Soakpak Mountain, Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska. Fuji X-T1 w/ Jupiter 11a 135mm. |
Exodus 35-36: Materials for the Tabernacle
God commanded a lot of things to be made with exquisite detail. He blessed Bezalel and Oholiab and others with the skills required to make them. But where did Israel get all the materials?
It’d seem fair to request contributions somewhat proportionally from each family, but this isn’t how the Lord operates. He doesn’t even command the wealthy to give. He desires the generous. The willing. To give on their own accord. This is true worship.
Verse 29 declares these gifts as a “freewill offering” to the LORD. You would think this might not be enough, right? We don’t often see too many people with a nature of giving like this. It might make a good start, but surely it couldn’t provide everything that was needed.
Well, the people kept bringing gifts every morning (36:3). It reached the point where the craftsmen (who were God-enabled and whose hearts were stirred to do the work – Exodus 36:2) told Moses that they had MORE than enough! Moses had to command people to stop giving!