Exodus 25

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
(Exo 25:1-2)


The Tabernacle… Modeled after heaven, and based on a plan given to Moses by God on the mountain. The Tabernacle was an INCREDIBLE thing. It gave the Israelites a place to sacrifice, a place to worship, and a place for the Lord to dwell. We will learn later that it was situated at the CENTER of the Israelite camp… a special position designed to symbolize the CENTRAL position the Lord is to have in the lives of His children.

Here they were, gearing up to build the tabernacle, and look at how they got the materials. It wasn’t a tax or a toll, not a set amount or even a “suggested donation”. It was a free will offering. We can learn some valuable lessons from this about giving. I don’t mean just about giving MONEY, I mean giving time, and other resources as well. So lets look at the specific things we can learn from how the Israelites gave for the building of the tabernacle.

1. They were made aware of the need. Moses talked to the children of Israel about the need to build a house for the LORD. This is where it begins… the process of giving starts when we become aware of a need. For the children of Israel in this situation, the need was building the tabernacle, and they found out about it from Moses. In our case the need might be a brother or sister in Christ that is struggling and needs a friend, or a servant of God who needs a hot meal and a place to stay. The various possibilities are endless, but the core problem remains the same… There are people all around us with needs, the question is how are we responding to them?

2. The second thing to notice is this:It is unto the Lord. When we have the resources and take that opportunity to give, it is seen as something we do “unto the Lord”, and not simply a “good deed” to our fellow men. When we are made aware of a need, and feel called to meet it with the resources God has given us, we are giving to the Lord. Our giving up of our time, money, etc. is a way for us to really WORSHIP the Lord.

3. Lastly we notice this: A willing heart. God doesn’t want just anyone to do the job of meeting the need, He only wants those who can do so with a willing and cheerful heart. When we do something because we feel like we HAVE to, there is no real giving at all. The Lord wants to see people EXCITED about serving and worshiping Him by serving the others around them, meeting their needs. When we realize that our giving is way of praising and worshiping God, then we should be able to do so happily.

The Children of Israel had a great many reasons to give joyfully to the Lord… He had radically saved them, setting them free from the bondage of Egypt! The same is true of us. The Lord has done so much for us… it is the least we can do to use the resources He has given us to meet the needs of those around us. If we realize all God has done for us, then our attitude will be one of Thanksgiving and gratefulness. Give unto the Lord today with a cheerful heart by serving your brothers and sisters willingly!