Exodus 35:4-9 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 7 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
Wow! God isn’t asking very much, is He? The Israelites are out in the wilderness without access to any markets; yet, look at the shopping list God has given Moses. Where are the Israelites supposed to get all these costly materials? Actually, they have them already, and God knows exactly who has what. Remember when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, and God ordered them to ask their Egyptian neighbors for their most precious belongings? The Egyptians were so terrified that they were GLAD to load the Israelites with everything they could, just so the Israelites would leave Egypt as quickly as possible. God was moving the Egyptians to give whatever they could, already designating the purpose for each donation. Now, out here in the wilderness, the Israelites have everything they require to create the Tabernacle.
Exodus 35: 20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it. 25 All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 26 And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair. 27 The rulers brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate, 28 and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
It’s likely that until now, the Israelites have simply been reveling in possessing wonderful precious things that they could never have afforded on their own. God has already ordered the Israelites to stop wearing this jewelry, and now we realize part of the reason. That jewelry was never intended for the Israelites to wear all the way to the Promised Land but was earmarked for the creation of the Tabernacle. But look at the rest of the list: there’s every kind of cloth, animal skin, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen thread. There are precious stones and spices and premium quality olive oil. Best of all, the Israelites are rushing to give these things freely, without any need for Moses to lecture or threaten.
One of the chief ways in which we lose our peace is failure to trust in God’s provision. Although “God helps them who help themselves” does not appear anywhere in Scripture, many of us are haunted by that phrase and believe that we must continually act as our own Providences. While it’s true that God wants us to be diligent and diligence is commended throughout the Scriptures, it’s equally true that God is the Ultimate Owner of creation. Psalm 50:7-11 tells us, “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
No matter how much wealth we have amassed or the number of our resources, we still must trust God. Catastrophic financial disasters can wipe out retirement savings overnight. Natural disasters such as fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes can devastate our homes, and sometimes, the insurance we have counted on fails to compensate us. Illnesses can ravage our bodies, adding medical costs to our woes. We all are aging; however, as we approach the latter stages of our lives, we become far more aware of the need to depend on God for everything.
How can we combat fear so that we can continue to live victoriously without succumbing to panic or despair? Rely on the God Who has created you and Who has kept you safe right up to today. Our prayer for today is found in Psalm 27. The next time fear threatens to overwhelm you, read this psalm over at least five times. Your situation might not change; however, God can give you peace in the middle of your problems. Find one or two of the verses that speak to you, write them out on post-it notes, and stick those notes everywhere you are likely to see them as reminders of God’s protection and provision.
PSALM 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat[a] up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be [c]lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [d]joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are frightened and worried, fearing our resources will fail and we will be caught in disasters. But You, O Lord, are the Holy One who has kept us ever since birth. Please strengthen the hearts of all who read these words, so that they KNOW that You love them, that You care for them, and that You will never leave them nor forsake them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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