Exodus 36:1 - Meaning and Application

The workmen got started without delay. As soon as God had given them skill for the task, they went to work. This reminds us that the gifts God entrusts to us are meant to be used, not stored away like something hidden in a cloth. What are our abilities for, if not to do good with them?

They began when Moses called them (Exodus 36:2). Even those God has fitted for service, and made willing to serve, still need a proper call to the work. That call may come in an unusual way, as with prophets and apostles, or in the ordinary way, as with pastors and teachers. Moses called those whom God had filled with wisdom for this task, beyond what they could do by nature, and whose hearts were stirred to come and work earnestly.

That is a helpful picture of those who are called to help build Christ’s church, the gospel tabernacle. God’s grace makes them, in some measure, fit for the work and willing to do it. In calling ministers, two things matter: ability and willingness, along with a firm resolve. If God has given them not just knowledge but wisdom, then let them come fully ready to carry the work through. Those who want to help win souls must be wise, with hearts set on the work itself, not just its honor.

The materials the people had given were handed over by Moses to the workers (Exodus 36:3). They could not make a tabernacle out of nothing. They needed material to work with, and the people supplied it while Moses put it in the workers’ hands. In the same way, precious souls are the materials of the gospel tabernacle. They are being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). To that end, they should offer themselves freely to the Lord for his service (Romans 15:16), and then be given into the care of his ministers, who work to shape them and help them grow in holiness, until all become one in the unity of faith, a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 2:22; Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 4:13).

The people kept bringing freewill offerings every morning (Exodus 36:3). We should also make it our daily practice to bring our offerings to the Lord, including prayer, praise, and a broken heart fully given to him. That is part of what each day calls for. God’s mercies are new every morning, and our duty to him should be fresh each morning too.

Some may have been slow to give at first, but the eagerness of their neighbors stirred them up and even shamed them into action. The zeal of a few can encourage many. Some people are willing to follow a good work, even if they are not eager to lead it. It is best to be ready from the start, but it is better to come late than not at all. Others may have given once and then, thinking back on it gladly, gave more. They were so far from regretting what they had offered that they doubled it. In charity, we should give a share to seven, and even to eight.

The workers showed honesty. After they had measured their work and saw that the material would be enough, and that the people were still bringing more, they went together to Moses and told him no more offerings were needed (Exodus 36:4, Exodus 36:5). If they had been looking out for themselves, this would have been a chance to grow rich from the people’s gifts. They could have finished the work and kept the extra for themselves as pay beyond what was due. But they were honest men. They would not do something so low as profit from gifts given to the Lord. Those who cheat the public commit a great wrong.

They were not only ready to account for everything they received, they also did not want any more than they needed. They did not want to be tempted to keep it, or even suspected of doing so. These were men who knew when enough was enough. The people were also generous. Even after seeing how much had already been given, they kept offering until Moses had to stop them by command (Exodus 36:6, Exodus 36:7). That is rare. Most people need urging to be generous; few need restraint. Yet these did.

If Moses had wanted to enrich himself, he could have let the offerings keep coming and then taken the remainder after the work was done. But he also put the public good ahead of his own private gain, and that made him a good example for all who hold public trust. The people were “restrained from bringing” (Exodus 36:6), and they seemed to feel that this was a restraint on them, because they wanted to do even more for the tabernacle. Such was their zeal. They gave as much as they could, and even beyond what they could easily spare, pleading with the collectors to accept their gifts (2 Corinthians 8:3, 2 Corinthians 8:4). These were the fruits of first love. In our day, charity has grown too cold for us to expect such things as often.