“Whosoever Is of a Willing Heart”
Exodus 36:3-7
Over the past few weeks you have received a series of three letters from the Long Range Planning and Building Committee regarding today, as a special day, in which we hope to be able to eliminate our present indebtedness and move forward into our building program. The committee has, in each letter, asked you to pray about what you feel the Lord might have you to do in the way of giving, and have asked not that we give equal gifts, but that we all make equal sacrifice. It has always been the belief of the committee that we can reach this goal to the glory of the Lord, and rid ourselves of old debt and not have to incorporate it into a new loan on the proposed building.
Someone recently approached me with the idea that this elimination of debt should be a matter of serious prayer in which we cry out to the Lord for a miraculous provision. I strongly disagree! Now that I have your attention; let me explain.
I am reminded of a story told by Tony Campolo regarding an invitation to speak at a woman’s conference. Before the president of the conference introduced him as their guest speaker, she read a very moving letter from a missionary who was calling out for help in response to a great need on the mission field that required a sum of $4,000.00.
The president of the conference then turned to Tony Campolo and asked him if he would pray that God would provide the resources to meet this need! Tony Campolo, who is a very outspoken man, said, “No! I won’t pray for the need to be met. I believe that God has already provided the resources, and all we have to do is give. Then, he challenged each woman in the room to follow his lead, and put every bit of cash they had with them on the table.
To make a long story, short: the result was that more than the $4,000.00 needed was collected that day, and the lesson learned was this: God always supplies where there is need; and, He supplies through those to whom He has given to hold in trust. The key to the need being met is simply that the people must have a willing heart.
It has been said: “Where God guides He provides!” Exodus chapter 36 is a testament of that truth. It all centers around the building of the tabernacle as a house of habitation for God in the wilderness. The tabernacle was the most important religious shrine of Israel before the building of the Temple of Solomon in the city of Jerusalem. It was a portable tent structure that was always placed in the midst of the camp as a symbol of God’s presence in the center of the lives of the people of Israel. The entire tabernacle was completed in seven months, which would seem as though it were a long time for the making of a tent. However, the ornate ness of all that was involved in the frame structure, as well as the dressings and furnishings was unbelievable to the point that it almost staggers the imagination; and the construction cost was phenomenal; but as we will see, it didn’t require a thirty year mortgage and a lot of begging and borrowing for the project to be completed because God’s people gave from a willing heart.
For just a moment, let’s look at Exodus 35. The Lord God has given to Moses commandments concerning the building of the tabernacle. In verses 4-9 we read: “And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children Israel saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: Take from among you an offering to the Lord, whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord, gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen and goats hair; rams skins died red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.”
Then in verses 20-22 we read: “And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whose spirit made him willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all of its service, and for the holy garments. And they came both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought ear rings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is everyman who made an offering of gold to the Lord.”
And, finally, in verse 29. “The children of Israel brought a free will offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord by the hand of Moses had commanded to be done.”
Several times in this one short chapter we read the words “of a willing heart,” or the words “those whose spirit was stirred.” As I understand this scene of events, God did not demand that anyone individual give any definite thing as an offering unto Him. Rather, the offering was to be given of one’s own free will. No guilt, and certainly no blame was laid upon any one for what they did, or did not give. In fact, it is quite clear from verses 20 and 21 that after the people had departed from the presence of Moses, only some returned to give an offering….and they were the ones whose hearts were stirred to do so.
Some, quite honestly, may have had the attitude: “Let others do the giving. They can afford it, and I can’t.” Or, they may have had the attitude: “We don’t need that tabernacle. God is Spirit. He doesn’t really need a house to dwell in. Besides, all that ornate stuff is just too expensive and it’s a waste of money.” Some may not have returned with a tangible gift because they sincerely did not have it. Who knows why they didn’t return with a gift? But, for sure, those who did had their hearts stirred by the Lord!
Now, there are two things that I want us to consider. Why were some of the people’s hearts stirred? Why did they return with the free will offering? I believe it was because (1) They recognized the worthiness of God, and (2) they realized how blessed they were of God.
Let’s consider, first, that they recognized the worthiness of God.
We live in a day and age where most men give very little consideration as to the Person of God. It really doesn’t matter to them whether or not He is “deleted” from our Pledge of Allegiance; or whether or not any remembrance of Him is removed from the daily business of this nation. Oh, the multitudes may desire for Him to be present in the times of national crisis, such as with September 11’s terrorist attack upon this country. When disaster strikes they even ask, “Where is God when we need Him?” but, when things are going well, He is never even given a second thought.
