And they took from Moses every heave-offering that the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it. And they still brought him voluntary offerings morning by morning.
The craftsmen take delivery of everything Israel has given for the sanctuary — the tent where God would live among His people. The people are still arriving with more the next morning, which raises two questions: where did such generosity come from, and why did God ask for it at all?
The materials handed over here go back to God's first call for them in Exodus 25. One writer points out that the willingness behind them was God's work before it was anyone's virtue:
It is a bright display of grace that God should join the people with Himself in His desire to have a sanctuary to dwell in among them. So it was only from willing hearts that the offerings were to be taken. This is deeply beautiful. God first produced the willingness, and then credited to them the offering they gave. He counted on the fellowship of the people, expecting a response to the expressed desires of His heart.
It also set a limit on what God would accept:
When God made the call for material for the tabernacle system in Exodus 25, they were to give according to their ability. But each man was to give from his heart, and give willingly. God did not want material from a man whose heart was not in His work. If his heart prompted him willingly, then God accepted that offering from him — but only if his heart lay behind it.
These contributions had a technical name in the law. They were heave offerings, and the name tells you what was involved:
When the people were allowed to contribute out of their own property for the tabernacle, their gifts were called heave offerings (Exodus 25:2-3; 35:5, 21, 24; 36:3-6), because they gave out of their possessions. But in Exodus 35:22 and 38:24, 29, the gold and the brass they brought were called wave offerings, because these were set apart for the service of God.
The wealth had a history. These were freed slaves, and God had secured their Egyptian pay for them before they left:
When the LORD asked Israel in the wilderness to prepare Him a dwelling, the offerings were so abundant that the people had to be restrained... Their hard-earned Egyptian wages were willingly laid at the feet of their Saviour-God. The LORD Himself had secured those wages for them before they left that land (Exodus 3:22).
The detail that sets this verse apart is its rhythm. The giving came in daily, and it went on until an announcement stopped it:
All the offerings brought to Moses he distributed as materials to the workmen, the wise-hearted among them. Morning by morning the people brought them. This went on until the wise men who did all the work of the sanctuary came, each from his work, and told Moses that the supply for each item was more than enough (36:4-5). Then a proclamation announced this, and the people stopped bringing offerings. Enough, and more than enough, was willingly and heartily offered.
The verse has givers on one side and receivers on the other. God equipped both:
If generosity was the fruit of the action of the Spirit of God, so also was wisdom. Generosity provided the necessary materials, and wisdom used them according to the divine mind... Human skill, human wisdom or inventions would only have spoiled the perfection of the divine design. So the workmen were to be only vessels — vessels for the display of divine wisdom and understanding and teaching.
One writer finds the same overflow again in the New Testament, and greater:
When God moves in the hearts of men He can produce a response worthy of Himself. The people brought as their offering not just what was needed, but "much more than enough." We see something similar, and indeed even surpassing it, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. The believers in Macedonia were "in a severe test of affliction" — that is to say, they were passing through wilderness experiences — and yet they gave "according to their means," and even "beyond their means," exceeding the hopes of the Apostle, for they "gave themselves first to the Lord."
The same principle has a sharp edge for anyone raising money for God's work today:
So it is of the first importance to remember this. Everything offered to God must come from hearts made willing by His Spirit. It must be spontaneous. It must not come from persuasion or outside pressure, but from the heart... What has caused more ruin than the many worldly schemes for raising money?
- Source. The willingness came from God first. He produced it, then credited the offering to the people as theirs.
- Substance. What God moved them to give, He had first given them. The wages carried out of Egypt came back to Him as heave offerings out of their own possessions.
- Steadiness. The giving came morning by morning, not in one burst, until the workmen reported more than enough.
- Skill. Materials alone build nothing. The same Spirit who opened hearts to give put wisdom into the hands that received. The workmen were vessels for God's design, not their own.
- Standard. Pressure and clever schemes produce nothing God accepts. He takes only what a willing heart brings — a measure the believers in Macedonia later passed by giving themselves to the Lord first.
And all the wise men that wrought all the work of the sanctuary came, every man from his work which they wrought,
The tabernacle is under construction, and the offerings keep arriving morning after morning. Then the skilled workers leave their benches and come to Moses with a report. It is not the report anyone expects.
Older translations call these craftsmen "wise men" or "wise-hearted." Their wisdom was more than skill with tools:
Israel had materials, tools, and knowledge for the work. But more than artistic and mechanical power was needed to shape the ideas shown to Moses on the mountain. Special understanding was necessary. So the chief artists were given a rare wisdom, which enabled them to grasp the thoughts of God and to express them with artistic perfection. It was God's purpose to use the wealth and skill of the people. So He commissioned them to "bring" gifts, and out of the material of their gifts to "make" what Jehovah required. All could give, if only a few could make. One simple thing made these offerings acceptable: a willing heart. What made their work acceptable was a wise heart.
