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IF EVERYONE GAVE
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I just finished reading through Exodus and two passages from Exodus 35-36 struck me:
Exodus 35:21 (NIV)
21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.
I love this passage about giving. There is no guilt. There is no shame. There is compulsion. There's no heart wrenching presentation. Moses tells the people what they need. The people respond by filling the need.
If you continue to read you find that each person / family brings something different. Some are bringing cloth, some bring gold, some bring gems, but everyone is bringing something and everyone brings what is unique to them.
It gets better. The story continues:
Exodus 36:2–7 (NIV)
2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.
I don't know if these words have ever been uttered by any pastor from any pulpit at any point in history. Can you imagine?! No man or woman is to make or bring anything else because what we have is already enough to do all the work.
I think this presents the paradigm with which we see giving. Most of you have heard all the other verses before about God loving a cheerful giver , we won't bring to God an offering that costs us nothing and how God will rebuke the devil for our sake as we give. But what happens when everyone is willing, cheerful and whose heart is moved as they give? There is plenty to go around.
Think about it.
Exodus 35:21 (NIV)
21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.
I love this passage about giving. There is no guilt. There is no shame. There is compulsion. There's no heart wrenching presentation. Moses tells the people what they need. The people respond by filling the need.
If you continue to read you find that each person / family brings something different. Some are bringing cloth, some bring gold, some bring gems, but everyone is bringing something and everyone brings what is unique to them.
It gets better. The story continues:
Exodus 36:2–7 (NIV)
2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.
I don't know if these words have ever been uttered by any pastor from any pulpit at any point in history. Can you imagine?! No man or woman is to make or bring anything else because what we have is already enough to do all the work.
I think this presents the paradigm with which we see giving. Most of you have heard all the other verses before about God loving a cheerful giver , we won't bring to God an offering that costs us nothing and how God will rebuke the devil for our sake as we give. But what happens when everyone is willing, cheerful and whose heart is moved as they give? There is plenty to go around.
Think about it.
