Willingly and Gladly

DEVOTION

EXODUS

WILLINGLY AND GLADLY

Ex 35:4-9

4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; 8 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

NIV

The gathering of the materials is the first task at hand. What we might find interesting is this is a people who not too long ago escaped Egypt, fleeing with only what they could carry with them. Now perhaps they did have some carts, especially considering the elderly among them may not have been able to keep up on foot. We also know they were able to plunder much from the Egyptians. So it is not out of the question that many of the Israelites had a lot of gold, silver and bronze along with fabrics, yarn and fine linen. The animals were certainly theirs from even when they were in Goshen being shepherds. But again the spices, fragrance and stones and gems were most likely part of the plunder of Egypt. Although having lived in Egypt for hundreds of years it is also possible much of this material was gained or gathered over the generations by the Israelites for their own material possessions. Nevertheless, it does not matter how they came about having all this material, they were being asked, if they were willing, to bring it for the construction of the Tabernacle. The LORD commanded them to bring an offering, if they were willing. That seems a little strange. He commands, but if they are willing. Doesn’t seem like much a command. What if a commanding army officer ordered an assault on an enemy position, but in that command told his troops, only if you are willing. What good is a command if it includes or depends on the willingness of the people? There is the precedents of the whole of salvation, only if we are willing. God does not command us to be saved, although commanded the method by which he saves us. But we must be willing. However this lesson is about bringing an offering from what they had. It was not demanded of them, without their willingness. It was not absconded from them. They were to bring it willingly, of their own free will. They were being told it was up to them whether they wanted to part with their material possessions for the construction of this Tabernacle. This could lead us down a rabbit hole if we wanted to travel that way. Should we consider all of giving to be a command of God, only if we are willing? We could focus on the matter of the tithe, but this is not about the tithe which is also a discussion which is somewhat in question because of the Old Testament use of it, and what appears to be the lack of that term in the New Testament. If the Old Testament was under the old covenant and law, and the New Testament is under the new covenant of Christ, free from the old and the law, then what of the tithe? But here we are not about the tithe, but rather an offering. It is not a tax, not a tithe, it is an offering, a free will offering. This, the New Testament speaks about many times. One of them is:

2 Cor 9:6-15

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver . 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."   10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

NIV

This is not the complete discussion Paul has in his letter to them, but it is enough of it for us to get the idea of some offering to help others. The giving of their material goods for the benefit of others. It was not a command, it was to come from their own free will to give. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. This must have been the mental state of the Israelites in their bringing their gold, silver and bronze and gems along with all the other fine material possessions they had. Cheerfully bringing it, not under compulsion or reluctantly. This is how we are to live as well. We have been given the free will to decide in our own hearts what we bring to the LORD as an offering. Now it is true that the church has certainly taught well about bringing in the tithe. We have been more or less indoctrinated with this as a command of God, even if we are not willing, we must bring it in. But we have also heard that an offering is above the tithe. First the tithe, then bring an additional offering. But that is not discussed here. No tithe was mentioned. It is simply an offering for the Temple of God, from the generosity of their own hearts, from their own willingness to give. The promise God has made to the New Testament believer is that as we give from our hearts, he will bless us back, so we can give even more. This is one of the ideas one preacher and writer promotes as seed faith. Although we may not agree with all of his teachings, it seems right to consider that as we give, God gives us more so we can give more. If, however we only give for that purpose it might be worthless. The point is that we give because of the love in our heart for God, of our own free will, whatever we decide in our heart. They is no fixed amount. They is no formula. It is only as we decide, and we cheerfully give. This is how the Israelites were to bring their offerings and this is how we are to bring our offerings. Now, we could also include the fact that we are to offer or sacrifice our own beings, our bodies as living sacrifices, a living offering to God, cheerfully giving ourselves to the temple of God, which is within us, in fact, is us. Nevertheless, whatever we give, whether that be material goods or ourselves we are to do it willingly and gladly.