That skill was not their own. God gave it for the job, and He gave it widely:
The workmen were the gift of God. The wisdom and understanding needed for their work also came from Him through the action of His Spirit. He also gave them the capacity to teach others. Joined with them was "every wise-hearted man in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding" for the service of the sanctuary (Ex. 36:1). We may surely see in these workers the pattern of all true servants in every age.
Each man came from his own task. One writer pictures the camp at work:
The spinning wheels at work. The shuttles passing to and fro. The smith's hammer dealing with the metals. The saws and planes making ready the boards. The jewellers setting the precious stones. Men and women busy and earnest at their work, getting ready the Sanctuary where Jehovah their God would dwell. Moses handed out all the offerings brought to him as materials for the workmen, the wise-hearted among them. Morning by morning the people brought them. This went on until the wise men who did all the work of the Sanctuary came, every man from his work. They told Moses that the supply for each item was more than enough (36:4-5).
The workers reported too much, not too little. One writer finds the same spirit in the Macedonian believers:
The giving of the Macedonian believers was remarkable. Paul could bear witness that they gave according to their power. That means that after paying all their proper living expenses, they gave up to the limit of their ability. They did more than this, however. They gave beyond their power. They denied themselves what might count as proper living expenses in order to give to the Lord and His people. They had caught the spirit shown when the tabernacle was to be made, and it was reported to Moses that the people were bringing much more than enough for the work the Lord had commanded (Exodus 36:5).
One writer weighs this surplus against the church today:
In the abundant offerings, more than was needed, we see the results of the grace of God. Every morning the people presented their offerings. The supply grew so large that the people had to be restrained. What a contrast with the professing people of God in our days! How little self-sacrifice and self-denial; how little willingness to spend and be spent. The word of God condemns the methods used to help along the work of the Lord, such as collections from unbelievers. The willingness of the people was the fruit of the Spirit of God.
Wisdom did not mean freedom to invent. The work had a fixed design:
The Lord had given the most detailed instructions about the whole work of the tabernacle. He set out each part exactly: every pin, every socket, every loop, every clasp. There was no room left for man's expediency, his reason, or his common sense. Jehovah did not give a broad outline and leave man to fill it in. He left no margin at all in which man might enter his own regulations.
- Grace starts it. The surplus here was not natural generosity. It was "the fruit of the Spirit of God" in willing hearts.
- Grace equips. God gave the skill; no one earned it. The workmen themselves were "the gift of God," and He included every wise-hearted man.
- Grace reaches all. A willing heart qualified the givers. A wise heart qualified the makers. "All could give, if only a few could make."
- Grace overflows. The men closest to the work were the ones who reported "much more than enough." The people had to be restrained from giving.
- Grace obeys. Plenty was no licence to invent. Every pin and socket followed God's instructions, with "no margin" for man's own regulations.
and spoke to Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work that Jehovah commanded to be done.
Israel is building the tent where the Lord will live among them. The workers themselves stop and come to Moses with a problem few building projects ever have: the gifts keep coming, and there is more material than the work needs.
One writer pictures the camp in the days leading up to that report:
What a sight it must have been! The camp roused into activity. People streaming to the appointed place with their offerings, the witness and fruit of willing hearts. The spinning wheels were at work, and the shuttles passed to and fro. The smith's hammer dealt with the metals. The saws and planes made the boards ready. The jewellers set the precious stones. Men and women were busy and earnest in their work, getting ready the sanctuary where the Lord their God would live. All the offerings brought to Moses he handed out as materials to the workmen, the wise-hearted among them. Morning by morning the people brought them. At last the wise men who did all the work of the sanctuary came, each one from his work. They told Moses that the supply for each item was more than enough.
Where did such giving come from? One writer traces it back to God moving in the hearts of the people:
When God moves in the hearts of men He can produce a response worthy of Himself. The people brought as their offering not merely what was wanted, but "much more than enough."
No one had to push the people to give. The impulse ran the other way — from the inside out:
What a lovely picture this is of devotion to the work of the sanctuary! It needed no effort to move the hearts of the people to give, no earnest appeals, no impressive arguments. Oh no — their "hearts stirred them up." This was the true way. The streams of willing devotion flowed from within. Rulers, men, women — all felt it was their sweet privilege to give to the Lord. They gave not with a narrow heart or a stingy hand, but so generously that they had enough and more than enough.
This is not just ancient history. One writer takes it as a rule that still tests how we raise money for God's work:
So it is of the first importance to remember this. Everything offered to God must come from hearts made willing by His Spirit. It must be spontaneous. It must not be the result of persuasion or outside pressure, but must come from the heart. The church of God would have been in a very different state today if this had been remembered. What has caused more ruin than the many worldly schemes for raising money? And what is more humbling than seeing appeals of all kinds used to get the Lord's people to offer their gifts?
The same writer draws out what follows for anyone who wants to do something for God:
It cannot be said too often that the church of God is never responsible for obtaining the means. If the Lord gives work to do, He Himself will lay it on the hearts of His people to give what is needed. We step off the ground of dependence, and act on our own thoughts, if we take on anything that God has not already provided for. And gifts obtained by human means can seldom be used for blessing.
