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; 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