Exodus 35:29
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. 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.
The verse describes Israel bringing willing offerings of valuables and skilled labor for every part of the tabernacle work commanded through Moses, with both men and women taking part from willing hearts. Only what is given freely and willingly is accepted, for sacrifice for God must be voluntary and never forced or pressed out of anyone. Their giving was so cheerful and abundant that more was brought than could be used, until Moses had to command them to stop bringing offerings. The skill and exactness of the work was given by God to be used for His glory, requiring perfection in all service done for Him. That same free and willing spirit remains the pattern for God's people now, who are to value sacred things highly, give generously of their best, and cooperate with God and one another in His work.
Tabernacle Setting and Meaning
The verse belongs to the instructions for building the tabernacle, where the skill, genius and wisdom employed in the work were given by God and were to be used for His glory. It shows the exactitude, skill, tact, wisdom and perfection required in the building of the earthly tabernacle, and that same perfection is required in every line of work done in His service, with all workers training their minds to do the very highest service and seeking mental strength to do everything according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount.
The giving took place just after Israel left Egypt, when they were but a step from freedom back to slavery, with scanty means and small tents of their own. They did not plead to enlarge their own dwellings but put God's house first, and God gave the design they were to follow.
Every man and woman whose heart made them willing brought for all the commanded work through Moses, with willing skilled labor and with gifts taken from their persons, including ornaments and jewelry, gold, silver, brass and ornamental work. Women skillfully made embroidery in silver and gold, and able craftsmen made the ark, the tabernacle and solid-gold vessels. The whole was done with cheerful and willing labor at a cost of more than a million dollars. Their gifts and labor were cheerful and so abundant without urging that more was brought than could be appropriated. Moses therefore had to proclaim that there was already enough and they must cease bringing offerings.
Willing Giving and Application
The offerings for the tabernacle were voluntary free-will offerings from willing hearts, and only gifts given willingly from the heart are accepted. Sacrifice for God's cause must be voluntary, not compelled or pressed, and pressed offerings are not accepted. The cause is to be carried forward only by willing offerings from every man and woman whose heart makes him willing.
The tabernacle was a special object calling for free-will offerings beyond all systematic and regular donations. This draft upon the people was made for their own good as well as to sustain His service. The verse belongs to a system of gifts and offerings that taught the people to support God's service and care for the needy.
Means for God's commanded work are to be raised with no compulsion, no grand feast, no scenes of gaiety, dancing and general amusement, and no lotteries or anything profane. Responsibility must be left wholly upon each individual whether he will give much or little, and what he gives will be faithfully recorded. Ministers must therefore not be severe, draw upon any one man and press means from him, or denounce and throw overboard one who does not give as much as another thinks he should. They must be as patient and forbearing as the angels are, working in union with Jesus while Christ and angels watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, with the Lord bearing long with His erring people and giving them time until truth cuts off one idol after another and He reigns supreme in the hearts of His consecrated people.
Their cheerful generosity in preparing the tabernacle is an example for God's people of zeal and devotion in preparing a place for worship. Those who value God's presence should show zeal in proportion to how highly they value His blessings. Offerings should be given freely and in a measure that shows the value placed on sacred things, not grudgingly or merely to meet the least possible cost. Their labor and giving taught them to cooperate with God and with one another, pointing to cooperation in preparing God's temple in the soul.
Their giving was a shared part in God's work in which all wanted a part in the blessing, and it was a blessing to those who took part. Christ can make people willing to give generously for God's work. Giving is not a yearly gift merely but a freely presented weekly and monthly offering before the Lord, left to the people as a weekly, monthly, living test that develops character and manifests the true state of the heart.
Everything connected with ministering before God is to be without flaw, so those advancing the work in its different lines are to give God the very best they have, that His service and worship will be an object lesson to the world of the perfection He requires. Men are to return to God in freewill offerings the very best of what He has given them, gratefully acknowledging Him as Giver of all good and regarding nothing as too good to be devoted to His service. They are to give freely to establish memorials of His goodness, because the largeness of His blessings shows the obligation to return to Him His own.
The same free, willing, anxious spirit is present now in hearts ready to aid the advancement of God's work, who when assured there is a work to be done and God calls for their means and hearty cooperation will need no urging. When means are needed He calls all the people to bring free-will offerings instead of supplying the means without asking sacrifice, even though gold and silver and all possessed, even souls and bodies, are His. The same blessing comes from returning to the Lord His own to purchase property for a school where youth are educated to work in harmony with God's mind and will and go forth as missionaries to fields in all parts of the world. Every soul should take an interest and act his part so that when the time for settlement comes and the deed is offered the money is ready.