious work of the Lord.

Exodus 35 begins with Moses telling the Israelites once more to honor God’s holy day (v. 1-3).

Each of what the people gave was needed somewhere in the tabernacle.  The gold, silver, and bronze were used to make the altar, ark, pillars, furniture, and utensils. The linen and yarn were used for the coverings, curtains, and veils. The animal skins covered the tabernacle itself, while the acacia wood was used to construct its framework. The oil, incense, and spices were used by the priests who served inside, with the precious stones adorning the sacred garments of the high priest. The people’s gifts were ordinary things, but they became sacred because they offered them to the Lord.

The people’s gifts were ordinary things, but they became sacred because they offered them to the Lord.

All of the materials that built the tabernacle came from the Israelites. The people gave from what they had, and in this way, they participated in God’s work. God could have made a tabernacle magically appear. However, He was working on the hearts of the people. God had a process. God made plans, but the people did the work. They experienced what it was like to be used to accomplish God’s purposes. They also experienced how God provided so that they can contribute.

God is intentional. God would not give you something that you do not need or that He does not need for you to give.

The people gave the right materials, giving God what they had. Everything they had come from God in the first place.

However, it is the grace of the Lord that allows you to receive what you can contribute so that you are part of the big picture.

The people were willing to give. God only accepts offerings that are freely given, otherwise, the curse is on the giver. Paul restated how God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Thus, the collection for the tabernacle — the contribution of the people, is a freewill offering.

Even today, we have a similar opportunity to give something to God. Everything we have comes from God in the first place. Sometimes, it is literally a building project so that the church can have a venue to meet at. However, most times, God wants you to contribute to keep the church running and to provide for His ministers. When we bring in our tithes and offerings, we are supporting God’s work through the Gospel.

The Lord is sovereign, He can deal with His ministers, as well as He can deal with anyone. Your duty is to obey and to worship the Lord.

Some of the offerings go to the pastor, so he can fully devote his life to prayer and the ministry of God’s Word. Some of it goes to the other ministry and support staff who help us grow in grace and serve Christ. Few of it goes to outreach among the poor and the lost in the community. Some of it goes to support the work of missions around the world. When you give to the church, do not allow the enemy to plant lies in your mind accusing your pastor and church of using the money inappropriately. The Lord is sovereign, He can deal with His ministers, as well as He can deal with anyone. Your duty is to obey and to worship the Lord.

 

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THE SECOND TIME AROUND

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THE SECOND TIME AROUND: You probably think that Exodus 35-39 seems redundant. In chapters 25-31, God instructed the Israelites exactly how to build the tabernacle, and in chapters 35 to 39 they actually obeyed God accordingly. Since they built it exactly the way God told them to do it, large sections of the text were repeated verbatim. This picture is what we ought to aspire for in our lives. When we get a word of instruction from the Lord, we must follow it exactly as He says it.

The clarity of God is a breath of fresh air. We need to trust God on a level that we can follow each step He instructs us to do. We don’t know to think another way is better.

God’s clarity in this situation is actually gracious because a lot of times His instructions to us in the present days.

The clarity of God is a breath of fresh air. When God repeats Himself, He does it for a reason. A lot of people want to skip over these texts because it does seem redundant. Repetition is a common method in ancient literature because repetition builds suspense. In Exodus, our sense of anticipation escalates, as we wait to see whether God will come down and dwell with his people.

Furthermore, repetition also reinforces the memory. What better way to learn the layout of the tabernacle—and thus the structure of our salvation—than to read about it more than once. Instead of skimming through these chapters, or skipping them altogether, we should take the time to read them carefully. When God repeats something, He actually wants us to pay more attention to what He is saying, not skip it.

Another reason the author repeats himself is to display the obedience of Israel. They are not the most obedient bunch, but it shows us that when they do obey God’s blessings are apparent. The first time God gave the His instructions, they were busy doing their own thing. How many of us are like that?

The Israelites finally obeyed the instructions precisely, and in doing so, the glory of the Lord is revealed.

The time they actually obeyed, God did not change. His plans were already perfect the first time, and so He just repeated what He instructed them to do before. Similar to how we are, the Israelites had a hard time obeying because of their sinful nature.

The second time God gave His instructions, God told His people to bring their offerings, build the tabernacle, make the furnishings and dress the priests. The Israelites finally obeyed the instructions precisely, and in doing so, the glory of the Lord is revealed. God is exalted when we follow Him to the letter.