Much of our nation has forgotten that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, and that He still reigns as it’s Sovereign Master and Ruler. Mankind, as a whole, whether he will acknowledge it, or not, is “under God!” And by virtue of the fact that He is Almighty God, He is worthy of His creation’s adoration, worship, and praise! He is especially deserving of the homage of those who are called by His name.
I believe that Israel, especially at this time in their history, was very conscious of the Sovereignty of God. They had witnessed the greatest demonstrations of His power in their deliverance from Egypt, and they had seen first hand His destruction of the armies of Egypt. He was guiding them to the land of promise by His visible presence seen as a pillar of fire by night, and as a cloud by day. They had witnessed the thundering and lightning upon Mt. Sinai, and heard the voice of God speak clearly. They knew that they were His people, and that He was their God! Anything that they might give unto Him He was worthy of receiving…..even if it was their all!
I want you to notice something of great interest. In 35:20-29 the people brought their free will offering. Some brought gold, some brought silver. Those who had neither silver or gold brought bronze. Those who had no precious metals gave linen, or skins, or colors with which to dye the fabrics. And those who had none of these gave their time and their talent for the work of the Lord.
Beloved, it does not matter what you have to give in the way of its earthly value. What matters is that we give our best because God deserves it. He is worthy of such adoration!
I am reminded of many years later, God spoke to the nation through the Prophet Malachi. Israel had forgotten God! They had become calloused in their worship. They had developed an attitude of giving to God only that which they did not want to keep for themselves. In Malachi 1:8 God asks the question concerning their attitude of heart. “Offer it then unto your governor! Will he pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?”
I think what God is clearly trying to point out is that we are often willing to honor mere men more than we are willing to honor God. We give our best to other men, or withhold it for ourselves, and offer to God the left over scraps of our lives. In Malachi 1:14 God went on to say, “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices unto the Lord what is blemished - for I am a great King says the Lord of hosts, and My name is to be feared among the nations.”
Secondly, they responded as they realized just how blessed they were of God.
As I said a moment ago, Israel was just two years into their 40 year journey at this point in time. However, God had had provided daily manna for them to eat. He had provided water from a flint rock that they might drink. He had given to them the assurance of His presence on a daily basis as He guided them on their way. He had not allowed their clothes to wear out, or their shoes to wax old on their feet. Israel could truly say that everything they had, God had given to them.
In our world today, many men are proud to boast of their accomplishments as self-made men. Everything they possess they have worked hard to obtain. Well, this would be true were it not for one thing. As God told Israel before entering into the promised land: Deuteronomy 8:7-18
………………………………..........................................................................................
You see, beloved, all that we have God has given to us. All that we are, God has enabled us to be. Apart from Him we are nothing, and apart from Him we can do nothing. As Josh spoke of last Sunday night, we sometimes think we are not blessed of God unless we can measure success in the way of dollars and cents! Not so, because the greatest blessing of all is simply to live in the presence of God.
In closing this morning, I want to point out one other thing. In 36:3, we are told that the people brought their offerings every morning. Some who were skilled in weaving and tapestry, or in the work of crafting vessels from metals, came every morning to bring that which they had made the day before. So great were their offerings and sacrifice that it soon became too much. The artisans came to Moses and said: Tell the people to stop bringing because the materials are so much that they are now getting in the way of the work we need to do.
Can you imagine that? Today, we would call it a phenomenon when the gifts in store were greater than the need. But, the people’s hearts had been stirred. Maybe that’s what we really need today: a good old fashioned stirring of the heart by the Spirit of God that would cause us to see God as being worthy, and to make us recognize that God has been more than faithful to us.
I have been thinking lately that we have some 160 families represented in our church. Though incomes per family greatly vary, we can safely say that if all incomes were averaged, each families income would be (conservatively) in the range of $30,000.00. If every family simply honored God with a tithe, our annual income would be $480,000. That is in excess of what we need to fund the ministry, eliminate debt, and retire the indebtedness on our future expansion without any problem whatsoever. Like Moses, I would have to say, “Stop giving. It’s too much. We have more than we need.
Even though this day has been designated as debt elimination Sunday, the point of this message is not money. It is about giving our all. It is about recognizing who God is, and what He has done, and honoring Him with every facet of your life. Will you do that this morning? Will you be willing to make a commitment unto Him in which you simply say, “God, I honor you today with all that I have, and all that I am?”
