Exodus 35: Surprising Generosity

​Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Contributions for the Tabernacle
4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, 7 tanned rams' skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments for ministering[b] in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.”
20 Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams' skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats' hair.27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

Construction of the Tabernacle
30 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
 
Meditation
God’s covenant faithfulness fertilizes surprising generosity. Openhandedness is an indication of hearts moved by mercy, redeemed people radically stewarding all God entrusts to us for the advancement His kingdom and the glory of His name.
 
Sabbath regulations are a sign of God’s covenant promises (Exodus 31), and the narrator returning to Sabbath direction after Israel’s rebellion with the golden calf emphasizes that Israel’s sin is not the end of the story. God’s deep mercy makes a way for God’s promised presence to dwell with God’s chosen people. 
 
Hearts moved by God’s mercy are manifested in generosity, stirred spirits stewarding stuff in service to the King. Five times a willing or stirred heart is referred to as the source of supply and skill for tabernacle construction (5, 21, 22, 26, 29), the place where God planned to be present with His people.
 
God loves cheerful givers because God knows cheerful giving is a response to His covenant faithfulness. Generosity reflects genuine love, a heart touched by grace that understands the economy of the gospel (2 Corinthians 8:8-9). Jesus divested Himself for His people so that we can know His grace and be rich in love, radical investors in advancing His kingdom by divesting our supplies and skills to reveal His love for the world. 
 
Viewing God’s mercy must move God’s people to live sacrificially as Jesus has sacrificially loved us (Romans 12:1-2). As dearly loved children, we walk in love as He loved us and gave Himself for us (Ephesians 5:1-2) likewise giving what we have decided in our hearts (2 Corinthians 9:6-9). 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the ways the covenant mercy of God moves God’s people to generosity?
 
-Where do you find yourself reluctant to be generous for the advancement of God’s kingdom? What does this reveal about your heart?
 
-How does the communication of the gospel in economic terms emphasize God’s priority for His people to respond to the gospel with surprising generosity?
 
Key Verse
21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.