The repetition of Exodus 35-39 reveals to us the faithfulness of God. Even today, when you bring honor to the Lord by obeying His commands, He’s glory would still show up. Remember, these Israelites already fell into idolatry by making for themselves an object to worship. However, God waited for them to repent and to get on the right track. It doesn’t matter if your spiritual walk or ministry has gone off track, you can always go back to the path God set out for you. No one is perfect, and God is helping you let go of strongholds and issues that distract you from where you are supposed to be.

As a response to this restoration, the Israelites gave a contribution and obeyed the Lord’s instruction.

God has been faithful with Israel because He did not revoke the promise to be fully present among the people. The tabernacle was a sign of His divine presence. He allowed them to still build this, even when they committed idolatry. God has not revoked the calling and the mission of the people before the fall. The Israelites realized that God reinstated them in every respect, and mended what was broken. As a response to this restoration, the Israelites gave a contribution and obeyed the Lord’s instruction.

In our own lives, we tend to be so forgetful. In this context, we forget we are called to contribute to the work of the Lord. We forget we are supposed to bring in the tithe and the offering and are only be able to give because God gave to us first. We need God to tell us the same thing more than once and to read the Bible every day and listen to the sermons every Sunday to be reminded of God’s goodness and grace, as well as our joyful duty to live for him by serving others. Despite our rebellion, God still wants to have a relationship with us, to live with us, and to use us to display His glory.

Despite our rebellion, God still wants to have a relationship with us, to live with us, and to use us to display His glory.

 

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God is Working on the Giver

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Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NRSV

“All you have shall some day be given; therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors.”

The process of building

No one builds a building overnight. It starts with the intention to build one. After which someone renders a blueprint for the building of what it’ll look like once it’s done. The blueprint would be turned into a detailed copy, with full technical specifications. Builders need to have the fund and the materials they need for construction. Building any structure requires a great cost, not just financially but in terms of time, energy, and commitment. The actual construction of buildings takes from months to years. After which, it needs to be furnished before it is ready to be occupied.

The tabernacle project God intended for the Israelites is something similar. The project started with God telling Moses that He wanted to dwell with the people. God described His dwelling place in detail. He even showed Moses some sort of prototype. He carefully explained how to build it. It took some time for the Israelites to build it. God could have built it with His word. However, He made building the tabernacle a process in which the Israelites learn to listen to instruction and to obey Him.

God wants you to contribute because you change in the process of giving.

In the context of the târumah offering, God does not need your offering to the priest. He can easily provide Himself by making things appear. However, He wants to involve you in the work. God wants you to contribute because you change in the process of giving.

In the process, people sinned. There had been unexpected delays when people sin. The people set up an alternative worship service around the golden calf. They got distracted. God still forgave their sin through Moses’ intercession. They were ready to start construction.

When we are disobedient, there are delays in where we should be in our spiritual walk. We allow ourselves to get distracted by the things of this world, when the truth is, we cannot find anything better and more significant than fulfilling the purposes of God in our lives.

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COMPENSATION-FOR-PASTORS

GENEROUS COMPENSATION

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GENEROUS COMPENSATION: There are many accounts wherein the Bible reveals God’s desire to compensate properly those who labor in the Lord’s vineyard. When Jesus appointed the 72 and sent them out two by two, he gave specific instructions as to their conduct. He was very specific, and it clues us into how ministers must be compensated. Jesus instructed them if anyone was generous enough to offer them lodging and food, they were to accept it.

Jesus instructed them if anyone was generous enough to offer them lodging and food, they were to accept it.

7 Stay there and eat and drink anything they give you. Workers are worthy of their pay. Do not move around from house to house. (Luke 10:7)

According to Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Strope, authors and seminarians:

People are God’s human agents for ministry effectiveness (1 Cor. 3:5–9). Your ministry will be only as good as the people who serve the Lord and the church. Scripture is clear that the workers deserve their wages.… It’s unbiblical (and shameful) when a church fails to take care of its staff.

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COMPENSATION

COMPENSATION FOR PASTORS

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Those responsible for pastoral compensation need to understand it is unbiblical to “keep a pastor poor to keep him humble.”

