I coach my kids in little league every year, and at the beginning of every season, I’ll always ask for any volunteers that may want to help out. Normally, I get crickets in response. People are more than happy to sit outside the gate and watch their kids pick flowers in the outfield. No big deal.
This year though, I got an overwhelming response from the parents. I’m not sure if it’s the familiarity with me, the sport, a genuine love of the game, or more time on their hands, but nearly every parent offered to help in some way. Most wanted to bring snacks, others offered to control the dugout, while a brave few said they would actually coach with me.
Because of that, the difference between this year and last year has been astounding. Not only are the kids more engaged, but the parents are as well. Every single practice and game has an energy to it, and I attribute 99% of that to the feeling that every single person has bought in to the season.
On a completely different plane, that’s what I imagine Moses felt when he asked for contributions. At first, the freewill offerings poured in (Exodus 35:22). Then, they poured in some more (Exodus 35:29). Finally, they kept pouring in—so much so that Moses had to actually stop them from donating any more (Exodus 36:5-7).
It’s a mark of integrity on Moses’ part that he didn’t continue to ask for more goods from the people. It would’ve been tempting to set himself up as a king at this point, using the Tabernacle as his own personal coffer.
Or Moses could have simply rationalized the hoarding by saying he wanted to maximize the repentance of the people. After all, they had just demonstrated their ungodliness in worshipping a calf. Now, they wanted to do everything they could to give back to God. Why put a stop to that?
Their generosity comes from almost exactly the same place as the early church. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, Paul talks about how the churches of Macedonia gave over and above what was needed for the relief of their brethren, simply because they were so desperate to help out. And this was in the midst of their own suffering!
Why is it that they were so willing to help out? I think the answer is pretty simple: They saw a need, knew that they could fill that need, and decided to act. Giving to a cause like that is a relatively straightforward way to help others.
We do the same thing whenever we see a GoFundMe that’s shared on social media. We see the need and decide to fill that need. And even though it costs us some money, the fact that GoFundMe has payment integrations on the website means it takes less than a couple minutes to help other people.
I’m not trying to denigrate anyone’s giving—the Israelites or ours—by saying that donating our goods takes zero effort. Money is tight for everyone, so any donation that comes from the heart is a great thing, no matter the amount or speed it takes to process.
But what I do want to highlight is the Israelites’ eagerness in giving money but their reluctance to give their heart. As we’ll see throughout their history, the Israelites had very little problem fighting battles, giving of their means, and engaging other activities that were more physical in nature.
What they lacked was a willingness to give their heart to God. To not just give what they had, but the best of what they had (Malachi 1:6-14). To not just fight battles, but to trust in God and fight the way He described (1 Samuel 15).
When we give to God, make sure it comes from a genuine desire to serve His purposes. The money is great, but a genuine and caring attitude is greater.
