Exodus 35: 4-21

⁴Then Moses said to all the people, "This is what the LORD has commanded. ⁵Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁶blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen; goat hair for cloth; ⁷tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; ⁸olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; ⁹onyx stones, and other stones to be set in the ephod and the chestpiece.

¹⁰"Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the LORD has commanded: ¹¹the entire Tabernacle, including the sacred tent and its coverings, the clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; ¹²the Ark and its poles; the Ark's cover--the place of atonement; the inner curtain to enclose the Ark in the Most Holy Place; ¹³the table, its carrying poles, and all of its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; ¹⁴the lampstand and its accessories; the lamp cups and the oil for lighting; ¹⁵the incense altar and its carrying poles; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle; ¹⁶the altar of burnt offering; the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils; the large washbasin with its pedestal; ¹⁷the curtains for the walls of the courtyard; the posts and their bases; the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; ¹⁸the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their cords; ¹⁹the beautifully stitched clothing for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place; the sacred garments for Aaron and his sons to wear while officiating as priests."

²⁰So all the people left Moses and went to their tents to prepare their gifts. ²¹If their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so, they brought to the LORD their offerings of materials for the Tabernacle and its furnishings and for the holy garments.

Points of Interest:

· ‘everything that the LORD has commanded’—we skipped this part, but God had included very specific plans for the Tabernacle, it’s furnishings, and the uniforms of the priests during one of the recitals of the law. It’s in Exodus, ch. 25 through 30, if you’re interested. Tabernacle is just an archaic word for ‘tent or dwelling’ (Illustrated Bible Dictionary 1506). The Tabernacle is simply a respectful way of referring to God’s tent.

· ‘Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the LORD’—last time Moses went up the mountain, Aaron called a special offering in order to make the golden calf. This time, Moses calls an offering in order to make a tent for God. Rather than making a god to be among them, they are making a place for the LORD God to live among them. They are now getting what they really wanted when they made the golden calf: a visible, accessible way to know that God is with them. It’s interesting to note that building this tent for God was always a part of the plan—God had given Moses instructions for the tent during the first 40 days. If the Israelites had just waited a few days more the first time, they would have gotten what they really longed for and saved themselves and God a lot of pain and sorrow.

· ‘the sacred garments for Aaron and his sons’—there are even special plans for Aaron, the one who made the golden calf.

Taking it home:

• For you: Aaron has recently made an incredibly horrible mistake as a leader. He contributed to the deaths of 3000 people and very nearly to the loss of God’s presence for the entire people. Nonetheless, God continues with his plan to make Aaron his high priest. He even personally designs a special wardrobe with Aaron in mind. God’s grace is immense, far larger than any mistake we are capable of making. If you’ve made a mistake, particularly a mistake in leadership, and you’re wondering if it has ruined God’s plan for you, take heart. Ask God for forgiveness, and don’t be surprised if he has restoration in mind for you.
• For your six: God knew what the Israelites wanted and needed better than they thought he did. God had a plan to give them the opportunity to express their love of art and to provide them with the kind of physical representation of his presence for which they really yearned. But, before he could share his plan with them, they devised their own, one that didn’t work out nearly as well. Pray that your six would grow in their trust that God knows what they want and need. Also pray that they would grow in their patience with him to provide it.
• For our church: God is always giving us opportunities to participate in the things that He is doing; the opportunity to use the gifts that we have been given. Pray that the Elm City Vineyard would be known as a church where people are invited to participate in the things that God is doing, and that provides opportunities for people to use their gifts to bless others and bless God.