Exodus 25:1-8 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring Me an offering. You are to receive My offering from every man whose heart compels him. This is the offering you are to accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and gemstones to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.”
The rest of the Book of Exodus is mostly God’s instructions regarding the construction of a tabernacle, a portable sanctuary, along with all the furnishings necessary, the garments for the priests, the conduct of the priests, etc. Up until now, the Israelites had seen graphic demonstrations of God and His power; however, they had no place in which to worship God, nowhere that would serve as a central focus for their worship. Now God is establishing a portable temple plus the forms of worship He wants from His people.
There are a number of things to notice here:
1. The Israelites are to give offerings, but only those who are really willing, “whose hearts compel them” are to bring things. These instructions are the basis for the idea of “free will offerings,” a concept that is frequently abused today. Offering something to God is an act of worship; however, it’s not worship when someone is twisting your arm! When making offerings becomes a form of showing off, this is no longer an act of worship, but merely competition to see who can be admired the most.
2. In case you were laboring under the misconception that the Israelites were these poor little ex – slaves wandering around in the desert with no resources, think again! Remember that the Israelites were instructed to ask for precious things from their Egyptian neighbors before they left Egypt. Terrorized by the deaths of the first – born people and animals, the Egyptians literally loaded the Israelites up with as much booty as they could carry. Now God wants to put those things to good use.
3. The list of potential offerings is extensive and specific. Why shouldn’t God know the details? He watched as the Egyptians gave those things to the Israelites in the first place. It’s even possible that some of the Israelites have been scratching their heads ever since they left Egypt, wondering things like, “Dyed ram skins? Acacia wood? Gemstones? Why are we carrying this stuff around out here in the wilderness anyway?”
4. The sanctuary that is to be constructed will be a visible form of God’s presence. God promises to dwell among them.
5. “You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.” God is going to give specific instructions so that everything will be done properly. God doesn’t want to leave any opportunity for someone to cut corners or for someone to make money off the tabernacle construction. God knows the human heart, and God knows the thoughts and intentions of every one of those Israelites!
5. God knows that this tabernacle will serve as a model for places of worship to Him for the rest of human existence. If the model is not correct, the resulting copies will veer further and further away from God’s will for His place of worship.
APPLICATION: Many times you may hear someone say, “Oh, I like to worship God in nature; and anyway, God is everywhere. Why do I need to go to church?”
There is nothing wrong in worshiping God when we are outdoors; however, worship is too important to be limited to just one setting. If we are truly following God, we will worship him in our homes, in our schools, in our workplaces, and wherever we go.
Worshiping God with others is very important; it is there that we can be encouraged that others love God as we do. Singing hymns and worship songs together can encourage us and build us up. Listening as others pray can be both a humbling and an enlightening experience. Coming together to praise and worship God changes our hearts and our minds to desire Him more.
“But,” you say, “my church is nothing like that! The people in my church are hyper – critical and supercilious. The pastor’s sermons are lukewarm and leave me feeling that I could have gotten as much inspiration from taking a hot shower. Each Sunday (or Sabbath) I leave church feeling empty. If these sentiments are yours, I have a word of advice: LEAVE!!!
One of the benefits of COVID is that a number of excellent churches are live – streaming their services or televising them, giving you the opportunity to find the congregation and the pastor who most speak to your needs. God wants to meet with you in worship. If you will pray and ask God, He will show you where to go and how to find a group with whom you can truly worship Him. The one thing you should NOT do is to stop worshiping God or stop praying.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us so much that you want to meet with us! Thank you for caring about every detail of our lives, including the way we worship you. Help us to find places where we can truly express our love for you and where you can speak to our hearts. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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