Tabernacle Offerings

Exodus 35-36:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2035-36&version=NIV1984

            It would be hard to read these two chapters and not think about stewardship.

            The first thing that stands out is that Exodus does not say that every Israelite brought a gift for the tabernacle.  It does say that everyone who was willing brought a gift.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I don’t think the Lord is condoning that there were those who were not willing, but I do think there’s an important lesson there, namely, that not everyone is in the same place with their faith.  Some just aren’t ready to make those commitments of time and treasure that are signs of a growing and deepening faith.  While we should present the faith in such a way as to encourage taking that step toward generosity, we should not judge those who aren’t there yet.

            The second thing that stands out is that those who did bring gifts kept on bringing them and eventually had to be stopped.  I wonder what exactly that line means in Exodus 36:3.  It might mean that the same people kept coming back with more and more gifts, or it might mean that new people became motivated by their neighbor’s generosity to give gifts of their own.  Both are good lessons. 

            In the first instance, I’m reminded of Paul’s statement in Galatians 6, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Sometimes it can get discouraging when it seems like the same people are providing all the support and doing all the work in the church.  Paul’s advice is to keep at it, and you can make a case that that’s just what the Israelites did.  It’s a mistake to evaluate our expression of faith in light of someone else.  The question ought not be, “What did someone else do?”  It ought to be, “What am I doing?”

            In the second case, I think that a good outcome is when the generosity of time and treasure motivates others to step up in a similar way.  Good examples are important and they can be effective.  In terms of modern church life, I’m not quite sure how to make those examples public.  I mean, we are a pretty close people when it comes to our money.  (Back in the day, churches used to publish who gave what in the annual report.  You can imagine how that would fly today!)  I do like the practice of testimonials, when people simply tell their stories about maturing in the grace of giving and the differences it made in their lives.  Good examples, well presented, can motivate others.

            Finally, I’d just note the last bit of the story.  I think I speak for pastors everywhere when I say that most of us would love to have the problem of too many offerings!  Because churches struggle to make ends meet so often, it is comforting to think that there is at least one example of having too much.  So, bring those offerings on.