Using What God Gives Me for His Glory

Exodus 36:1 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded." 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. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. ⁴ So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work ⁵ and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done." ⁶ Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the 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, ⁷ because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

What a difference a year makes! Twelve months earlier, in 1446 B.C. or so, God’s people had been slaves slogging through Egyptian mud pits. They were making bricks to build their oppressive masters’ dreams. But then God stepped onto the scene, set them free, and changed everything. Israelites, who had been born and raised in slavery, walked out of the dust and onto a road that would take them to the land of milk and honey. The Egyptians’ slaves became the Lord’s free people – God’s own treasured possession (Ex. 19:5).

The Israelites couldn’t get from Africa to Asia, from Egypt to the Promised Land, on their own. The distance was too great, the resources too limited, and the threats too daunting for them to make it alone. The only way Israel could ever possibly make it was with God’s miraculous intervention. But that had been part of God’s good plan all along.

He wanted to be there every step of the way protecting them, guiding them, and living among them in a home His people would build for Him.

In exchange for the priceless gift of freedom, God asked the Israelites to do one pivotal thing: to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:4). Motivated by their love for God then, they were to use who they were and what they had for His glory. Exodus 36 shows how the Israelites did just that, and in the process, set an example for us to follow.

1. God gives His people gifts of talent and opportunity.

Moses and the Israelites had a challenging task before them. People who had only built store cities for Pharaoh were now asked to construct a sacred tabernacle – the earthly home of the God of the universe. Those who had been trained to work with mud and straw were now being asked to create masterpieces out of gold, silver, precious stones, exotic woods, fine leather, and linen. Could they do it? Yes, because God, who knew what they would need before the need ever arose, had already provided His people with the talents needed for the tasks. The Lord had given Israel a workforce of individuals equipped with “skill and ability to know how to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary.”

For every great Kingdom task throughout history God has gifted His people with talents and abilities sufficient to accomplish His purposes in their generation.

We have impressive (and imposing) ministry plans for Epiphany and WLS. Within the next year we will be working to beautify our own sanctuary with paintings in the arches. Plus we want to update and repair the exterior of our building. We will soon be examining the staffing of our Christian grade school – calling a new principal, possibly calling a 1^st grade teacher and starting all-day Kindergarten, etc. Plus we would like to increase the ministry and decrease the workload by possibly calling a staff minister to better reach out to more people in our congregation and community.

How are we going to accomplish all this? Through you – God’s gifted people.

The gifts God gives differ from person to person within His Kingdom. Not everyone can be as talented as a Bezalel, to whom God had given “skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” Most of us are more like the unnamed craftsmen who were simply “skilled.” We can’t do everything, but we can all do something. And we can do it for God.

2. God’s work prospers when God’s people give generously.

Not every Israelite had the talent or opportunity to participate in the actual construction of God’s sanctuary. But that didn’t mean that they couldn’t help out in a way that was just as important. Each one could give needed materials that others could use for the work of building the worship center for God.

The people had previously been slaves. But just before they gained their freedom, the Egyptians gave them gold, silver and fine clothing, perhaps as reparations for the wrongs done to them or as the “spoils” of war.

Now it was up to the Lord’s free people to freely give a portion of what they had received to support God’s work. The Lord had given them freedom and delivered them from the planet’s most powerful army (Ex. 14:13-30). He had given them wealth they didn’t earn and provided them with food they didn’t have to buy (Ex. 16:1318). The Israelites’ gifts would be a reflection of their gratitude for God’s amazing work in their lives.

How generous would they be?

As it turns out, they were very generous. “The people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.” As the contributions mounted, it became clear that the people were “bringing more than enough for doing the work.”

More than enough!

What a great “problem” to have! Great amounts were needed for this project and great amounts were given. Israel’s generous contributions were transformed into a masterpiece for the glory of God.

It’s not just the Israelites of Moses’ day who have been blessed by God. Our generation of American Christians has been blessed materially more than any other generation in human history.

We have been given wealth we didn’t really earn, food we didn’t produce and blessings we certainly do not deserve.

Yes, we may have fallen on difficult times in America and especially in Racine, but examine your life and your lifestyle – really examine them. We still possess the resources to do extraordinary things for God.

You already have skilled and committed Christian workers in our Epiphany and WLS sanctuaries who are doing the work God called them to do. Now God is calling upon you to support His ministry work of preaching the Gospel, administering the sacraments and feeding God’s lambs.

It isn’t a matter of if you will bring your gifts to the Lord. It is a matter of how much of your gifts you will bring to the Lord.

Your gifts to the Lord are a reflection of your gratitude for God’s amazing work in your lives.

With forgiven hearts, redeemed lives, baptized souls, and divinely motivated hands, you will bring “more than enough for doing the work.”

More than enough! What a great “problem” to have!

What can you give to help God’s work prosper in His sanctuary today and for generations to come?

Remember, your generous contributions will be transformed into a masterpiece for the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom.

Called as one of your skilled craftsmen,

Pastor Michael D. Zarling