Restrained

DEVOTION

EXODUS

RESTRAINED

Ex 36:2-7

2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done." 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

NIV

Having already considered the LORD was the one who gave all the skills and knowledge of all the crafts needed to construct the tabernacle, as well as the willingness of all the people to give offerings, we should find something else here. Although it is good to be reassured of the same truths over and over again so we know that God desires us to see it clearly. As the men were starting the project using the plans the LORD gave to Moses, they had a clear idea of how much material would be needed to complete the Tabernacle. The people were so excited about this whole idea and were so willing to give of their material possessions they came every morning with more. Granted, when there is a congregation of several million people, there could be a great deal of materials available. It would be far more difficult for a church of several hundred to come up with that much gold and silver, as well as bronze and all the fabric. Of course we could go to Lowes for the wood, and Joann Fabrics for the fine linen. But the point is with all those people there was more than enough to get the project completed. So with more and more materials showing up each morning, the workman had to tell Moses they had enough, in fact more than enough. So the people were restrained from bringing anymore. Wouldn’t that be a real hoot, if the Pastor of our church told us that we stop giving any offerings because the treasury is full enough. But that just isn’t the case. The postmodern church seems to never have enough no matter how much it has. It has a continual thirst for more and more offerings. God established the plans which included the exact size of the Tabernacle. He determined the exact materials that were to be used in its construction. He gave certain men the exact skills and abilities to do the work that was to be done. Everything about this whole project was just as the LORD had commanded.  Have we overstepped the command of God in the way we construct our buildings, our tabernacles? Have we made our churches to fit our fashion, our fancy, rather than as directed by God? It seems the more we give the bigger the church becomes and able to get more people in so as to be able to have more people to give offerings. Sure we say we want them to come to get saved. But how long has it been since salvation has been preached? How long has it been since altar calls were made? Are all the attendees saved? It is one thing to get new people in the door, but are they going to hear the salvation message or about giving? The people gave so much of their own free will they had to be restrained. Maybe we should be giving that much as well. But then it gets into the sticky business of who all is giving. We already know from statistics that only about twenty percent of any congregation tithes. We are told it is difficult to determine the exact percentage of people who give free will offerings. But the point is that we all are certainly not bringing so much that we need to be restrained. Then we start thinking if we give that much, would anyone else? Why should we be the only ones bringing so much offering each morning? But then maybe it is not about us bringing gold and silver or bronze or wood. Maybe it is not about bringing so much linen and skins. Maybe it is not about bringing too much material goods each morning that we need to be restrained. Maybe it is all about the offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Rom 12:1-2

12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

NIV

What if we made this kind of offering each morning to the LORD in such abundance, he told us to restrain ourselves? Would he even do that? But then do we bring that much of an offering each morning, more than what is needed to complete the project? God still has a project he wants to accomplish. He is always about finishing the work he has stared in us. But he also desires new people to come to him, to find his salvation. As we offer ourselves each morning in so much abundance, he uses our offerings to accomplish is will. But we have never been restrained from offering ourselves. Maybe because we have never offered that much of ourselves. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we did, so as to be restrained.