Different passages instruct the churches to encourage their pastors through fair compensation. Many American churches undercompensate their ministers. Unfortunately, many families have had to struggle through years of financial hardships. This poverty that pastors experience is not because of God’s will for them to experience financial hardship, but it’s because church members are not generous.

Those responsible for pastoral compensation need to understand it is unbiblical to “keep a pastor poor to keep him humble.”Such a view is damaging and divisive for the church community. Paul wrote about how the church must care for certain Christians.

17 The elders who do the church’s work well are worth twice as much honor. That is true in a special way of elders who preach and teach.

18 Scripture says, “Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw.” (Deuteronomy 25:4) Scripture also says, “Workers are worthy of their pay.” (1 Timothy 5:17-18) Notice how Paul quoted the Old Testament (Dt. 25:4) and the New Testament (Lk. 10:7) in this passage. In Galatians 6, Paul instructs: “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor” (Gal. 6:6).

Failing to provide a fair wage to our pastors damages their ability to care for their own families (1 Tim. 5:8), and the Lord will hear their cry (Jas. 5:4).

Why would anyone in the church believe that the pastor is required to work under poverty-level wages for the Kingdom of God? Do you think it is God’s will for His ministers to suffer like this when He made ways to provide for His priests in the Old Testament? The biblical pattern is already clear.

Sometimes, it is the insecurity and distrust of today’s society that corrupts the system and makes the church community uncomfortable with blessing the pastor. The local church must encourage their pastors not only by submitting to their biblical leadership (Heb. 13:17) but also by suitably compensating them for the care they take over the souls of the church.

The biblical pattern is already clear. Sometimes, it is the insecurity and distrust of today’s society that corrupts the system and makes the church community uncomfortable with blessing the pastor.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTION

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTION: The right thigh or the šôq hayyāmîn is reserved for the officiating priest and considered as the choicest part of the animal.

In 1 Samuel 9:24, the right thigh was the portion that was reserved for the guest of honor.

The thigh is one of the tenderest parts of the carcass, and so it is especially suitable for offering to visitors. However, as far as nourishment is concerned, all sections of meat from given animals are of equal nutritional value.

Why would God allocate the best part of the offering to the officiating minister?

It’s because God loves His people, and He has a special blessing for anyone — full-time or otherwise — who would contribute to advancing His Kingdom and doing His work. God blesses individuals and the church community is willfully contributing to His purposes.

Contribution is the modern meaning of târumah, which means to set aside. In the context of the passage, the best portion is set aside. The breast and thigh are approved by God to be the portions of the peace offerings that legally belong to the Aaronic priesthood, and be perpetually due to them. Based on the archaeological excavations at Lachish, Canaanite temple, the ruins had a large number of animal and bird bones, all of which came from the upper section of the right foreleg.

This discovery indicated the ritual of the Israelites of setting apart the thigh. Very few bones had contact with fire, suggested that the meat had been boiled (cf. 1 Sam. 2:13-14), which was a common method of food preparation.

Leviticus 7:35-36 is legislation that ensured the integrity and continuity of the food supply for God’s ministers, starting from the time the Aaronic priesthood was established and ordained.[i]  The one who gives his contribution, for his part, is taught not to worry about food, drink, or clothing for the morrow (Mt. 6:31), since these are unsuitable concerns for those who are seeking Christ’s Kingdom and his righteousness.

The believer who gives his offering can trust that the Lord is his reward, and the Lord would reward him significantly because of his obedience and faith.

For every sacrifice of the believer, the officiating priest received something. It is the priest’s anointed right (Lev. 7:35). He was entitled to a share in sacrifices by virtue.

The breast is said to be a dedication (tənûp̄ah) (Lev. 7: 30), whereas the leg is described as a contribution (tərûmah) (Lev. 7:34).

Dedication is a sacred gift to God and/or his priests, but the contribution is more mandatory. A contribution represented the first stage in giving anything to God. Only certain objects went to the dedicatory ceremony in the sanctuary itself, which is why they are dedicated.

 

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SUPPORTING THE WORSHIP OF THE LORD

SUPPORTING THE WORSHIP OF THE LORD

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Leviticus 7 reveals final directives for the ongoing support of the ministry at the tabernacle. If there is a worship service with offerings that are overseen by God-called ministers, then there is also the responsibility on the part of the worshipper to contribute to the material aspects of the worship service.

