The verse records the Lord speaking to Moses to tell Israel to bring Him an offering from every willing heart and to make Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them. It comes after the law had been given from Sinai, when Moses was commanded to come up into the mount of God to receive the pattern of the sanctuary and the ark. It opens forty days and forty nights in the cloud talking with God, in which were given the specifications of Israel's service and their obligations. The call was for free-will offerings taken only from those who gave willingly from the heart, with no compulsion or urging and no feast, amusement, entertainment, or lottery to induce giving, yet the gifts came in such abundance that Moses had to proclaim they must cease bringing them. The same command now calls God's people to give willingly and liberally to hasten the erection of memorials for God in Washington at Takoma Park, using all means carefully and economically to put up plain buildings without display, and God will give wisdom to those who build and bless all who aid in arising to build Him a memorial.
Speech, Setting, and Design
The Lord spoke to Moses to tell the children of Israel to bring Him an offering for the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. That offering was to be taken only from every man who gives willingly with his heart, of gold and silver and brass. It was for making Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them, and the work went forward according to the word of the Lord.
This speaking came after the law had been given from Sinai, when Moses had first stood with the people to hear the words of the Lord and then was commanded to come up into the mount of God. There in the mount He gave him directions in regard to building a sanctuary and gave him the pattern of the ark. The word opens forty days and forty nights in the cloud talking with God. In that time were given the specifications of Israel's service and the details of their obligation in service, the Ten Commandments, and judgments and laws in a book, for which forty days was a limited time.
While that communication was being given above, Israel below had opportunity to meditate and to purify their souls from idolatry. They had opportunity to teach their children the solemn covenant conditioned on obedience to the words heard from the mount. The specifications then begun were those given by Christ to Moses for building the tabernacle.
The sanctuary to be built was one that could be taken from place to place. In all the travels of the children of Israel the knowledge of God was thus to be made known. The word shows that God Himself directs and orders His appointed building work and the establishing of His work in a chosen place. When God has said a work is to be, it will be established in accordance with His will, to glorify His name, to give His truth standing room, and to show forth His praise. The Lord God of Israel is present in the work, and His blessing rests on willing workers as they advance and see Him answer prayer.
Willing Giving Then and Now
The call was for free-will offerings taken only from those who gave willingly from the heart, with no compulsion and no urging. There was no grand feast, no scenes of gaiety, dancing and general amusement, no entertainment to induce giving, and no lotteries or anything of profane order. The command came after Israel had left Egypt when the people had little and stood close to a return to slavery, yet they gave freely from their limited means their valuables and materials of gold, silver, brass and jewelry, with skilled work, according to God's design. When they knew the work was God's they could give eagerly without being urged.
The plan was highly successful, for the gifts came in such great abundance, more than could be used, that Moses proclaimed it was enough and they must cease bringing presents. The skill, genius, and wisdom brought into that building work were given by God to be used for His glory, and supreme honor is to be given to God in such work. Repeating these specifications for one's own benefit and for fellow workers while laboring with the hands teaches diligence and thoroughness and preaches the gospel by intelligent labor. This was shown when Paul worked quickly and skillfully with his hands at tent-making with Aquila and taught that preaching the gospel with the voice and preaching it by intelligent, diligent manual labor belong together.
The same command now calls God's people in America to give willingly, liberally, unselfishly, without grudging or weariness, with stirred hearts and a ready mind, to hasten the erection of memorials for God in Washington at Takoma Park. It calls for a school and a sanitarium to be set in operation and a publishing house or building for public work to be built. Obeying that call means church officers and churches must present the need, pray, restrain extravagance in dress and other things, and take hold of the work. It means using all means sent in carefully and economically to put up and furnish plain buildings without display or unnecessary expenditure and with no slack work. God will give wisdom to those erecting the buildings and carrying on the work in them and will surely bless all who aid in arising to build Him a memorial.
The verse records the Lord speaking to Moses to tell Israel to bring Him an offering from every willing heart and to make Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them. It comes after the law had been given from Sinai, when Moses was commanded to come up into the mount of God to receive the pattern of the sanctuary and the ark. It opens forty days and forty nights in the cloud talking with God, in which were given the specifications of Israel's service and their obligations. The call was for free-will offerings taken only from those who gave willingly from the heart, with no compulsion or urging and no feast, amusement, entertainment, or lottery to induce giving, yet the gifts came in such abundance that Moses had to proclaim they must cease bringing them. The same command now calls God's people to give willingly and liberally to hasten the erection of memorials for God in Washington at Takoma Park, using all means carefully and economically to put up plain buildings without display, and God will give wisdom to those who build and bless all who aid in arising to build Him a memorial.
Speech, Setting, and Design
The Lord spoke to Moses to tell the children of Israel to bring Him an offering for the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. That offering was to be taken only from every man who gives willingly with his heart, of gold and silver and brass. It was for making Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them, and the work went forward according to the word of the Lord.
This speaking came after the law had been given from Sinai, when Moses had first stood with the people to hear the words of the Lord and then was commanded to come up into the mount of God. There in the mount He gave him directions in regard to building a sanctuary and gave him the pattern of the ark. The word opens forty days and forty nights in the cloud talking with God. In that time were given the specifications of Israel's service and the details of their obligation in service, the Ten Commandments, and judgments and laws in a book, for which forty days was a limited time.
While that communication was being given above, Israel below had opportunity to meditate and to purify their souls from idolatry. They had opportunity to teach their children the solemn covenant conditioned on obedience to the words heard from the mount. The specifications then begun were those given by Christ to Moses for building the tabernacle.
The sanctuary to be built was one that could be taken from place to place. In all the travels of the children of Israel the knowledge of God was thus to be made known. The word shows that God Himself directs and orders His appointed building work and the establishing of His work in a chosen place. When God has said a work is to be, it will be established in accordance with His will, to glorify His name, to give His truth standing room, and to show forth His praise. The Lord God of Israel is present in the work, and His blessing rests on willing workers as they advance and see Him answer prayer.
Willing Giving Then and Now
The call was for free-will offerings taken only from those who gave willingly from the heart, with no compulsion and no urging. There was no grand feast, no scenes of gaiety, dancing and general amusement, no entertainment to induce giving, and no lotteries or anything of profane order. The command came after Israel had left Egypt when the people had little and stood close to a return to slavery, yet they gave freely from their limited means their valuables and materials of gold, silver, brass and jewelry, with skilled work, according to God's design. When they knew the work was God's they could give eagerly without being urged.
The plan was highly successful, for the gifts came in such great abundance, more than could be used, that Moses proclaimed it was enough and they must cease bringing presents. The skill, genius, and wisdom brought into that building work were given by God to be used for His glory, and supreme honor is to be given to God in such work. Repeating these specifications for one's own benefit and for fellow workers while laboring with the hands teaches diligence and thoroughness and preaches the gospel by intelligent labor. This was shown when Paul worked quickly and skillfully with his hands at tent-making with Aquila and taught that preaching the gospel with the voice and preaching it by intelligent, diligent manual labor belong together.
The same command now calls God's people in America to give willingly, liberally, unselfishly, without grudging or weariness, with stirred hearts and a ready mind, to hasten the erection of memorials for God in Washington at Takoma Park. It calls for a school and a sanitarium to be set in operation and a publishing house or building for public work to be built. Obeying that call means church officers and churches must present the need, pray, restrain extravagance in dress and other things, and take hold of the work. It means using all means sent in carefully and economically to put up and furnish plain buildings without display or unnecessary expenditure and with no slack work. God will give wisdom to those erecting the buildings and carrying on the work in them and will surely bless all who aid in arising to build Him a memorial.