The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 230

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-7.-The materials for the sanctuary, I. Goo REQUIRED THESE FROM THE PEOPLE. It might have been thought that in order to make this holy habitation, this tent for God travelling along with his people, God himself would have in some way supplied the material. Even as he gave Moses the stones on which the law was written. (in. the first instance at all events), so he might have made a sanctuary to descend in marvellous man.ner into the midst of Israel. But it pleased him, who we may be sure always does the wise and fitting thing, to act differently. He required the materials for this sanctuary from the people. They could not provide food for themselves-but they could provide such a dwelling-place for Jehovah as he would approve and accept. These people who had required so many intEn"entions of God to deliver and secure them had yet been carrying with them in the midst of all their helplessness the great store of wealth indicated in this passage. It is somewhat perplexing to consider the revelation thus afforded of the Israelite condition. In their hearts these people were sinful. idola- trous, unbelieving, unstable-it is humiliating to gaze on the sad exhibition. of human nature they present-and yet they had managed to surround themselves with these treasures. They were those who had been laying up treasures on earth; and so far these treasures had been of little use; for what will it profit a man to have all this store of gold and silver, and brass and fine linen, and what not, if be lack the daily bread ?-all the efforts of the people, all their scraping, had ended in the bringing of these things into the wilderness where they seemed ofno use. Even gold and silver would not buy bread in the wilderness. But now, behold how God can take this gold and silver and show how to make a profitable and acceptable use of it. When. we begin to look regret- fully on the results of our natural efforts as if those efforts bad been wasted, he comes in to overrule our ignorance and folly. By his consecrating and re-arranging touch, the treasures upon earth can be transmuted into treasures in heaven. II. THE WILLINGNESS TilAT MARKED THESE GIFTS. These materials, valuable as they were, yet yielded in respect of worth to an element more valuable still. These rare anJ. beautiful materials, workable into such beautuul forms, could have been gotten. without human intervention at all, if that had been the whole of the necessity. As not even 3ulomon in all his glory was urayed like on.e of the lilies, so nothing man c,rn ma.kt:1 EXODL'S-ll.  THE HOOK OF EXODU~. [en. XIV. 1-i. - - - - - - - - - ---------·--------------- with 1,is ntmn~I. Rrt, iR Rn beautiful as t.111> handiwork of ('ml, Nor is the question :ilt<>ec<'1 IH•r ,,nc as to wl,n1. is heant.ifnl t" 1l,p uutward eye. The value of beautiful forms i, .". thin~ ?nly t<>o easily cx11.ggerntetl. l'.nL no one can exaggerate the beauty of I\ 5p1r1t11al action, the beauty of a gift whore the willingness and devotion of the whole heart arc manifest. This tabernR.cle might be a very inferior structure, when measured hy Hlch principles as dictlltcd Greci,m art; but this we.s a thing of no consequenco when compared with the higher consideration that its matcrie.ls were freely brought. There was none of that extortion and slavish toil, such as we ree.d of in connection with sl)JTIC of the huge fabrics of e.ncient civiliBlltions. What blood and tears, whe.t reckless expenditure of human life, for instance, in the construction of buildings like the pyramids I ,vhen we look at the great buildings-aqueducts, roads, of ancient times-we must not look e.t the outward appearance only. These Israelites doubtless had helped in the building of splendid l't.ructures ; but the foundation of these structures was laid in oppl'866ion, and therefore on their topRtone rested a destroying curse. There was nothing nbout all the tabernacle more beautiful than the willingness that marked the gift of the materials. There was no specific demand on a.ny pa.rticula.r person. Let everyone con~ sidcr for himself whether he will give, and how much. A free-will offering of the inferior brass would be of ever so much more value than an extorted one of gold or silver, or prociouti stones. III. 'l'RE MATERIALS OF THE GIFl'S. Evidently such things were taken as the people had by them ; but of fkse things the wery best were taken. Being a.lrea.dy in the posses- sion of the people, and valued by them, they were exactly the things to test the willing- ness of their disposition. When God asks us to give, he asks us to give of our best. All this gold and silver symbolised what was most precious in the heart within. One is reminded of Paul's words with respect to the materials that might be la.id upon the foundation given in Christ (1 Cor. iii. 12). We must not bring to God just what we do not want ourselves. 'J'he value of the gifts constituted a most searching test of willingness, and willin,,,<TI1ess was the particular quality that needed to be tested at this time. Men willing to give gold and silver, might be reasonably supposed as willing to give anything else within their power. Then there was a test also in the variety of the gifts. The man without gold and silver would not escape the responsibility of considering what he could do in the way of another gift. For the needs of the t.a.hernacle God required a large diversity of ma.t.erials; and probably there were few in Israel but could do something towards the supply if only they were 60 disposed.-Y. V crs. l, 2.-(}od 1,ovetli, a cheerful, giver. A message to the people. Like messages arc often sent, but seldom welcomed. Even when God demands an offering, many people grudge to give it ; they yield, as to a kind of he.avenly highwayman, of necessity if at a.11 Consider here :- I. Tm: OFFERING REQUIRED. 1. P ~ Jehovah will give the people a visible sign of his presence in their midst. He will have a home amid their homes, a tent dwelling like in character to their dwellings. More than this-he will be their guest. 'fhey shall provide for him the ll8Cl'ed tent. If we count it an honour for a town to receive and entertain a member of our royal family, how much greater an honour to he 1iermitted to ent.ert.ain the head of the royal family of he.aven ! 2. Material,s. All Illlln.ner of things required (vers. 3-7), 60 that all can share the privilege of providing them. Some may give a few gold ornaments ; even a poor man may yet find some aoat's hair for cloth. Not a member of the nation but can do his pa.rt in helping to rear fhc tabernacle for God. All gifts can be used. so that each may have a she.re in the work. 3. .A precedent for Q'IJ,rsel,,,_, God treats us as he tre.atcd IsraeL He a.sks our help in Luilding for him a spiritual temple, a dwe!fuig-place in '11'.hich men are the living stones. Some can !!ive pereonal effort ; some can give money to assJSt the actual workers ; no one so poor buf that he can give something. Surely the opportunity of helping God is one which ought not to be undervalued. 11. THE co~'DITION OF ACCEPTANCE. All may help, but on one condition-they must Lelp "willingly," with the" heart." The offering is valued not on its own account, but a,, a symbol of that which is more valuable. Gifts to God are a kind of human sacra- 111ellt, which God deign;, to receive at the ha.nds of man: they are acceptable as outward alud ,·i,,;ibk sigus of au inward and spiritUIU grace. If the grace be wanting, the gifts I'll. :U:V. 1-10;) TTIE UOOK OF EXODUS.