Purpose of Our Treasures - Exodus 33-36

 Exodus 33:4-6 (ESV)

When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

The “disastrous word” that the people heard was a word from God, spoken to Moses:

Exodus 33:2-3 (ESV)

I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

This was a word that God would remove His glory from the nation.   Later Moses will plead with God for the people and will ask God to remember that this nation was to be separate from all nations and could only do so if God was among them:

Exodus 33:15-16 (ESV)

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Because the people feared not having God’s presence, they took off their ornaments.   The significance of this is two-fold.   God had allowed them to leave Egypt and plunder Egypt.  The Egyptians actually gave them the ornaments and jewelry as Israel left the country.   In the previous chapters, however, we read that the nation used some of that material good to make a golden calf to worship.   God was obviously displeased with that act of idolatry, which is why He stated He would not go with them into the land He promised them.  They had used the plunder God allowed them to have for the purpose of self-gratification idolatry.  

But, the other aspect of this sin was that God would want them to use that plunder as material for the building of the Tabernacle.   Notice what will happen in a just a couple of chapters:

Exodus 35:20-22 (ESV)

Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD'S contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD.

When we use our resources for our own pleasure that hinders us from using those same resources for God’s plans, purposes and pleasures.