It’s believed that on this day Moses made the first appeal for the contributions of material and metal for the building of the Tabernacle. We can read about this in Exodus 25:1-2:
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering (terumah). From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.’”
The first thing we should notice is that the offering was to be given by those who had a willing heart, not by those who felt they had been forced or manipulated into it. It is very important for people to see that, in anything the Creator asks us to do, He wants us to do it because it’s in our heart to do it.
Now, consider the purpose of the sanctuary as recorded in Exodus 25:8-9:
“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”
In these verses we see that the ultimate purpose of the sanctuary was not that there might be a priesthood; not necessarily that people could bring offerings, but that the presence of the Creator might dwell among His people. To achieve this goal, it was important for everyone to do their part when called upon. Because Moses was given the pattern for the Tabernacle, it was his responsibility to make sure it was built according to God’s specifications. However, Moses was dependent upon others to play their specific role.
He had to depend upon Betzalel, Oholiab and the other artisans to whom God had given wisdom into how to make the particular components of the Tabernacle. For the artisans to be able to do this, the people, most of them nameless, had to bring their contributions. And so, the people and the craftsmen all had to do their part before Moses could erect the Tabernacle and fulfill God’s purposes. And so we see that, in order for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in the world today, everyone – leaders and laymen – must do their part.
Some people might get noticed more than others but, even if the world never knows your name, it doesn’t lessen the significance of the role each of us were created to perform; everyone is created to play an integral role in His purposes. What is that purpose? Ultimately, that His presence might be among us and in us. And so we will close with the words that Paul wrote to the congregation in Colossus:
“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Messiah.” Colossians 3:23-24
Shalom.
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