Materials Of Construction – God Calls For Stewardship Series

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness # 3

Materials of Construction – God Calls for Stewardship

By Pastor Jim May

Exodus 25:1-9, "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."

Every man’s greatest need is to find that “place” where he can meet God in an intimate fashion. All of is filled life with hard work, heartaches and testing.

Job made this statement in Job 14:1, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Because of these things coming against us at every turn in the road of life, we often see times of loneliness, despair, hopelessness, helplessness, emptiness, restlessness, unemployment, poverty, accidents, diseases, temptations, sinful behavior and attitudes, hunger, thirst, and then to top it all off, we grow old, and eventually leave this life.

Since most of the people in this world only have these kinds of things to look forward to, there is no wonder that many choose to just escape it all by taking their own life. If all you see is troubles, tests and you die in the end, but you have no hope of a brighter tomorrow or an eternal life, then why suffer through it all?

Those of us, who are born again by the Spirit of God and washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb, have much more to hope for than those who don’t know God. We have learned that our only hope, our only help, is in God.

We all need the presence and assurance of God throughout all life. God created us with a place in our hearts that can only be satisfied by HIM and nothing else. That is why the pursuit of worldly wealth, fame and fortune is such a futile, vain thing. All the money in the world will not solve the cry of the thirsty heart in need of God. All the fame in the world will not bring the peace that only comes through having a personal relationship with Jesus through the leading of the Holy Ghost.

God knows that man has a built-in need for God so God established a very special place for His people. It was a place where He could live among His people; where a special manifestation of His presence would dwell; where His people could come to Him for worship and help; and where people worshipped and received forgiveness from God and committed their lives to Him. It was a very special place that set aside or sanctified for God according God’s requirements and direction.

That place was the TABERNACLE.

In this lesson we will talk of three things in relation to the Tabernacle.

1) The Architect of the Tabernacle: God Himself

2) The Supplier of the Materials: The People

3) The Materials Listed

Before any building can be constructed there must be someone who designs it and makes plans for it so that it’s foundation will be sure, and it’s purpose will be fulfilled. The architect is the first person we look to and his knowledge and design will always determine whether a building stands or falls.

The Tabernacle was so important – so desperately needed by God’s people – that God Himself chose to be the architect of the Tabernacle. Only God knew what kind of building he needed and wanted for the manifestation of His presence. He knew what kind of building He needed to receive man’s worship, what kind of building He needed to teach people about Himself. God could not, and would not, leave to chance, the building of His house in Israel. If it were not built to perfection, God could not dwell in it.

The Materials to Build the Tabernacle Were Supplied By the People.

Moses was to take up offerings from the people, and the people were to give willingly and generously. As salves in Egypt for nearly 400 years, the Israelites were nearly destitute of this world’s goods. But when they left Egypt, the Egyptians were so glad to get rid of them that they gave them much of the wealth of Egypt as a parting gift.