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FREE-WILL OFFERINGS

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 25, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 12.

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FREE-WILL OFFERINGS.

(Lesson 14, April 6, 1889.)
1. WHILE Moses was in the mount, what did God tell him to say to the children of Israel?
"And the Lord spake 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." Ex. 25:1, 2.
2. Of what was their offering to consist?
"And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins died red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate." Verses 3-7.
3. What were these offerings for?
"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Verse 8.
4. Who only were to bring an offering?
"Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass." "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments." Ex. 35: 5, 21. See Ex. 25:2.
5. What sort of things did they bring?
"And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. Everyone that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering; and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it." Ex. 35: 22-24.
6. How did they come to have so many valuable things?
"And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment; and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." Ex. 12:35, 36.
7. What did the women do?
"And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair." Ex. 35:25, 26.
8. What kind of service was all this? "The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work,which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Verse 29.
9. How are we exhorted to give?
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:7.
10. What kind of a giver does God love?—Ib.
11. Cite another instance where the people offered willingly to the cause of God?
"Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite." 1 Chron. 29:6-8.
12. How was it that the people were enabled to give so willingly?
"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Verse 9.
13. Is there danger of coming to poverty through generous giving to the cause of God?
"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." Prov. 11:24, 25.
14. What is God able to do?
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." "Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." 2 Cor. 9:8, 11.
15. How is this? Ps. 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8.
16. Then when people make offerings to God, whose property do they give?
"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own." 1 Chron. 29:14-16.
17. What was the result when the people gave with a willing heart?
"And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make." Ex. 36:4, 5.
18. What proclamation had to be made?
"And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing." Verses 6, 7.
19. How many have known of such an instance in the history of the cause?
20. Is there in this record any lesson for us?