The LORD’s instruction to Moses and the Israelites concerning the building of the tabernacle is recorded in Exodus 25:1–9. It was one of the passages for my family’s devotion last week. Some significant lessons that I have learned are shared in this article for the benefit of our congregation in our effort to complete the renovations of the newly purchased Gethsemane Media Centre at 33 Ubi Crescent.
First, please read the record of the Scripture—"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it" (Exodus 25:1–9).
The LORD, who made the entire universe and all that are therein out of nothing (ex nihilo), commanded His people, the children of Israel: "bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering… And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Does the One who says that "the world is mine, and the fulness thereof" (Psalms 50:12; cf. 24:1-2) need any man’s contribution to build His house? Why would He ask His people for their offerings to build His house? Why wouldn’t He perform a miracle, just as He had made the world out of nothing?
Scripture provides an answer through King David’s response to God upon his son Solomon being chosen to build the temple. 1 Chronicles 29 provides us with the answers – "Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (vv. 11-14).
To be given the responsibility to participate in the building of God’s house is a splendid opportunity to express our gratitude for all good things He has provided. We possess nothing that God has not provided. All that we have in our possession is not ours, but God’s – "for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine… Both riches and honour come of thee… and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all… for all things come of thee…" As the apostle Paul asked, "what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). This humbling question teaches us that when we can give anything to God’s work, we are just giving Him what is already truly His. We are just custodians of His things, that we may return to Him when He commands. We are just like a child who says to his father, "Dad, may I take ten dollars from your wallet to buy you a birthday gift?" When the father permits and the child brings the birthday present to him, both rejoice and the father is pleased with the child’s present.
When David collected all the offerings which the people willingly gave, he said, "O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own" (1 Chronicles 29:16). Oh, how true are the following lines from George Matheson’s hymn, "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go"!
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be!
When we consider the things that God, through Moses, had commanded the Israelites to give, we will marvel at how God had made them wealthy though they were slaves for 400 years in Egypt. The list of things God asked of them to offer include gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, badgers’ skins, shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, onyx stones, stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate of the priests, etc. God first enriched them with these things, and only then, did He command them to give.
What great honour God bestows upon His people, that they may be builders of His house! We are unworthy to be enlisted for such a glorious task for His praise and purposes – "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?"
When we give to the LORD’s work, we have nothing to congratulate ourselves. We give only because God has filled us with things that we could not have made on our own. If God has not graciously guided us in His work and blessed us with things for His use, we could not have given.
About 15 years ago, the Lord moved us to give willingly for the Church Resource Centre (02-08, 510 Geylang). Then the Lord directed us to raise funds for the church and Bible Institute buildings in Alem Gena, Ethiopia. Now again, the Lord has given our congregation the honour of giving for Gethsemane Media Centre at 33 Ubi Crescent. The more we give, the more humbled we should become, knowing that it is His gracious provision that enables us to give. Let us give willingly as God commands in His Word, saying: "Of Thine own, of the fullness that Thine own hand has provided, we now give to Thy house. Let us praise God for the honourable task of contributing to the building of His house! Every opportunity that the LORD gives to His people to participate by giving willingly to His work, is a task we must gladly welcome."