THURSDAY 06 January 2022 “Too much?” Exodus 36:1-7

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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends around the world,

Have you ever been part of something that was so tremendous, almost unbelievable, that you couldn’t really grasp it all? How did that experience affect you? Join me today in looking at one of those times in the Bible, and let’s see what we can learn from it.

In these days we are back in time, to about 1400bc. We are with Moses and about 1 million people who have fled out of Egyptian slavery, and they’ve been camped at the base of Mount Sinai for several months. Moses has 8 times gone up Sinai to meet with God in the cloud of His presence, and each time has returned to explain to the people what he heard from God and how their lives should respond. This last time Moses’ face was actually radiant as he descended Sinai, for his encounter with God had been especially powerful. He had encountered the “GLORY” of God, as recorded in Exodus 34.

Moses has gathered the people to explain what he has learned from God about worship of a Holy, Almighty, Living, Present God. It would be worship very different from what they knew in Egypt which was man made idols and gross immorality. Moses had explained certain skilled people, both men and women, had been anointed by the Holy Spirit of God to use their unusual skills in fabricating things never before seen by any human being, which would be used in worship of Holy God in a tabernacle God designed and called “The Tent of Meeting”. As the name suggests, God wanted to be near His people, not far away, and available to encounters with His people. The people had been invited to bring from the bounty they had taken out of Egypt, and that was the gold, silver and other precious materials which would be used in fabricating this “Tent of Meeting” and everything inside it.

The Exodus record says in Exodus 36:2: “Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the “Tent of Meeting”. We’ve all been at construction sites before haven’t we, both small and large, so it shouldn’t be difficult for us to imagine this gathering of workers, both men and women, ready and anxious to begin this project. But where’s the architect and the project manager and the construction supervisors? Oh my friends, this would be a project unlike any other. God was the architect and He had verbally explained to Moses, in great detail up there on Mount Sinai, all the dimensions and the materials to be used for everything which was to be made. Moses now was responsible to describe it to these skilled workers, and they had the incredible privilege and challenge of fabricating things never before seen.

The Holy Spirit of God was working in the hearts and minds of these people, helping them envision, sketch out, and then start fabricating the things Moses described. Look at them working. Carefully, cautiously, pausing often with eyes closed and hands folded, praying over their work, asking God to guide them and inspire them to see a clear picture of what each thing they were making was to be like. And over there, do you see Moses walking among the workers, encouraging them, answering their specific questions as he tried his best to remember the details God had given to him on the mountain? It must have been a remarkable work site!

But then look, more people are bringing more gold, silver, precious stones and other materials for the work! Soon the tents in which these precious things are being stored are filled to overflowing, yet more people still come with their offerings! There’s an excitement throughout the camp. Many people stand around the work site watching, amazed at what they see being fabricated and hardly able to imagine what it will all be when completed! But now there’s a problem. A very unusual problem. There’s no more room for what the people keep bringing!! Can you imagine my friends? Have you ever been in a situation where the blessings being poured out are simply too much to handle?

The Exodus 36:4 record says: “So all the skilled craftsmen…left their work and said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD has commanded to be done.” Can you imagine this my friends!! Too much gold, too much silver and precious stones?? Really? What’s happening here? May I call it “spiritual momentum”? There was a contagious excitement among the people as they reflected on all God had done for them in rescuing them from slavery, blessing them with the bounty of Egypt, keeping them alive in the desert, protecting them from attacking marauders, and now inviting the skilled craftsmen to build a place where the people could meet with God!

So look Moses is standing in front of the tents which have all the precious stuff. He’s waving to the people to stop, there is no more room for any more offerings, take it back home! WHAT? Is this possible? The record says: “And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.” (Ex. 36:6,7) Now my friends, let me give you a statement which I have found to be true over the past many years: “God’s work, done God’s way, in God’s time, will have sufficient of God’s resources”. Now I invite you to ponder that, every word of it. Do you agree? Have you experienced it to be true in your life, or your church or any work that God has invited you to be part of?

If it’s true, then what does it mean when the resources are NOT sufficient for the project? Well, I believe that means one or more of those phrases is not true for that particular project. It may be it’s NOT God’s work but rather some person’s ambition or an idea which is not from God. Maybe it’s not being done in God’s way but rather in a prideful human way. Maybe the timing isn’t God’s timing and some humans are forcing things to be done according to their own timetable. May I invite you to give some serious thought to this, especially as you look out over your 2022 and any projects you might be considering or are already involved with?

And finally, lest we think this is a one time occurrence, please consider the very same thing happened when King David led the ingathering of materials for the construction of the great Temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of his son Solomon, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 7. And it also happened again in the construction of the second Temple as recorded in Ezra 1-6. So I’d like us to pause right here, watching Moses turn the people away who are bringing too much for the “Tent of Meeting” construction project. Wander around among the skilled workers and be amazed at their ability to fabricate things never before seen by human eyes.

Watch the crowds standing around the perimeter of the work site pointing and talking with each other about this amazing project. And when you see one of the skilled workers with head bowed, praying, asking God for guidance… pause there and consider this is your privilege and mine, EVERYDAY. God wants to guide you and me, by the power of His Holy Spirit, through each day we live our lives for His glory, accomplishing His assignments for us, just as these skilled workers were doing. And God wants to supply what HE knows to be our needs as we live His purposes, do you believe that my friends? What great projects do you sense God is leading you to be part of in 2022? Is it possible God’s vision for you in 2022 far exceeds what you could possibly imagine? Will you enthusiastically join with God in what HE has in HIS heart for you this year?

Pause right now and pray about that. I’ve found a new worship song that I believe will help us consider these truths in a fresh way.

Today’s Scripture is Exodus 36:1-7.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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