Using the specific word “portion” means the author is attributing the portion of the gift exclusively to ordained ministers.

The meat from the peace offerings is one of the main means for supporting the work of the Lord. As an Israelite who is making his offering, he gave the breast and thigh of the animal to the priest as their portion of the celebration. In Leviticus 10:35, the word “portion” occurs only in this passage in the whole Testament. “Portion” is directly translated to mishchah; the same term also means “anointing oil”.

The word is carefully selected by the author because it is translated as “anointed” in verse 36.

This verse pertains to the ordination service of the priests who received an anointing oil as a sign of their unique role. Using the specific word “portion” means the author is attributing the portion of the gift exclusively to ordained ministers.

The order of distribution of the gifts communicated the divine means by which they practice aspects of the worship is provided.

In Leviticus 10, the worshipper by “his own hands” brought the gifts to the Lord (v. 30).

The worshipper sets apart the fat with the breast and lifting up the breast heavenward and this motion represents the declaration that these gifts were transferred from earth to the divine realm.

The distribution of the animal’s parts communicated the way by which God supported operation of the sanctuary, which we can relate to the famous Christian saying, “if it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.”

The Lord described burning up the fat, which was the portion that was reserved exclusively. The worshipper personally hands over the breast part to the priestly family for their portion. The worshipper also took the right thigh and gave it directly to the officiating priest for his personal portion.

The distribution of the animal’s parts communicated the way by which God supported the operation of the sanctuary, which we can relate to the famous Christian saying, “if it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.”

The layperson was offering contributions to the Lord, not to the priest per se. However, it was the Lord who reassigned the select portions for his ministers so that they can obtain their daily livelihood.

 This provision for the servants at the tabernacle was continually supplied by the Lord (vv. 34, 36).

The truth of the matter is the priests had no other means of income. As most pastors today, they were totally dependent upon the Lord to provide for their needs. How did the Lord provide for them? He used the contributions to Him to be shared with His ministers.

The New Testament Scripture supports this pattern of ministry support in the pragmatic aspect of sharing the Gospel. Paul acknowledged that Christians in the New Testament church must give to the Lord all they are and all they have. They give out of the means as the Lord has provided for us (2 Cor. 8:3-5; 9:9-11).                                       These gifts to the lord would be used to sustain His ministers and to enable the church’s mission.

Paul’s epistles showed how he taught his churches to give liberally from their resources (1 Cor. 9:13, 14)

As believers, we benefit from the bodily sacrifice of Christ and from the worship of the Lord by His church. We have the duty to make a contribution to the work of the Lord. However, some church members are simply disobedient to this call and neglect the work of the Lord. It’s a heart issue that each individual Christian must deal with.

How can we say we have truly given ourselves, our families, and our destinies into the hands of the Lord if we cannot entrust the Lord with our finances. Is money even an issue to the God of the Universe?

 

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The-Portion-to-Be-Eaten

The Portion to Be Eaten

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“We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture-imagine this- where our kids as for healthy options instead of resisting them.”

-Michelle Obama

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

Genesis 9:3 NRSV

What is given to the priests?

In Deuteronomy 12:17-19, Moses detailed what people cannot eat because of what must be set apart. This measure is holy and it belongs to the Lord. Instead, they must be brought to the Lord as an offering — a sign of the Israelite’s devotion to the lord.

17 Here are the things you must not eat in your own towns. You must not eat the tenth part of your grain, olive oil, and fresh wine.

It belongs to the Lord. You must not eat the male animals among your livestock that were born first to their mothers. Don’t eat anything you have promised to give. Don’t eat any offerings you have chosen to give. And you must not eat any of your special gifts.

18 Instead, you must eat all those things in the sight of the Lord your God. Do it at the place he will choose. You, your children, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns can eat them. God filled you with joy in the sight of the Lord. Be joyful in everything you do.

 19 Don’t forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land. (Deuteronomy 12:17-19)

It’s important to analyze this passage. In fellowship, the people can eat their offering as an activity declared during the time. However, they cannot eat all of it.

In verse 18, Moses said, the offering of the Lord can be eaten and the people are to be filled with joy in the sight of the lord as a result of bringing the offering and consuming part of it.

The priest and his family have the divine right to consume the offering for personal nourishment.

Even when the people consume what they had offered, there is a portion that they cannot touch because it is holy, and the Lord assigns the consumption of this portion to the priest.

