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| For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much |
3 And they received of Moses all
the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the
service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free
offerings every morning. 4 And all the wise men, that
wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they
made; 5 And they spake unto Moses,
saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work,
which the LORD commanded to make. 6 And Moses gave commandment, and
they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man
nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people
were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was
sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. (Ex 36:3-7)
There are two shocking revelations in today’s chapter on Exodus, and both
appear in the leading verses that head this devotion! You will not hear this text
used very often in sermons, but that is unfortunate and neither sheds light
upon the parishioners, nor upon the clergy.
The setting is the beginning of the building of the Tabernacle according to the
intricate plans the Lord has laid out to Moses. An appeal is made for both free
will offerings and craftsmen to assist in the undertaking. 1 Then wrought Bezaleel and
Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and
understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the
sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. 2 And Moses called Bezaleel
and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put
wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do
it: (Ex 36:1-2)
First of all, note that the men who were called to assist
were wise-hearted men in whom the Lord had put wisdom and understanding. The
men did not acquire wisdom and knowledge on their own merits, but these came
from God. If this fact were true today of the ministers who serve the churches,
we might have far fewer charlatans and far more humble servants of the Lord
occupying our pulpits.
Secondly, please note that the offerings were not mandated,
but solicited from those who felt compelled, of their own free will, to offer.
The amazing fact is that the people gave far more treasure than was needed.
That is a wonderful testimony of the changed hearts of the people in serving
the Lord whom they had offended. 5 And they (Bezaleel and Aholiab) spake
unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the
service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. What
forthright honesty of these two chosen men of God, and of Moses!
Thirdly, and I hope you are sitting down as I relate this,
Moses felt compelled to make a proclamation that the people bring NO MORE
TREASURE for the building of the Tabernacle! 6 And Moses gave
commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let
neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.
So the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was
sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. You might not expect to hear such sordid characters as ‘Smiling
Joel’ making such an announcement at his money-grubbing services. Can you
imagine that pearly white smile and the words “Well, friends, you are just
sending too much money to support this ministry and my opulent lifestyle, so I
beg you, please send no more money.” Well, miracles do happen, but I
suppose that miracle is the LEAST likely! There are few churches that would
ever admit to having enough, and especially MORE than enough, to perform the
services of the Lord. But men of the caliber of Moses were made of sterner
stuff than the great majority of ministers of our time. By the way, there are
some such ministers to the glory of God, who are not out for filthy lucre. We
have such men in our own church, and many others, scattered across the
landscape of America – the operative word is ‘scattered!’ It is far more easy
to know that the people may give more than enough than to find a minister who
will admit to it.
The Lord does not have need of the village bum in His work.
He requires men of wise hearts, and it is these He calls and equips to do His
service: 8 And every wise hearted man
among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle . . . . (Ex 36:8) It is truly the wise who are
always seeking to serve the Lord, and not the lazy and shiftless: . . . . behold,
there came Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is
born King of the Jews? For we have seen His Star in the East, and have come to
worship Him. (Matt 2:2)
We discover, in verses 8 through 13 of the intricate work
and beauty of the interior curtains and design of the Tabernacle. The detail of
the work is there for your own reading. And we read in verses 14 through 34 of
the beauty of interior walls, as opposed to the plain and drab appearance of
the exterior coverings of goat’s hair and badger skins. Is this not a point of
great inner beauty? The furniture of the Tabernacle was of gold, silver,
bronze, and wool; yet the exterior was totally unimpressive and plain (goat’s
hair and badger skins). It reminds me of a military GP-Medium tent. Why is this
the case? True beauty is ALWAYS inward first. Our Lord Jesus Christ was no man
of particular physical beauty or appeal: 2 For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor
comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire
him. 3 He is despised and rejected of
men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our
faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:2-3) It is true that the disciples
who followed Christ did not do so for His earthly wealth (He had none), or His
earthly influence (He had none), or for the beauty of His countenance (He was
quite common in appearance); but they followed Him for the beauty of His Heart
expressed in the Words and Works He performed!
A great masterpiece of art is not applauded for its bright
colors only, nor for its technical merits, nor for the ornamental frame that
bears it. It is the manner in which the beauty and truth of God, and Nature,
are captured in its expression. The beauty and worth of a Christian is not
written on his vestiture or forehead, but deep within the hidden chambers of
the heart. That was true of the Tabernacle with its plain goat hair and badger
skin covering and the rich golden features of the altar, lamp-stand, and other
accoutrements of the Holy of Holies; and it is true of the man or woman of
Christian character. Such golden traits of character are always unpretentious,
humble, pure, manly and gentle – and truly beautiful inwardly!
35 And he made a vail of blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of
cunning work. 36 And he made thereunto four
pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold;
and he cast for them four sockets of silver. 37 And he made an hanging for the
tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of
needlework; 38 And the five pillars of it with
their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but
their five sockets were of brass. (Ex
36:35-38) The
cunning work of the vail and cherubims meant that it was artistically designed
and masterfully executed. It was a thing of beauty. The VAIL is an object of
grave importance in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple at Jerusalem, and
still later for the torn vail in the hearts of every Christian. It separated
the Holy Place where the priests gathered from the Most Holy (or Holiest of
Holy’s) where only the High Priest could go once per year. The High Priest, as
described earlier, was the intercessor of the people to God when he entered the
Most Holy Place behind the Tabernacle (Temple) Vail. So who intercedes for us
now that we have no Office of High Priest to intercede for us?
Let us review the fundamentals of Christ as our High Priest. How came Christ to
be our High Priest? By His death and sacrifice at Golgotha. We read from St.
Matthew of events occurring on that dreadful day on a hill outside the gates of
Jerusalem: 50 Jesus, when he had cried
again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent.
(Matt 27:50-51) This Temple Vail (Veil) separated the people from God, and
only the High Priest could have access to the Father. But, symbolically, the
Vail was torn, at the moment of our Lord’s death, in twain. It was torn from
the top (Heaven) to the bottom (earth) because only God can grant access to His
Throne of Mercy.
No longer do we need an earthly High Priest to make
intercession for us since we have a greater High Priest (and there was only one
High Priest at any time) who not only resides behind the torn Vail of the
Temple, but abides on the right Hand of the Father to make intercession for His
people. 19 For the law made nothing
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh
unto God. 20 And inasmuch as not without an
oath he was made priest: 21 (For those priests were made
without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord
sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus made a
surety of a better testament. 23 And they truly were many
priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he
continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them. 26 For such an high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher
than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the
people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high
priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the
law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. (Heb
7:19-28)
Jesus is our High priest, the Bishop of our hearts and the
Captain of our souls. 25 For ye were as sheep going
astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25) Do not pridefully, and with a stiff upper lip, look down upon
those stray sheep of the Lord’s pasture, for you and I were those sheep who
went astray, and may do so, God forbid, again. But, may the Lord be praised,
the same road upon which we departed from the Lord is always open for our
return, and upon that road His gaze is always fixed.
