Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"The Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." Exodus 25:1-9
You’ll remember that at the end of Chapter 24, we’re told that Moses entered the cloud and into the presence of God where he would stay for 40 days and 40 nights. As Chapter 25 begins, we find Moses beginning to receive further instruction from the Lord.
You’ll remember that before God had given the people of Israel His commandments and supporting case laws. Now He focuses in on a holy place of worship, a tabernacle which would serve as a portable sanctuary as the Israelites continued their exodus. The tabernacle would need to be built by the people of Israel and would house the blessed Ark of the Covenant once completed. The people were to use it as their place of worship as they traveled and it would remain that way until the time of Solomon who would build a more permanent temple in 960 BC. And as God states at the end of the passage, He will "dwell among" the people of Israel once His sanctuary was constructed.
More is to come on the tabernacle but before it could be built, materials were needed. As we read in today’s passage, God expected the people of Israel to provide the necessary items as a part of their offering…and offering that was to come from "each man whose heart prompts him to give." It’s this command and stipulation that I would light to highlight in today’s devotion because I feel there are three key things God is trying to relay to us, just as He was trying to relay to the people of Israel through Moses.
First, God wants is to give. He wants us to give to Him and He expects us to give to others. A spirit of giving is one of sacrifice. It allows us to turn away from self centeredness and instead focus on making a difference in the lives of God’s children…which incidentally was the essence of what Jesus was all about. For God’s Son was the epitome of giving…never hesitating to give His love, give His teaching and wisdom, give His healing power to others, give new life from death and ultimately give His life for all of us. Indeed, Jesus didn’t just give some things; He gave everything.
God wants us to be like His Son. He wants us to be givers.
Secondly, God wants us to give willingly and from the heart. The scripture said, "…receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give." He could have said, "…receive an offering from every man" but this could have allowed someone to give with a grudge…not doing so because they wanted to but doing so because they had to.
Question: How is your heart when it comes to giving? Does your heart prompt you to give?
God knew that those who were faithful to Him would never resent giving because they realized that everything they had was a result of His blessing and providence. They were only giving back a portion of what God had given to them in the first place. In Second Corinthians, Paul has these powerful words to say about giving:
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
God wants us to give…to give willfully and cheerfully. Do you trust that he will more than provide for your needs as you give? If you do, you will be able to give willingly from the heart and with an attitude of good cheer.
Finally, God expects that we not just give but give our best. He has already reminded the people and Israel several times that He expects their first fruits. His expectations in today’s scripture are no different.
For look at His demands. The metals God asks for (gold, silver and bronze) represent the finest metals available to the Israelites. Colored yarns were made that way by dyes that were extremely expensive. The finest linen was representative of what the royal Egyptians would wear. The goat hair was extremely valuable and would be used to weave tents. Dyed leather from ram skins and the hides of sea cows were also of great worth. The acacia wood was no ordinary wood because it was especially resistant to wood eating insects that might plague the people of Israel during their journey. Olive oil would ensure the people had light in their sanctuary while the anointing oils and incense would transform the tabernacle interior into a fragrant place of worship as the people entered into God’s presence. Precious stones would adorn the ephod or robe of the high priest. Truly, God expected everything offered to be of the best quality. He gave the people of Israel His best. He expected the best back in return.
Question: When you give to God, do you give your best? Or do you give Him a token offering?
As we continue in this Lenten season of reflection, let’s all step back and take an account for all that God has given us. I think when we do, we’ll see how very richly blessed we are, especially when we consider that God was willing to give His one and only Son, Jesus, up to death so we might live. I don’t know about you but I haven’t even come close to repaying God for all he has done for me.
Indeed, God gave up Jesus. What are we willing to give up in return?
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment