In Exodus 35 I've been reading about the Israelites giving offerings to build the tabernacle in the wilderness. It's quite a story.Here is a list of what they gave (it really makes me wonder how they could wander very much, lugging all this stuff around in the desert): brooches, earrings, signet rings, pendants, gold objects, blue and purple and crimson yarn, fine linen, goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, fine leather, silver, bronze, acacia wood (acacia wood? they were hauling acacia wood around in the desert?), onyx, gems, spices, oil, fragrant incense.
Good grief!
Then it says, "All the Israelite men and women whose hearts made them willing . . . brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord."
There's something about a heart willing to give that's wonderful. There's something about many hearts willing to give together to a common cause that's exciting! If I were to rate the "excitement coefficient" of giving, it would come in this order, with #1 being the most exciting:
- Giving when you notice a need, but no one asked you to fill it, but you took care of it because your heart made you willing.
- Giving in response to an invitation to fill a need that has been clearly described and is quickly taken care of by your giving (immediate satisfaction)
- Giving over a long period of time to a really huge need, where lots of people have to work together, but you eventually see success
- There might be other choices above this one, but the very last one is "Giving because you responded to someone strong-arming you, and you walk away feeling plundered or duped."
And that's my thought for this morning.
Love the picture.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about all the things they lugged into the desert. But it was for a purpose. May our hearts be willing as well. Great thoughts for my morning.
ReplyDeleteBeing willing is easy to do...sometimes. And other times it's the last thing you'd ever want to feel. I echo Ruth: may our hearts be willing, as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd about the photo - the funny thing is that one of my favourite views is this same barn...from the OTHER side, looking west. Interesting, eh?
Awesome reflections, and quite apropos in light of my thoughts this afternoon at the faculty colloquium. i wish i had read this earlier, i would have inserted the thought of the willingness to give in my presentation. instead of boasting of how generous we are compared to the rest of the world, we should be humbly willing to give even more not only to the church, but to those in need.
ReplyDeleteOn another point, the Israelites are recorded as being in the wilderness for 40 years. The square miles which they traversed was not that large. I reckon it might have been smaller than some of our large States. They were nomads and did not move that much. our picture of them is that they were constantly on the move -- marching almost non-stop for 40 years! most likely they settled in one spot for a few years and then trekked to another spot, always with their ultimate goal to cross over the Jordan to the more fertile western land, giving up their nomadic lifestyle to a more sedentary on.