In this passage, there is an important reminder for the people. The Lord is saying, “Don’t forget to take care of the Levite as long as you live in the land” (Dt. 12:19). The Levite is the priest. In this context, it is a heave-offering. The priests symbolically lift up what is offered as if to say, “I acknowledge that this is yours.”

A portion of these offerings is assigned to them.  The attending priests receive the offering as his food. The priest and his family have the divine right to consume the offering for personal nourishment.

When God blesses us, it is usually for two things; to provide a seed that we must sow, or to provide food for nourishment. When the people offer up from what God provided, they are sowing a seed. They are making their entire wealth holy. However, for the priest, the portion allotted to them is for personal consumption. The Lord directly says that they are to eat the portion that is appointed for them.

 

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THE BIG PICTURE

THE BIG PICTURE

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The provision for the priests is just a small slice that contributes to what God wants to accomplish.

THE BIG PICTURE:

What is the purpose of the tabernacle that the people are building? Why are there priests who are collecting for this work? Every detail of the tabernacle has been given in order to for a masterpiece to be created. The provision for the priests is just a small slice that contributes to what God wants to accomplish. We should not lose sight of the big picture.

43 There I will also meet with the people of Israel. My glory will make the place holy.

44 “So I will set apart the tent of meeting and the altar. And I will set apart Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.

Ultimately, the Lord wanted to have His signature on the community that builds Him a temple. God explained what He is trying to do with the tabernacle, which is to make His glory dwell among the people. It was so He can meet with His prophet and His people. He was establishing a point of contact so He can speak to them. God wanted to open channels of communication. He wanted a relationship. God said that when everything was holy, then:

45 …I will live among the people of Israel. And I will be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I brought them out of Egypt so I could live among them. I am the Lord their God. (Exo 29:45-46)

When the provision comes from God and not from secular work, the ones receiving the provision are also made holy.

God took so much trouble in making sure the tabernacle was sanctified, and everything in it was set apart for His purposes. When the provision comes from God and not from secular work, the ones receiving the provision are also made holy. He did it to consecrate a place for the presence of His glory, to live with his people and be their God and so that they would understand the meaning of their salvation.

 

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MINISTRY

God does not expect His people to serve Him in full-time ministry for nothing

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What is the bigger picture? God does not expect His people to serve Him in full-time ministry for nothing. He does not expect pastors to leave their professions to do pastoral work without having any provision to feed themselves or his family. God is not like that. God provides for His church, what more for His priests. He promises to provide for everyone’s needs, and this includes those who are in full-time ministry.

In the Old Testament, God provides for His priest by giving them a portion of the sacrifice. It is a similar context in the 21st-century church. A portion of the tithes and offerings are given to the minister to provide for him and his family.

18 Scripture says, “Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw.”(Deuteronomy 25:4) Scripture also says, “Workers are worthy of their pay.” (Luke 10:7) (1 Timothy 5:18)

Even when Scripture defends what God rightfully assigns to the minister, a lot of Christians do not feel they have a part in the big picture.

They understand God provides for His priests, but they feel that it is God’s responsibility, not theirs. They do not feel that they have a part in providing for their ministers and other Christian workers.

Myth: Pastors Should Be Poor

If supporting your ministers is not bringing joy to your generation, then there must be a corruption of the mind when it comes to generosity and obedience.

A lot of people assume that because people in full-time ministry are “godlier” (there’s no such thing), that they can (or should) live in poverty. There are a lot of issues with this mindset.

According to the Bible, a generous share of what we give God rightfully belongs to those who minister in His name. Participating in this ancient practice has brought joy to God’s people. If supporting your ministers is not bringing joy to your generation, then there must be a corruption of the mind when it comes to generosity and obedience.

The blessing does not stop with the ministers. There is a wider principle here. The church is a royal priesthood, in which every believer has the priestly duty to serve the living God. Thus, God is able to provide for everyone who does this duty. It’s just the more obvious and apparent ones in this office are the pastors. The bottom line is this — the God who apportioned to His priests nice, juicy pieces of meat can graciously supply whatever you may need.

 

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GOD’S HOLY WORK

GIVING FOR GOD’S HOLY WORK

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According to Exodus 25, the Israelites contributed to the holy work of building God’s tabernacle.

What is the purpose of this offering?

