How would you respond to a God whose lightest touch nearly shook a mountain off its foundation? Whose approach was announced by a loud trumpet blast? Whose very voice sound like the thunder of a rushing river? Most likely you would be extremely nervous just like the Israelites. Literally scared out of their wits the people could only watch Moses hike up the mountain and disappear into the cloud of the Lord’s presence. Today we often sense the Lord’s presence, but often take it for granted by taking a casual attitude toward His will for our worship and our lives. God desires our priorities to line up with His will, our lives to reflect His holiness and our hearts to praise and glorify Him in worship. Moses brought the Israelites God’s instructions on how to worship the Lord who wanted to live not at a distance, but close and present in their midst. The subject of giving often makes us cringe. We do not want to hear another sermon on giving. We’ve heard the same thing over and over again! It makes us uncomfortable! The ways the Lord sought to involve His people in this sacred project reveals a great deal about Him and about the values He desires to see in us. Today let’s discover how the Israelites’ desire to please God stirred their hearts and led them to display overwhelming generosity in their giving. In this we can learn some very important lessons to apply in our lives.
I. God’s instructions in regard to the construction of the Tabernacle.
A. Notice the Lord did not demand a tithe or a tax; He asked for a freewill offering.
1. The Almighty God, who has the right to demand from His people both treasures and obedience, desired a contribution from only those whose hearts moved them to give.
2. The only qualification God required on the part of the giver was that their whole heart drives the decision to give.
3. God didn’t want the people to give because He commanded them to, he wanted it to be done out of love and a desire to please God.
B. The offering the Lord desired.
1. The Lord told Moses exactly what He wanted the people to contribute.
2. The list of materials represent a list of the finest metals, the finest fabrics, the finest leathers, the finest wood, the finest oil, incense and semiprecious stones.
3. As the Egyptians had once plundered the Hebrews as they enslaved them, the Hebrews plundered Egypt during their Exodus.
4. The Israelites did not take these luxuries for themselves; they gave them to the Lord.
C. The Lord’s purpose for this project.
1. God who led His people out the land of slavery wanted to live with His people.
2. The Israelites were not just directed to fund a construction project; they were invited to give to the God of the universe.
3. The Tabernacle would sere as a visual illustration of God’s desire to be intimate with His people and yet remain holy.
4. The building was to be so stunning, so significant and so meaningfully detailed it would catch the attention of all passers by causing them to know that the Living God lives there.
5. The Lord gave very detailed instructions on every aspect of the construction of this project.
D. After God had given Moses all the instructions, He once again reemphasized the importance of the Sabbath rest.
1. The Sabbath would show that the Israelites were distinct from other nations because of their unique relationship with God.
2. It reminded the Israelites that it was not their work that sanctified them but God who set them apart.
3. The Lord had designated this day as holy and anyone who would disregard this day they were actually disregarding their relationship with God.
4. They were to follow the Lord’s pattern of work and rest.
5. God command His people to cease from their own activities and personal responsibilities in order to make time to ponder His activities, His person, His ways, His calling.
6. Theirs was to be a lifestyle of worship.
II. The Israelites broken faith and the Lord’s forgiveness.
A. The people grew impatient; the anxiety over Moses absence and their lack of control over their situation caused them to renege on their covenant with God.
1. Isn’t this unbelievable? What’s worse though is the fact that Aaron joined in.
2. They built a golden calf and worshipped it causing them to be on the receiving end of God’s wrath.
3. Quickly Moses comes off the mountain carrying the stone tablets that bore God’s law.
4. Moses seeing what was going on in the camp angrily threw down the tablets shattering them illustrating the Israelites having broken their covenant with God.
5. More than 3,000 people were put to death and the Israelites mourned because of the threat of God removing their presence from them.
B. More amazing than the Israelites abandonment of God is God’s faithfulness.
1. In response to Moses’ intercession God chose to remain with them.
2. The Lord then replaces the tablets of the covenant.
3. Compassion and righteousness, forgiving and just, this is the Lord who renewed His covenant even with covenant breakers.
4. What a beautiful picture of the divine redemption that includes the history of human resistance and rebellion.
5. The people of God from the very beginning were a forgiven and restored people.
III. The People’s response to God’s instructions.
A. Moses began where the Lord ended.
1. Everything the Israelites were told to do was based on the reality that they were to be set apart to the Lord.
2. Moses relayed the message that everyone with a willing heart was to make a contribution to the Lord.
3. The Lord instructed all the skilled craftsmen were to fashion the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
B. The people responded with grateful, heartfelt, overwhelming generosity.
1. Day after day every morning the people brought their contributions to Moses.
2. The workers told Moses that the people were bringing much more than was needed to complete the project.
3. Moses had to order the people to stop giving.
4. Having more than enough materials, the people proceeded to carefully carry out the Lord’s instructions.
IV. What does this mean for us today?
A. The people’s hearts were stirred; they freely and generously gave their finest possessions to the Lord.
1. More than gold, silver, bronze, fine linens, and precious stones, the Lord desires a willing heart.
2. The Lord chooses a love relationship with us.
3. The Israelites experienced God’s love through the Lord’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt and His desire to them His unique people.
4. The Lord’s love was brought home to them in a powerful way when the Lord forgave them, renewed His covenant with them, and restored His presence to them.
B. In the New Testament we find a similar example of God’s love.
1. While Jesus was dining in the home of a Pharisee a sinful woman washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair and anointed them with some very expensive perform.
2. The Pharisee was sickened that Jesus would allow such a woman to touch Him.
3. He forgave the woman her sins, and explained that her sins which were many were forgiven because she loved much, but he who is forgiven little, loves little.
C. The response we should have.
1. We need to set aside a restful and quiet time to reflect on the Lord’s compassion, love and forgiveness.
2. This will help our hearts to be stirred to a deeper love and more generous life lived for Him.
3. The primary element that giving requires is a willing heart that is stirred by the Spirit.
