Redeemed and Restored
Exodus 36:6-7: "So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, 'Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more."
The kindness of the Lord led the people to repentance and to great generosity! Never in my twenty-five years of ministry have I heard a pastor tell the people to stop giving. Imagine hearing from the leaders of the church, "Stop giving, you have given too much!" Clearly, the hearts of the people were moved. They were excited about the building of the tabernacle, and they wanted to be all in - to be invested and to give of what God had given to them. This seems a rightful response when we think of all that God had done for them. This was the God who rescued them from bondage, led them, protected them, provided for them, and then forgave their sin against him. Generous hearts responding to a very generous God! In fact, they were so moved to give that they had to be restrained. There was simply no way to repay God for what he had done and no way that they could outgive God.
This generosity signifies a humility among the Israelites. Failures can lead to blessings and growth. In failure, we realize how fallible and broken we are, and we must rely completely on the grace of Jesus Christ. Fast forward to the religious leaders of Jesus' day. They were so certain that they followed the law perfectly, that they saw no need for grace and forgiveness. Instead of relying on God, they became self-righteous, proud, and hard-hearted. Those who knew the Scriptures best, who knew the Messiah would come, missed him due to their hard-heartedness.
Jesus challenged the religious leaders in the Sermon on the Mount. He took all the externals of the law and applied them not just to one's actions but to one's heart. You may not commit murder, but did you curse your brother or sister? Call them a fool? Jesus taught that in those thoughts, you committed murder within your heart. God is much more concerned with one's heart than the external keeping of the law.
Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, we read about those who are blessed by the Lord: those who are poor in spirit (the ones who recognize that they need Jesus). Also blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:3-4). After the golden calf incident, the people mourned their sin; this text indicates a deep, gut-wrenching grief, not a shallow declaration of being sorry. This grieving of their sin led to God's comfort. He would still stay in covenant with them. He would still lead them to the promised land. And he would come to dwell with them in the tabernacle. Those were great comforts to a broken people. That comfort led to their abundant generosity towards the Lord and his tabernacle.
May the comfort of the Lord lead us to such generosity! May our generosity toward God and one another overflow to the point of excess.
Reflection:
Do you see the abundance of God flowing out of your life and witness? How can you use what the Lord has given you to bless his church and his people today? Find a way to overwhelm others in extravagant love that they would say, "You have given too much!"
The kindness of the Lord led the people to repentance and to great generosity! Never in my twenty-five years of ministry have I heard a pastor tell the people to stop giving. Imagine hearing from the leaders of the church, "Stop giving, you have given too much!" Clearly, the hearts of the people were moved. They were excited about the building of the tabernacle, and they wanted to be all in - to be invested and to give of what God had given to them. This seems a rightful response when we think of all that God had done for them. This was the God who rescued them from bondage, led them, protected them, provided for them, and then forgave their sin against him. Generous hearts responding to a very generous God! In fact, they were so moved to give that they had to be restrained. There was simply no way to repay God for what he had done and no way that they could outgive God.
This generosity signifies a humility among the Israelites. Failures can lead to blessings and growth. In failure, we realize how fallible and broken we are, and we must rely completely on the grace of Jesus Christ. Fast forward to the religious leaders of Jesus' day. They were so certain that they followed the law perfectly, that they saw no need for grace and forgiveness. Instead of relying on God, they became self-righteous, proud, and hard-hearted. Those who knew the Scriptures best, who knew the Messiah would come, missed him due to their hard-heartedness.
Jesus challenged the religious leaders in the Sermon on the Mount. He took all the externals of the law and applied them not just to one's actions but to one's heart. You may not commit murder, but did you curse your brother or sister? Call them a fool? Jesus taught that in those thoughts, you committed murder within your heart. God is much more concerned with one's heart than the external keeping of the law.
Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, we read about those who are blessed by the Lord: those who are poor in spirit (the ones who recognize that they need Jesus). Also blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:3-4). After the golden calf incident, the people mourned their sin; this text indicates a deep, gut-wrenching grief, not a shallow declaration of being sorry. This grieving of their sin led to God's comfort. He would still stay in covenant with them. He would still lead them to the promised land. And he would come to dwell with them in the tabernacle. Those were great comforts to a broken people. That comfort led to their abundant generosity towards the Lord and his tabernacle.
May the comfort of the Lord lead us to such generosity! May our generosity toward God and one another overflow to the point of excess.
Reflection:
Do you see the abundance of God flowing out of your life and witness? How can you use what the Lord has given you to bless his church and his people today? Find a way to overwhelm others in extravagant love that they would say, "You have given too much!"
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