Thursday, July 21, 2011
Read: Exodus 36-39
We are coming to the end of Exodus and have encountered very specific instructions from the Lord. Exodus 36 begins with the most skilled workers agreeing to construct the sanctuary (v.1). Admitting that these workers are skilled at their craft is important to note. God has equipped them with these skills to fulfill His purposes.
God appointing these skilled people to construct the Tabernacle is not most miraculous part of these chapters. It is what God does through the least skilled people that should be noted.
In verse 3 Moses gives the skilled workers all the offerings the Israelites (the non-skilled) brought to construct the temple. “…And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” (v.3-5).
Did you catch that? The people were giving too much! They had to be commanded to stop! “Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout camp: ‘No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.’ And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.” (vs.6-7).
Wouldn’t that be nice? Shouldn’t that be the case today? Imagine planning a food drive for your Corps pantry and having to stop everyone from your congregation from giving because you have run out of room! Try to picture a soup kitchen stocked with good food that the homeless people that eat in it have to say, “Please, no more food! I am full. I don’t think I’ll ever be hungry again!” Or during your Christmas Kettle Campaigns, not being able to deal with all the cash and coin that the public stuffs in to the red buckets that acme Corps have to take entire days off because they cannot keep up with counting all the money or transporting all the loot!
In the Army today we may have “skilled workers” as our Officers—making the important decisions, keeping us afloat financially, directing our effectiveness—these people are appointed by God to fulfill essential tasks. We must never, however, not come to the point were Soldiers are not needed. Because an Army without Soldiers is not an Army at all.
We are all in this fight together. So if you are a Soldier let us apply the example the Israelites set for us in Exodus 36 and go above and beyond what is required of us and overwhelm the skilled workers of the day with our time, talents and treasures for God’s glory.
Process:
Is God challenging you to overwhelm your leaders with help?
take time to discuss with your group different things you can do at your corps or in your community. Discuss ideas you have that could help your corps or the people around you.