Right before Israel left Egypt, they were told to go their neighbor and ask them for gold, silver, and other precious jewels. In this way, they would “plunder” the Egyptians on their way out of town (Exodus 3:22).
In hindsight, it’s obvious that those resources were designed to sustain Israel through their trip through the desert. They would also provide the seed money for their new life inside of Canaan.
Regardless, it was a direct gift from God. And now, in Exodus 25, God asked them to give some of it to Him.
It’s fascinating to see the different ways that God implores His people to act. In some cases, like with the tithe, there’s a mandated amount that each person is to give. In others, it’s simply a freewill offering, like when 1 Corinthians 16:2 says to “give as you may prosper.”
Regardless of whether it’s under compulsion or voluntarily, the response should always be one of thankfulness. Giving back to God is just returning back to Him what He’s already given to us. We’re simply stewards of those blessings.
Before God lays out the plans for the Tabernacle, He first tells Moses to take up a freewill offering from the people, consisting of fine metals, oil, and other materials they can use in the service of the Tabernacle.
True to form, the materials are to be gathered “from every man whose heart moves him.” The same pattern would be followed in the construction of the first Temple (1 Chronicles 29:1-9) and the second Temple (Ezra 1:6).
But you have to ask, who among them would not have a heart that moved them? They’re not too far removed from the departure from Egypt and they’ve also just witnessed God on the mountain. Who isn’t willing to give back to God a little bit of what He’s given them?
Instead of blasting the Israelites though, we should ask ourselves this same question: Why don’t we give back to Him? Money isn’t the only thing we should give; in fact, I would argue it’s not even the most important.
What’s most important is our time, our heart, our love, and our devotion. With all that he’s given us, why are we not willing to give some of it back to Him?
