So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the LORD and were eager to get to work. Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the LORD has commanded us to do!” So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So, the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project. Exodus 36:2-7 NLT
Here's a problem any leader would love to face. God had given Moses very detailed instructions for the building of a Tabernacle for the people to worship Him. The instructions for building the Old Testament tabernacle are covered across Exodus 25-31. A subsequent section in Exodus, chapters 35-40, describes the actual construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings based on these instructions. It was elegant, beautiful almost beyond imagination, and furnished with only the best. Keep in mind they were in the desert – no stores, no places to get resources, let alone a discount on anything. But God had said Moses was to ask the people to give their own resources for these very specific details, including the kind of material for tapestries, jewels for adorning. Moses called the most gifted workers and artisans to use the resources to build and told the people to begin bringing their offerings for the construction. Their resources were what they had brought with them when they escaped from Egypt and plundered those who had enslaved and impoverished them for 400 years. Anything they gave up was gone without any reasonable way to replenish it. They had been in the desert traveling for one year when they built this traveling Tabernacle and had no idea how long they would be there. But Moses sent out the call, and every single morning the people began bringing from their resources as sacred offerings to God. They kept bringing more and more. Finally, the workers said, “The people have given more than enough! We have more than we need to finish this huge job!”
Moses had the opportunity to do what every pastor would love to say to the congregation. “Stop giving!” he said. “The need has been more than met!” How did that happen? Because ALL the people obeyed and participated. Because all the people gave to God, not just to a project, with generous hearts. Because all of the people recognized they could never repay God for all He had done for them. What a great response! And the rest of the story? God did miracles to meet their every need for the next forty years. He never fails to resource His obedient children.
- Wouldn’t it be great to see a modern-day replay of that story? It can happen when all the people recognize what God has done and respond with generous hearts.