The Lord said, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exo. 25:8). At the end of the day, the main purpose of the Lord is still to build a stronger relationship with His people. He wants to dwell among the Israelites. We give to God’s Holy work so that His presence can be with us, because of our obedience and faith.

When we give to the Holy work, when we support His ministers and participate in what He wants to build, God makes us His dwelling place.

God is pleased with our obedience. It is a fragrant offering to the Lord. When we give to the Holy work, when we support His ministers and participate in what He wants to build, God makes us His dwelling place. How wonderful a place becomes when God chooses to stay in it. He begins to dwell in our Church, our households, and our everyday lives.

1The Lord says,

“Heaven is my throne.
The earth is under my control.
So how could you ever build a house for me?
Where would my resting place be? (Isaiah 66:1)

God promised to be present with His people in a special way, not for His benefit, but for theirs. It is not the amount of the offering that attracts the Lord. It is the obedience of the people. God promised to be present with His people in a special way, not for His benefit, but for theirs.

When the Lord’s presence is in your life, not just your church or your household, there is blessing, peace, and joy. You want the Lord in your camp. You must do everything so that His presence dwells among you.

God wants to make His presence known, and He wants other peoples to see what it is like for a nation to have the Lord dwell with them. In the end, all glory would go back to the Lord.

Our tithes and offerings support the local church. They provide for the pastor who preaches God’s Word. They pay for the staff who teach, provide spiritual care, lead ministries, and help meet people’s practical needs.

Our giving also supports the worldwide work of missions. Your offering funds evangelists to preach the gospel, pastors to plant churches, teachers to witness to their students, and doctors to heal physical and spiritual wounds. There is much work to be done, and God is calling you to contribute and to participate in this widescale work that He is doing (and funding) in the world today.

 

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Giving-is-an-act-of-worship

Giving is an act of worship

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The offering is collected as part of the worship service because giving is an act of worship.

The church member is not paying the price of admission or paying our dues. We are offering something to God as an expression of our adoration and praise We are dedicating our wealth to God by giving back the portion God commands to be given back. Psalm 96:8 says, “Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him. Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple.”

Bringing an offering is one of the best ways to express our devotion to God. It is something you do, not just something you say. It’s the walk that backs up your walk. When we bring in our offering, God is not only glorified but we are also blessed in the process. It’s already a blessing to participate in God’s work, but to actually receive material blessings because of our giving is truly out of God’s abundant love for us.

If you think about it, everything we have belongs to God already, and He would be well within his rights to take it back. Instead, God allows us to offer it to him as an act of worship. Imagine a father who gives his children money to buy him a birthday present. The kids are delighted to do this for this father because they love him.

When he opens the gift, he is getting back his own money’s worth. But the giving of the gift is significant for the father-child bond. It’s like that with God. and not about the money or where it came from—it’s about the love that the children express for their father.

It’s not about the money or where it came from—it’s about the love that the children express for their father.

God is the same with us. If He wanted to, God could have performed a miracle and simply built the tabernacle before the people’s eyes. Why did He have to instruct them through the processing of collecting an offering, and building? God wanted to build a relationship with His children. He wanted to go through this messy, teaching process so that the children can know their Father’s heart.

God gave the Israelites an opportunity to contribute to its construction. Throughout the bible and human history, this is how God usually works: He gives people an opportunity to participate. Although people can never repay Him, believers can offer themselves for His service.

All of the things that the Israelites brought were things that they already received from God. They brought gold, silver, and precious gems from the plunder that God provided from the Egyptians. It was God’s grace that the Egyptians even agreed to give them these treasures.

Worship:

35 They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for things made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes. 

36 The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. So the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:35-36, emphasis added by author)

Aside from this, the Israelites brought wood from trees that God caused to grow from the land. They brought cloth that came from animals God put in their flocks. There was nothing Israelites could bring that did not come from God, to begin with.  God is the Ultimate Cause, and they were brought in everything that God caused to exist.

The Israelites are a nation of slaves, a people without money or power. Like us, unless God gave them something to bring, they would have nothing to offer. They would be incapable of bringing in an offering.  But out of the riches of his grace, he provided something for them to give. Some people withhold the offering that God already gave them the capacity to bring in. God has given us the resources to respond to His grace. Whenever we bring an offering, we are simply giving back a portion of what He has already given to us.

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