The gold, silver and fine linen did not come from a rich nation. They came from people who had just escaped slavery:
When we reflect on who supplied the materials, our astonishment deepens. The Israelites had just escaped from bitter bondage. Their lot had been harsh. "Bricks without straw" had plumbed the depths of the misery of forced labour. Yet these were the people who gave from what they had so willingly that Moses had to hold back their flood of generosity.
One writer sets this scene beside the churches of Macedonia:
The Macedonian believers were "in a severe test of affliction," that is, they were passing through wilderness experiences. Yet they gave "according to their means," and even "beyond their means." They went past what the apostle had hoped for, because "they gave themselves first to the Lord." It is not surprising that a response produced by the grace of God goes beyond that produced under the law — fine though that might be.
- Source. The surplus began with God: when He moves in hearts, He produces a response worthy of Himself.
- Spirit. No appeals, no arguments, no pressure — the streams of devotion flowed from within.
- Substance. Former slaves who had made bricks without straw gave gold and fine linen, until Moses had to hold them back.
- Surplus. The workers themselves stopped and reported the excess: the work already had more than enough.
- Surpassing. Grace goes beyond what the law produced here: the Macedonians gave beyond their means, having first given themselves to the Lord.
Then Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed through the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the heave-offering of the sanctuary! So the people were restrained from bringing;
The tabernacle was the tent that would be God's dwelling among Israel, and the people were bringing gifts to build it. Then the supply outran the need, and Moses ordered the giving to stop.
One writer traces how the order came about:
In response to God's call, Bezalel and Oholiab and other skilled workers willingly offered themselves for this work (vv. 1-2). Moses then handed them the offerings that the children of Israel kept bringing. The people's sacrifices were much greater than the project needed (vv. 4-5). This is always what happens when the grace of God works effectively in hearts. So Moses commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the camp, that the people should give no more (v. 6).
Nothing here suggests anyone talked them into it:
What a lovely picture of devotedness to the work of the sanctuary! It needed no effort to move the hearts of the people to give, no earnest appeals, no impressive arguments. Oh no — their "hearts stirred them up." This was the true way. The streams of voluntary devotion flowed from within. Rulers, men, and women all felt it was their sweet privilege to give to the Lord. They gave with no narrow heart and no stingy hand, but in such a princely way that they had "enough, and too much."
God named no amount to bring. That silence is the point, and it shows where the excess really came from:
The people were to supply all this material as the fruit of what their hearts prompted. No quantity was named, but the response was so great that Exodus 36:6 tells us a special proclamation had to hold the people back from giving. It is all the work of God's grace. He enriches us, and so we can offer what agrees with His own thoughts and purposes. As David says, "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you" (1 Chr. 29:14).
One commentator draws out what this means for anyone worried about paying for God's work:
And note this — there was no lack. In the next chapter the skilled men who did the work came to Moses and said, "The people bring much more than enough for the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." … The usual complaint now is that there are not enough means to carry on the Lord's work. But four things cannot be said too often. First, the church of God is never held responsible to get means. Second, if the Lord gives work to do, He Himself will lay it on the hearts of His people to give what is needed. Third, we have left the ground of dependence and are acting on our own ideas if we take on anything for which the needed provision has not already been made. Last, gifts raised by human methods can seldom be used for blessing.
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The same writer adds that everything offered to God "must be spontaneous, not the result of persuasion or of outside pressure, but from the heart." He points to Paul's words that God loves a cheerful giver.
The state of a people's heart shows up in their giving:
When the people of God are in a healthy spiritual condition, the funds are healthy too, and those who handle them have no anxiety. When the spiritual affections are in full flow, everything needed to maintain the Lord's work is in full flow as well. When the LORD asked Israel in the wilderness to prepare Him a dwelling, the offerings were so abundant that the people had to be held back… Before they left Egypt, the LORD Himself secured their hard-earned wages for them (Ex. 3:22). They willingly laid those wages at the feet of their Saviour-God.
Israel gave like this under law. One writer finds its match, and more, in the churches of Macedonia:
When God moves in the hearts of men He can produce a response worthy of Himself. The people brought as their offering not just what was needed, but "much more than enough." We see something similar, and indeed greater, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. The Macedonian saints were in "a severe test of affliction" — that is, passing through wilderness experiences. Yet they gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, going past the apostle's hopes. The reason was that "they gave themselves first to the Lord." It is not surprising that a response produced by the grace of God goes beyond one produced under law, fine though that might be.
- Grace begins it. This was not organised generosity. Grace at work in hearts always gives more than the work needs.
- Grace supplies it. They handed back wealth God had already put in their hands, so David's words fit: of your own have we given you.
- Grace needs no pressure. No appeals, no arguments, no amount named — their own hearts stirred them up.
- Grace overflows. The result was "enough, and too much," and the only command left to give was: stop.
- Grace can be measured. When hearts flow toward God, funds flow too. The Macedonians went further still — they gave themselves first.