Exodus 35-37
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.
Exodus 35:29
Today we see the people of Israel responding favorably to the LORD. They contribute wood, animal skins, yarns, precious metals, gemstones — all that is necessary for building the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the garments for the priests, and all the other accoutrements of worship. It is a generous outpouring, so much so that the artisans have more than enough, prompting Moses to issue a proclamation to stop giving. (Ex. 36:6)
The beautiful thing to note here is that this is entirely a freewill offering. The LORD tells Moses to make the request (Ex.35:4-9), but there is no forcible extraction. These supplies are not confiscated from the people, not taken at the point of a spear. They are given freely.
We do not know, of course, exactly what motivates the people to give. How much of this giving is driven by guilt and remorse over the Golden Calf incident? How much is driven by wanting to look better than one’s neighbor or by peer pressure? How much is given out of true gratitude and praise to the LORD for deliverance from Egypt? We are not told — and so, it must not matter. The fact remains that the giving is “over the top” and is done freely.
There are any number of times that the people of Israel get things wrong. This is not one of them.
I know this comment is a couple of days late, but John’s comments about why the people gave are interesting. Maybe their hearts weren’t exactly “there” when they made these offerings, but they gave in abundance. And if they were doing it out of guilt or pride, perhaps that’s a step in the right direction anyway. My heart surely isn’t always in the right place when I do things, but God knows that I am a work in progress…