109_Marks of a generous heart
Ex 35:4-9 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins;[a] acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
A very wealthy man was known for his generosity. Whenever a need arose, he gave without hesitation. A friend once asked him, “Why do you give so freely?” The man smiled and replied, “Everything I have was first given to me. I am only a steward, not the owner.” Truly, generosity flows from the recognition that all we have is a gift from God.
The Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31) occupies thirteen chapters out of a total of forty in the Book of Exodus. This underscores its great importance. At the time when Moses gave them the Lord’s instructions to build him a sanctuary, the Israelites were in mourning. They had fallen into sin, making and worshiping a golden calf in the name of the Lord, and committing immorality with their neighbors. Rebuked and chastened, they removed their ornaments in a sign of repentance, humbling themselves before the Lord.
Now when the Lord communicated his desire to dwell among them, despite their rebellion, they were glad indeed. Their response to these instructions was rooted in repentance. Having turned back to God, they were ready to obey His commandments.
The first step in this obedience was the collection of freewill offerings for the Tabernacle. The Israelites had just emerged from the slavery of Egypt. They had not earned money or property there. Yet they carried a treasure of gold and silver. Exodus 12:35-36 tells us, “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”
Now, God invited all who were willing to give towards the Tabernacle construction. It could be gold, silver, bronze, different types of yarn and cloth – anything that was useful for this purpose. They had the opportunity to give from what they had received. David declares in 1 Chronicles 29:14, “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” The source of a generous spirit is the realization that all that we have comes from God.
In Exodus 35, the heart is mentioned seven times. The people gave not out of obligation, but because their hearts were stirred. Godly giving is an outflow of the heart. Paul reinforces this in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Moses did not coerce or pressure the people. After giving instructions about the contributions, he dismissed the congregation. Exodus 35:20 tells us, “Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence.” The people were free to choose to give or not. Their gifts were voluntary, not under the influence of emotional or psychological duress.
Their giving was need-based and enthusiastic. Finally, the craftsmen had to ask Moses to stop the people from bringing more. Exodus 36:6-7 states, “So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.” This is a beautiful picture of generosity—people giving so freely that there was more than enough.
Giving was not limited to a select few; the entire community participated according to the resources each one had. Skilled craftsmen, men and women alike, donated their abilities. Exodus 35:29 says, “All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.” The building of the Tabernacle was a collective effort. The Church is built up when every member contributes to its growth and mission. The New Testament affirms this in Ephesians 4:16: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
The people gave not only material goods—gold, silver, precious stones, animal skins, spices, ointments, and fine cloth—but also their abilities, skills, labor, and time. The construction of the Tabernacle required both resources and fine craftsmanship. Skilled workers were needed to fashion these materials into something beautiful. Generosity is not limited to material resources. Our skills, time, and energy are required to serve God.
Another striking aspect of their giving was the quality of their contributions. The tabernacle was designed to reflect heavenly reality. In keeping with the majesty of God, only the best materials and craftsmanship were used. Exodus 35:6-9 specifies fine linen, precious stones, and costly spices. The finest artisans were at work to craft the intricate details of the tabernacle. They did not give God their leftovers, but their best. Our giving should reflect this same principle. Let us offer to God our first and best, not what remains after we have satisfied ourselves.
Their individual contributions were no longer distinguishable in the pool of resources. The aim of their giving was not to place their generosity on record but to contribute towards the building of God’s sanctuary. The Lord echoed this principle when He taught about giving in secret (Matthew 6:3-4). True generosity does not seek applause or human praise but is directed toward God’s glory.
Scripture speaks of two widows who were peerless givers. 1 Kings 17 describes the widow of Zarephath, who was one step away from actual starvation but trusted Elijah’s promise that God would provide for her. In this trust, she gave to Elijah out of her extreme poverty. She had only a handful of flour and a little oil, yet she did as Elijah asked, baking a little loaf for him first, before she baked for herself and her son. This faith commended her to God. Her example of faith is mentioned by the Lord (Luke 4:25-26).
Another widow, in the New Testament, put two small copper coins- 1/64 of a day’s earnings – into the temple treasury. They represented all that she had—her entire livelihood. Mark 12:42-44 recounts, “And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” Jesus commended her, because she exemplified the spirit of worship. It was not about how much she could give. It was not a social or religious compulsion. Her giving reflected the honour in which she held God. This compelled her to voluntarily give all she had, an offering of her entire life to God.
Paul writes about the Macedonian churches, who, despite severe affliction and deep poverty, overflowed in rich generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 says, “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” Their generosity was an outflow of their devotion to Christ, mirrored in their eagerness to help his people.
2 Corinthians 8:9 reminds us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Christ is both the source and the model of our giving. Let us learn from our Lord to give ourselves—not only our money, but also our time, talents, and energy—in joyful service to God. Let us give freely, as those who have freely received. Let our generosity reflect the heart of God Himself. God bless.