333
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
July 1932
AUGUST 28, 1932 GIFTS FOR BUILDING THE TABERNACLE E xodus 35:4 to 36:7
thing from any one who does not belong to the Lord. It injures the giver, lowers the standards o f the recipient, and displeases the Lord. 3. For the Lord’s purpose. Because we do not always know of a certainty what the purpose o f the Lord is, much prayer and waiting upon Him are necessary in order to learn where and when to give. It is quite possible to work injury by giving at the wrong time, or in the wrong amount. 4. From the Lord’s provision. God knows how we should give, and He arranges our financial affairs so that we may be able to give according to His mind. It is from what He provides that all true giving comes. The one who has little of this world’s goods need not feel that that little is valueless to the Lord. If the Lord wished us to give more, He would have given more to us. In the final analysis, the Lord is not in need o f any thing that we own. All we have comes from Him, and if He needed it, He would retain it instead o f giving it to us. The value of the giving does not affect the Lord, but it affects the Christian giver. The Lord is in no need of the gift, but the Christian is in need of the giving. The Lord asks us to give, not for His sake, but for our own sakes. Giving is a grace, and He desires that we shall grow in all the graces. A Christian lives a lopsided life until he learns how to give proportionately according as the Lord has prospered him. Sometimes he may give largely, sometimes meagerly, but whether the gift be great or small, if it is in proportion to what the Lord has given, it is acceptable to Him, and the growth in grace follows as surely as day follows the rising o f the sun. 5. In the Lord’s power. When the heart is stirred up and. the spirit is willing, then we may be sure that the Lord’s power for giving is present. W e have a God whose nature is love, and because of this, He cannot help but' give. “ God so loved the world, that he gave.” He must give because o f what He is in His own nature. The power to give is ours also when we yield our lives to Him, to work in us His own nature. 6. For the Lord’s praise and glory. Whatsover we do is to be done with this object in view, that the glory of our God may be seen and His name may be praised. It is at this point that we must ever be on guard in order to defeat Satan who would have us accept the glory and honor for ourselves. It is not without reason that our Lord warns us not to allow the left hand to know what the right hand does. Let our giving glorify the Lord, and the supreme purpose o f our Christian lives will find its fulfillment. IV. T h e P urpose of th e G ifts The purpose of the gifts was to pro vide for the Lord a dwelling place with His people upon the earth. He desired to be among them in a way that they could recognize ; yet because o f His holiness and their sinfulness, He must be separated from them. Hence, He dwelt within the curtains o f the tabernacle, while His pres ence was known by the pillar of fire and o f cloud. In that day, the people gave in order to maintain a place fòr thè Lord upon the earth. Today, also, the Lord has a place where He abides, that is, within the church which is His body. There is ever the para mount need of sustaining that body on
various kinds for the coverings, precious stones for the priests’ garments, and so forth. The modern church could learn a lesson in giving from these people who are sometimes looked upon as ignorant and unadvanced. II. T h e M an n er of th e G iving This is the important portion o f our les son. It contains the principles which gov ern the sort o f giving which is acceptable to God in all ages. For this reason, the passage should be given special attention in the classes. 1. The giving was willing. There was no hesitancy, no holding back, no stinting. The willingness o f the givers made them come gladly and jo y ously with their gifts. Therefore, the giv ing was pleasing to God. 2. The giving was universal. The women as well as the men had a part in it, and each gave his own share. When every one had given what he had, there was'sufficient for all the work o f the building. 3. The giving was voluntary. f While the Lord told them what He de sired, it remained with the people to say whether or not they would give it. They were not compelled, except by the stirring up of their own hearts. “Every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing” gave. This is the sort o f giving with which the Lord is de lighted. As in service, so in giving, the Lord never compels, never levies, never forces. He waits for volunteer service and volunteer gifts. Any other manner o f giv ing to the Lord is an offense to Him. III. T h e P rinciples of G iving With such a lesson before us, we should stress the principles which govern accept able giving in all ages. 1. To the Lord Himself. While it is necessary to give to Him through earthly channels, yet in reality the Christian is giving to the Lord Him self. When the gift is merely presented to a man or to an institution or to a cause, the gift disappears with the disappear ance o f the man or the cause or the insti tution. But when the gift is made to the Lord, it abides, even after the earthly channel through which it was given has disappeared. 2. By the Lord’s people. He desires nothing from the world, and it is a mistake to think that He can be pleased with anything an unsaved person can give. While it is true that the altar sanctifies the gift, and that such a gift can be used in the service o f the Lord, never theless it is a grave mistake to ask any- BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson Text: Ex. 35:21-29. Golden Text: “ Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” (Prov. 3 :9 ). Gifts for the Tabernacle pon first thought, one might sup pose that the tabernacle was a ra ther crude affair, with very little of beauty or value connected with it. Yet we must remember that when the Israelites left Egypt, they borrowed everything which they could from the Egyptians and
took it with them. Thus they must have had a good supply of Egyptian jewelry and ma nu f a c t u r e d pro ducts. In that case, the tabernacle m u s t have been a magnifi cent structure, and its furnishings most elab orate.
The museum at Cairo contains innumer able specimens o f the art and handicraft of the ancient Egyptians. There is a beau tifully hand-carved door there, which must have been similar to the door o f the tabernacle. One can see cooking utensils similar to those which we use today. Sev eral pots, pans, and knives are on exhibit which look quite modern. The throne o f Tut-ankh-amen is overlaid with gold as heavy as heavy tin. In this gold, designs are inlaid with precious stones and va rious colors o f enamel. There are numer ous shrines, with their overshadowing wings, which must be similar to that built by the Israelites for carrying the tablets of the law. Many mummy cases are over laid with gold, and set with precious stones and enamel. Some have breastplates set with jewels. These give some idea o f the breastplate o f the high priest of the Hebrew religion. The Israelites had lived in Egypt for many years. They had learned the art of the Egyptians, and were able to duplicate the work which their oppressors did. W e are told that Bazaleel, who had the over sight of the construction o f the tabernacle, was learned “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” In that case, he was able to duplicate the work of the E g y p t i a n craftsmen, and build a magnificent house to the Lord. Every sort o f material was given to be used in the building o f the tabernacle. The materials had all been specified by God. He had also instructed Moses con cerning the manner in which they were to be wrought into the building. Nothing had been left to the choice o f Moses, or of the people. Everything was to be done precisely as the Lord directed. It is impor tant to remember that the Lord had His reasons for whatever He commanded, and that it was the duty and privilege o f the people to obey. The way they came with them gifts shows that they were in full fellowship with their God. There was gold for the furniture, fine linen for the tent, skins of Outline and Exposition I. T h e C haracter of th e G ifts
\
H O N O R E TEH O V A H — W/TH T H Y S U B S TA N C E
n
H P
M - 1
Ü | ^ 5
jggg| (E e J J s *
/
fORTlON
\
FAITHFUL T/THER HATEFUL MISER
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs