God Wants Us to Give - Exodus 33-36

 Exodus 35:4-10 (ESV)

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD'S contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

“Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded:

After Moses received the blueprints for the Tabernacle, God stirred the hearts and talents of the people to give and make the Tabernacle.   God stirred their hearts to bring the possessions they had to use in this building.   A key thought in this process is that they would not be able to replace the material goods they were giving to the work.   It was not like they could give away jewelry and/or cloth and go out and purchase more.   They could make some of the material goods they were giving to the work but some of it, much of what is listed, is irreplaceable.  That is a true act of giving.  Jesus saw this in the poor widow during His ministry on earth.  

Luke 21:4 (ESV)

For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

They continued to give and in fact gave too much:

Exodus 35:29 (ESV)

All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD.

Exodus 36:5 (ESV)

and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.”

This is the type of giving God embraces and enjoys.   So, too, should we be this type of giver. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV)

The Cheerful Giver

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.