Exodus 36:1 – 7 “So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person are to carry out everything commanded by the LORD, who has given them skill and ability to know how to perform all the work of constructing the sanctuary.” Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the LORD had gifted—everyone whose heart stirred him to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the contributions that the Israelites had brought to carry out the service of constructing the sanctuary.
Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning, so that all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD has commanded us to do.”
After Moses had given an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “No man or woman should make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing more, since what they already had was more than enough to perform all the work.”
It was the greatest offering of all time! Moses called for people to give up the treasures their Egyptian neighbors had forced upon them as they were leaving Egypt. The results were staggering. Once people started giving, the gold and silver and precious stones and precious wood and yarn of various kinds just kept on coming. In the beginning, Moses might have wondered if this project was really going to work. Remember that the Israelites are in the wilderness without the resources that were available in Egypt. But when the call came for donations, the floodgates opened and donations poured in. What happened?
Perhaps in the beginning, there were a few people who were naturally generous. And there may have been people who had been horrified by the golden calf incident and who honestly wanted to worship God properly. As these people began to give, others watched and wondered and then went home to see what they had. But why did so many people give so much? This flood tide of generosity showed that God’s Holy Spirit was moving in the hearts of the people. The more some people gave, the more others also were moved to give. Finally, even the workmen who were creating the Tabernacle with its furnishings had to go to Moses and inform him that they were being covered up with donations. Moses actually had to restrain people from giving.
APPLICATION: It’s a problem that everyone working with an organization depending on contributions would love to face: having donors flood them with so many donations that they finally have to ask the donors to stop giving. The last twenty years since September 11, 2001 have been brutal for organizations depending on donations. The attacks on September 11 threw many people into a survival mentality, resulting in drastic drop – offs in charitable giving throughout the world.
Sometimes churches and other groups here in Ghana resort to a type of fund raising that feels like manipulation. The Master of Ceremonies will select a large number and then call for all willing to donate that amount of money to come forward. The amounts called for will gradually decrease until there is a call for any amount. But this practice is totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 6:1- 4 , Jesus told His disciples, “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Our solution to this problem is to wait until the general offering is called for and then make our donation. We also refuse to allow people to record our names or the amount of our donations. If we are not certain where the donation will actually go, we wait and donate privately to a bereaved family or to a needy situation.
Sometimes preachers who teach on faith will make fantastic promises about what God will do for you if you will only give to their ministries. Sadly, many times these donations do not accomplish the stated purposes but are diverted. Several years ago, we were involved in a project in which a church member had built a building to be used as a mission hospital. But this “generous” individual was now demanding compensation. We had to confront the hospital advisory board and point out that our funding was raised to support us working at a charitable institution. If that funding was now to be diverted, we had to seek written approval from every single donor; otherwise, we were in breach of contract with our donors.
Should you give? Absolutely! In Luke 6:38, Jesus told His disciples, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” It’s very important to make sure that when God gives you something, it doesn’t stick to your hands. Most of the time, we serve as a conduit for donations, directing them to areas of need. As long as we continue to be faithful to pass things and money along, God will be faithful to provide what we need. The day we panic and get grabby is the day we will lose out!
Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” At one point, CIM had more than 1500 missionaries on the field, all supported by faith donations.
Today, what is God asking you to give? Is it your money, or your talent, or is it your time? Whatever God is asking from you, give it readily and watch while God blesses you in ways you could never imagine.
PRAYER: Father God, help everyone who reads this devotional to trust You and to give generously to those in need around them. Help them to learn that You are a God of infinite provision. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment