Exodus 35:4-29 - A Generous Heart
Notes
Transcript
4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.” 20 Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.
Introduction
Introduction
God has reestablished the covenant.
Moving forward with the building of the Tabernacle.
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
The day of that contribution has now arrived.
A Generous Heart
A Generous Heart
Exodus 35:5 “5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution”
Overwhelming response
Exodus 36:5–6 “5 and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing,”
They had to be stopped.
An offering to the Lord (24)
They were slaves. All they have is clearly from God.
Work is included (10)
The offerings were various, based on what they had.
1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”
The work was likely to go on when some helped with their purses, others with their hands, and both with a willing heart.
Doers of the Word, not mere hearers (20-21)
Out of the overflow of the heart.
Exodus 35:21–22 “And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord.”
Exodus 35:29 “All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.”
Their hearts moved them because they were recipients of grace.
God saved them from slavery in Egypt.
He has revealed to them His glory and lead them through the wilderness.
He has provided for their every need in the wilderness.
He is bringing them into the Promised land.
He has bound Himself to them by covenant and provided the blood of the covenant.
Even though they broke the covenant He has reestablished it and not cut them off.
His Son is coming for their atonement.
They were grateful!
Are you?
Giving to God is an act of holy worship
God could have provided for them a perfectly built Tabernacle.
He chose to allow the people to contribute to and participate in the building of it.
Giving Today
Giving Today
Same principle:
Exodus 35:5 “5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution"
A generous heart
Overflow of the heart
Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Give what you have been given
Mark 12:41–44 “And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.””
Cheerfulness is the expression of a generous heart
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
God has a way of giving by the cartloads to those who give away by shovelfuls.
Charles Spurgeon
NT does not specify an amount.
10% can be a baseline.
Desire to grow in generosity as you grow in grace.
Ask God to enlarge your heart.
Our Motivation
Our Motivation
The posture of our heart makes the difference in our offering (worship)
Giving God the best of what He has given you as an act of worship
Jesus became poor that you might be rich
2 Corinthians 8:9 “9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
2 Corinthians 9:8–9 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.””
They are giving back, what they have received from God
Exodus 12:35-36 “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”
They were previously slaves - all that they have, God has recently given to them.
The same is true for us: 1 Cor 4:7 “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
We do not give to gain anything
We give in gratitude for what God has given us, namely His Son.
Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
What we desire determines how we use our money (and time, etc.)
Every other use of our money will not last. This is the one way use our money for an eternal impact.
Luke 12:33–34 “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Jim Elliot, “He is no fool, who give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”
Hymn: Be Thou My Vision
Benediction: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.